“Wherever men and women are

persecuted because of their race, religion,

or political views, that place must – at

that moment – become the center of the universe.”

– Elie Wiesel, Nobel Laureate, Political Activist, and Holocaust Survivor

Today, we are seeing similar warning signs of mass atrocities, ethnic cleansing, and genocide in countries such as South Sudan and Burma. How can we work to ensure that we do not make the same mistake that past generations have made by ignoring the warning signs? How can the average person take action to prevent another genocide?

In addition to supporting on-the-ground actors, the most important step that Americans can take to prevent and respond to atrocities in the modern era is to support legislation that ensures our government does not ignore its commitment to human rights. One such policy is the Elie Wiesel Genocide and Atrocity Prevention Act (S. 1158, H.R. 3030). Named after Nobel laureate, Holocaust survivor, activist, and author Elie Wiesel.

Elie Wiesel was born on September 30, 1928 in Sighet, Romania. In 1940, when Hungary was annexed by Nazi Germany, Wiesel’s family was forced into a ghetto and four years later, with the consent of the Hungarian government, Romanian Jews, including Wiesel and his family, were transported to Auschwitz concentration camp in Nazi-occupied Poland. After three weeks of forced labor in the camp, Wiesel and his father were taken on a 620-mile death march to Buchenwald, another concentration camp, where his father was beaten to death. Wiesel was liberated from Buchenwald in 1945, at the age of 17. After liberation, Wiesel went on to write a memoir entitled Night about his experiences as a teenager. In 1955, he moved to New York, where he continued to write and teach and was eventually awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, being called a “messenger to mankind.” Before his death in 2016, Wiesel founded the Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity with his wife Marion to “combat indifference, intolerance and injustice.”

The Congressional bill that bears his name seeks to do just that. By creating a Mass Atrocities Task Force, improving Foreign Service Officer training, and institutionalizing the Complex Crises Fund to provide timely funding for rapidly emerging atrocity issues, the Elie Wiesel Genocide and Atrocities Prevention Act (GAPA) will bolster the ability of the U.S. to contribute to ending and preventing genocide and mass atrocities wherever they occur. The Mass Atrocities Task Force, modeled after today’s Atrocities Prevention Board (APB), would meet regularly to strategically determine a whole-of-government strategy to prevent and respond to emerging atrocities in at-risk countries.

Since its inception in 2012, the APB has repeatedly proven its importance in the genocide prevention field. For example, through careful risk assessment and broad diplomatic engagement, the APB successfully helped limit violence in Burundi. In this instance, as well as in the Central African Republic and Jordan, APB processes have shown to be strategic and efficient in ensuring that genocide will no longer be ignored by the U.S. government.

“We must always take sides.

Neutrality helps the oppressor,

never the victim. Silence encourages

the tormentor, never the tormented.”

-Elie Wiesel

As an activist and champion of human rights advocacy, Elie Wiesel worked his entire adult life to combat violence against civilians. You can support this landmark legislation today: Sign and share our petition.

Ready to take the next step? From calling Congress to writing an op-ed, you can make a difference. For more ways to get involved and make your voice heard, check out our website!

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Casey Bush is the Fundraising and Development Coordinator on the Managing Committee of STAND. As a senior studying History and Holocaust and Genocide Studies at Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts, Casey is writing her undergraduate thesis on individual forgiveness and its effects on a post-Holocaust world.

When Miguel Ydigoras Fuentes was elected president of Guatemala in 1958, he led a degrading and racist campaign against Mayans (who he called “mountain dwellers”), encouraging members of the military to torture, rape, and kill Mayans. Due to discrimination against Mayan women, a group of both Guatemalan and Mayan men planned a coup to eliminate Fuentes from office. The coup ultimately failed, but catalyzed the Guatemalan Civil War that took place from 1960 to 1996. During this civil war, many Mayans rebelled and were named “internal enemies” by the government. Various social movements in the 1960s reflected a national demand for “land and fair wages in the Mayan highlands and large farms of the south coast.” When the Spanish embassy, holding 39 Mayan leaders, was burned to the ground, armed insurgencies sprouted up under the name “Guatemala National Revolutionary Unit.” They established four main guerrilla groups that attacked national security forces and sabotaged economic activities. The government used these actions to justify their call for their extermination. Approximately 200,000 Mayans were killed during the war.

Though prior to this period there had been periodic killings, the “Silent Holocaust” of 1981-1983 resulted in the most deaths. In 1982, General Efraín Ríos Montt became head of state and led a  scorched earth campaign  against the Mayan people. In the 17 months of his military rule, soldiers hunted down leftist guerrillas in Mayan highlands and systematically killed Mayans – civilians and combatants alike. Racist propaganda was spread, portraying Mayans as primitive and blaming them for the scarcity of agricultural products in the country. Some of the people that carried out these attacks proudly called themselves “killing machines.” Most Mayans killed were not part of guerilla movements, but were teachers, farmers, university and high school students, and other civilians. Women were raped, tortured, and killed, and even children and the elderly were targeted by the government.

