‘Is Help Coming?’ Communal Self-Protection during Genocide
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 22010258 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Deborah Mayersen (UNSW Sydney, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2020 |
| Volume | 9 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Publication date | 2020-05-14 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Stability International Journal of Security and Development (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2165-2627 • E-ISSN: 2165-2627 |
| Publisher | Department of Peace Studies and International Development, University of Bradford (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.5334/sta.740 |
| OpenAlex | W3024728855 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 4 |
| References cited | 9 |
Despite the rhetoric of the Responsibility to Protect principle (R2P), vulnerable groups continue to experience genocide. Some, such as the Yazidis in Iraq, have tried to mitigate genocide through communal self-protection. The dominance of R2P in contemporary normative discussions about responding to genocide, however, means that there has been a lack of research into the lived realities of such experiences. This article explores the phenomenon of communal self-protection during genocide, through a multiple case study analysis. It examines the pre-eminent examples of communal self-protection during three cases of modern genocide — the experiences of the Armenians at Musa Dagh during the 1915 Armenian genocide, the Tutsi at Bisesero during the 1994 Rwanda genocide, and the Yazidis in Sinjar during the 2014 Yazidi genocide. It presents a typology of communal self-protection strategies during genocide, developed from the case study analysis. The article finds that communal self-protection is only feasible as a strategy in exceptional circumstances. Even in a best-case scenario, communal self-protection offers a temporary reprieve, rather than sustainable living conditions. Vulnerable groups attempting communal self-protection are ultimately reliant on external rescue for their survival, which may not be forthcoming. Communal self-protection should therefore not be regarded as a viable strategy to mitigate genocide in any circumstance
Armenian · Criminology · Genocide · International law · Normative · Political science · Responsibility to Protect · Sociology · Typology · Anthropology · Global Peace and Security Dynamics · History · International Law and Human Rights · Law · Middle East and Rwanda Conflicts
Armenian Resistance to the Hamidian Massacres
The Premises, Promises, and Pitfalls of Resilience in Peacebuilding Theory
Community self‐protection , public authority and the safety of strangers in Bor and Ler, South Sudan
Humanitarian protection activities and the safety of strangers in the DRC , Syria and South Sudan
| Unique citing works | 4 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1 |
| Citation span | 2022 - 2025 (4) |
| Citation velocity | recent |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 3 |