According to The Center for Justice and Accountability, “between 500,000 and 1.5 million Mayan civilians fled to other regions within the country or became refugees abroad from 1981-1983 alone.” In 1983, Ríos Montt was deposed in a coup, and in 1986, a government formed by the Guatemalan people created a new constitution. Although the constitution included articles acknowledging the existence of Mayans and their traditions, and another article established law for regulations of indigenous peoples – the laws were not enacted nearly 10 years after the fact. In June 1994, the government signed a Commision for Historical Clarification with the UN and agreed to investigate the genocide.

After the results of the commission’s investigation were released, Ríos Montt was arrested and convicted of genocide and crimes against humanity. However, two weeks after his conviction, Guatemala’s Constitutional Court annulled the conviction. Although he was supposed to face trial again in 2015, he was declared mentally unfit and the trial was suspended until 2016. In 2017, the Guatemalan National Court declared that he could face trial for the Dos Erres Massacre. During the Dos Erres Massacre, members of the Guatemalan military’s Kaibil Unit killed approximately 300 residents of a village called Dos Erres. Many different organizations, such as the Open Society Justice Initiative, have expressed the need for Ríos Montt to face trial again by working with Mayans who are willing to share their stories and testimony.

Today, Guatemalans continue to advocate for justice for those whose lives were tragically taken, and for education about Guatemala’s civil war. Antonia Caba Caba, a man who grew up in a Mayan village during the military raids and was forced into the military, says he wants Americans to “be more understanding when the economic hardship of today forces Guatemalans to flee, yet again, and to try to find a life across the US border.” As one of the least known but bloodiest civil wars of Latin American history, the Guatemalan Civil War’s legacy still resonates with Guatemalans today, who continue to seek justice for the lives lost.

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Erica Yeagley is a junior at Terre Haute South Vigo High School in Indiana. She is a member of the STAND chapter at her school and enjoys volunteering throughout her community.

Statelessness can occur for a myriad of reasons. The United States State Department addresses that some statelessness is caused by naturalization laws, such as laws denying people the ability to obtain citizenship, laws denying a mother the ability to extend her nationality to her child, and laws denying citizenship for children born out of wedlock. Additionally, statelessness can be a result of paperwork mistakes, such as a hospital failing to register a birth or the loss or destruction of documents. While each case is a troubling scenario, the worst is when people are stripped of their citizenship by their nation for belonging to a certain racial or ethnic group. This action destroys the promised protection of individuals, thereby making them vulnerable to atrocities.

When citizen groups – most often minorities – are stripped of their rights and nationality, they become easy targets for persecution. Arguably the most famous case of this action was during the rule of Adolf Hitler in Nazi Germany. The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum asserts that when the Nuremberg Laws were passed in 1935, the Jewish population in Germany lost all of their basic rights. These laws were an early, yet catastrophic, sign of the coming Holocaust, and the abuses Germany’s Jewish population experienced escalated sizably thereafter. Now, in Burma, 1.1 million Rohingya Muslims are considered stateless after the government rescinded their citizenship in 1982. The international community has called the Rohingya “the most persecuted minority in the world,” and a “textbook example of ethnic cleansing.” The aspect of being stateless makes their persecution much easier.

If nations around the world recognized and acted on the problems stateless individuals are forced to deal with, cases like the Holocaust and the persecution of the Rohingya could be minimized or even stopped earlier. Stateless people are not offered the protections of average citizens. As a result, attacking these minorities is relatively easy. For this reason, the United Nations has launched a campaign to end statelessness in ten years. Ultimately, the most difficult aspects of ending statelessness are that it must be a priority of each individual country, and that the true number of stateless people is difficult to ascertain because they are often not included in censuses or they prefer not to report that they are stateless because of the harm that could come from it. Whether the desired conclusion is probable or not, it is definitely a positive movement to combat the genocide and mass atrocities that can result from the denial of citizenship.

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Zachary Gossett is a member of the Communications Task Force for STAND. He is a first-year student at Butler University in Indianapolis, Indiana, where he is studying political science. He is passionate about protecting the rights of people of the world.  

Schindler’s List (1993)- 

STAND members really like Schindler’s List. STAND Policy Intern and chapter leader Timmy Hirschel-Burns says “Schindler’s List powerfully examines acts of heroism among the horrors of the Holocaust. Although the Holocaust demonstrates the massive negative potential humans have, Schindler’s List also demonstrates the bravery of those who resisted it.” Last year’s West Regional Organizer, Heather Klain, and Jessica Goldstein, STAND Communications Intern and chapter leader also recommend this film. Bri’Anne Parkin, a Lemkin Summit attendee, and Julia Zukin, a rising senior at Emory University both recommend this film as well.

Hotel Rwanda (2004)-

Jessica Goldstein, STAND Communications Intern and chapter leader says, “Hotel Rwanda tells the story of one man–Paul Rusesabagina–to save his country (or at least a few people) from a genocide that is engulfing it. As far as genocide movies go, this one is a classic, a must-watch.” Heather Klain, last year’s West Regional Organizer, Bri’Anne Parkin, and Julia Zukin, a rising senior at Emory University also recommend this film as well.

The Act of Killing (2013)-

Former STAND Policy Coordinator, Danny Hirschel-Burns describes it as “the best film in existence about how perpetrators think, what drives them, and how they manage to commit unimaginable violence.” Justin Schmierer, a former regional organizer expressed: “The Act of Killing was really a great documentary in my opinion. Just saying, if people haven’t seen it.” Recent graduate of Ohio University and former co-president of the Ohio University STAND chapter Neti Gupta also recommends the film.

Watchers of the Sky (2014)-

Southeast Regional Organizer Bethany Vance, a rising sophomore at UNC Chapel Hill stated, “‘Watchers of the Sky’ is a documentary based on the work of Raphael Lemkin ( who invented the term “genocide”) while also taking a look at the contributions of others to the fight against genocide and mass atrocities. Lemkin lost his entire family during World War 2 and devoted the better part of his life to inventing a term for the deliberate killing of a large group of people in order to make it easier to prosecute those who commit acts of genocide.” Heather Klain, a former Western Regional Organizer also recommends this film.

Hannah Arendt (2012)-

Former Education Coordinator Sean Langberg expressed, “The movie explores Arendt’s contributions to the narrative of the Holocaust (and thus genocide rhetoric more broadly) that developed following the trial of Eichmann. I enjoyed learning more about how she refused to accept the bad apples’ story that was being told at the time.”

War Dance (2007)-

War Dance tells the story of three Ugandan children living in Potango refugee camp who have the opportunity to participate in a nationwide music and dance competition. Bri’Anne, a Lemkin Summit attended concludes that “War Dance is a pretty powerful film. It’s one of my favorites.”

Worse than War (2009)-

Jessica Goldstein, STAND Communications Intern and chapter leader says, “This film is for anyone who wants to understand the concept of genocide. Daniel Goldhagen’s interview with a genocidaire is unforgettable.”

Concerning Violence (2014)-

Recent graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill Danielle Allyn, a former STAND Education Task Force member says, “This documentary, based on the life and writings of Frantz Fanon, displays the everyday violence of colonial regimes in Africa and analyzes methods of resistance. Not a feel-good film but necessary all the same.”

The Wind That Shakes the Barley (2006) –

Former STAND Policy Coordinator, Danny Hirschel-Burns says, “it’s the best film I’ve ever seen about how violent politics work. The characters are multi-faceted and they’re struggling with dilemmas many people in conflict zones experience: how much power to cede to outsiders, the effectiveness of armed struggle, and the implications of sectarianism.”

The Good Lie (2014)-

STAND Student Director, Francesca Freeman, says; “The Good Lie is a film that documents the experience of Sudanese refugees from the attack on their village to their life in the United States. Many of the actors in the movie are Sudanese and either lived through or are related to people who lived through different conflicts in the region. Additionally, the Enough Project played a large part in the making of the film, and therefore it is historically accurate and effectively portrays the experience of the Lost Boys of Sudan.”

Virunga (2014)-

STAND Communications Intern and chapter leader Jessica Goldstein says, “I’ve been obsessed with this movie even before I saw it. I remember watching and rewatching the preview of this film until I finally got to see it. This film deserves all the hype it is getting. It shares the story of conservationists who understand that the park’s success is inextricably bound to Congo’s survival.”’

Look out for more comprehensive lists to come! Thanks to all of the STAND members who contributed to this list! Contact Francesca Freeman at ffreeman@standnow.org if you have any questions or contributions.

A Problem from Hell by Samantha Power-

STAND members really like A Problem from Hell.  Recent graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill Danielle Allyn, a former STAND Education Task Force member, says “given our audience, many have probably already read this.  But if you haven’t, this is a must-read.  Ambassador Power’s book examines a century of mass atrocities and U.S. foreign policy complicity or neglect in response.”  Current STAND Campaigns Coordinator Jake Ramirez says “of course,” while last year’s West Regional Organizer Heather Klain accompanied her recommendation with “need I say more?” Last year’s student director Natasha Kieval also recommended the book.

Surviving the Angel of Death by Eva Moses Kor and Lisa Rojany-Buccieri-

Rising junior at Purdue University and STAND chapter leader Hannah Long says “Surviving the Angel of Death tells the story of Holocaust survivor Eva Mozes Kor, who was sent to Auschwitz-Birkenau when she was 9 years old. Her parents and older sisters were taken to be killed upon arrival, and she and her twin sister were only spared because they were twins and Nazi doctor Josef Mengele was very interested in performing his sadistic experiments on twin subjects. This book tells the story of their time in the camp and beautifully showcases the power of the human spirit because to endure such hardship and emerge with as much grace as she did is nothing short of an absolute inspiration.”

Becoming Evil: How Ordinary People Commit Genocide and Mass Killing by James Waller-

STAND’s former Education Coordinator Sean Langberg says “James Waller provides my favorite analysis of the perpetrators of the Holocaust by examining a theory about motivation: why did people participate in the Nazi-led killing? His conclusions made me see perpetrators radically differently and transformed the way I perceive my relationship with violence.”

Fighting for Darfur by Rebecca Hamilton-

STAND Policy Intern and chapter leader Timmy Hirschel-Burns says “What I find so interesting about Fighting for Darfur is that it is in many ways about STAND.  The book chronicles the Save Darfur Movement, focusing on American anti-genocide activists with a particular focus on college students.  STAND itself even gets a few mentions.  By looking at the movement that STAND evolved out of, we can learn about our strengths, challenges, and how to be more effective in the future.”

King Leopold’s Ghost by Adam Hochschild-

Former STAND Student Director Hannah Finnie says “This is a great book for someone just entering the genprev/maprev field. It provides a great understanding of the complexity of colonialism’s impact, and though the story is specific to the DRC, its lessons are broad.”  Danielle Allyn calls it “a merciless portrait of the horrors of colonialism in King Leopold II’s Congo.  A must-read for anyone looking to understand the history and contemporary landscape of central Africa.”

Final Solutions by Benjamin Valentino-

Former STAND Policy Coordinator Danny Hirschel-Burns says “hands down, it’s the most comprehensive book on why atrocities happen and how they work.”

A Long Way Gone by Ismael Beah-

Rising senior at Emory Julia Zukin says “In A Long Way Gone Beah recounts the horrors of his childhood during the child fought civil war in Sierra Leone. As a child soldier, Beah brings an unusual insight into the atrocious and vastly under documented world of child soldiers.”  Heather Klain also recommended A Long Way Gone.

Safe Area Gorazde by Joe Sacco-

Jake Ramirez says “it’s a fascinating graphic novel written by a journalist who traveled to Gorazde after the war in Bosnia ended. He talks to people who experienced the war and recounts their stories. The writing is top notch, and the imagery adds another layer to the story.”

Maus I by Art Spiegleman-

Julia Zukin also recommends a graphic novel, saying “through the seemingly lighthearted use of cartoon strips, Spiegleman tells the harrowing story of his father’s experience as a Jew during World War II while simultaneously trying to grasp the atrocities of history himself by jumping between the past and present.”

Can Intervention Work? by Rory Stewart and Gerald Knaus-

Danny Hirschel-Burns says “Why do international interventions fail? Is there a way out? This short book elegantly answers these questions in a very readable fashion.”

The Enough Moment by John Prendergast and Don Cheadle-

Recent graduate of Boston University and founder of Boston for Congo Garrett Moore says “I committed my career to atrocity prevention after reading The Enough Moment by John Prendergast and Don Cheadle. I recommend it to all from policymakers to casual activists.”  Jessica Goldstein, STAND’s summer intern, also included the book in her list.

Dancing in the Glory of Monsters by Jason Stearns-

Danielle Allyn says “Stearns goes a long way in distilling what is often presented as a complex and unfathomable conflict by Western media. I highly recommend this for any student of the Congo and the Great Lakes Region of Africa.”  Jessica Goldstein and Danny Hirschel-Burns are also fans of this one.

The Terrorist’s Son by Zak Ebrahim-

Rising senior at Brandeis University Mijal Tenenbaum says “It’s a book written by a man whose dad was (is) a terrorist. He has chosen to be a spokesperson for peace and change instead. I’m a former participant and current staff member at project common bond, a program for those who have lost a family member to terrorism. Zak visited us a few years ago, and donates a portion of this book’s profits to our organization.”

Look out for more comprehensive lists, as well as lists of movies, blogs, and twitter accounts, coming in the next few weeks!  Thanks to everyone for their recommendations! We are so excited to start reading.  We will have a selection of these books that the STAND Managing Committee will read throughout the summer.  We will blog about these books, hold google hangout discussions, and whatever else you would like to see us do! Contact Francesca Freeman at ffreeman@standnow.org for more information or with any ideas.  Special shout outs to Heather Klain, Jessica Goldstein, and Danielle Allyn for not being able to stop at 1, 2, or even 10 recommendations!