Will Genocide Ever End?

by Carol Rittner

"Will Genocide Ever End? is a valuable primer in the terrible and persistent problem of genocide in human society. The contributors shed their academic garb and intellectual jargon to share plainly what they know about the causes, perpetration, and prevention of genocide. This book will serve to alert and inform the consciences of students, politicians, activists, and citizens alike, enabling us all to become more aware of the risk of genocide and more able to prevent it."―Hugo Slim, Reader in International Humanitarianism, Oxford Brookes University, United Kingdom

272 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2002

About the author

Carol Rittner is an American nun and Holocaust historian. She is a Distinguished Emerita Professor of Holocaust and Genocide Studies and Dr. Marsha Raticoff Grossman Professor of Holocaust Studies at Stockton University.

Reviews

[Benjamin Fasching-Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

After the prosecutions of genocidaires from former Yugoslavia and Rwanda there was a lot of writing and hopeful talk about genocide, and this book was part of that. At that time, I thought, I can't read this stuff, what, I want to trigger depression? Now, though, with more than one genocide actively in my face every damn day, I thought maybe it was time to get a bit more informed.

I did learn a lot from this book, and I think I have better answers to some of the frequently voiced hedging and denials that often confront me and other activists. I have also learned a bit about the different authors and organizations represented here. The Aegis Trust is the organization behind this volume, and I'm a bit disappointed that there's nothing on their website about Gaza and that Bill Clinton has something to do with them.

One weak point in this book, I think, is the chapter about rape as an element of genocide and as a weapon of war. This chapter does not go far enough. It makes the motives of the rapists seem to hold a kind of genocidal logic when I think there is much more involved, and it ignores the sexual torture and at times rape of men. I understand there was a desire to keep each chapter short but these points could have been mentioned. That whole chapter had a churchy aftertaste.

All in all, I think this is a good introduction to the topic and I'm glad I started with it, but I haven't read any other short overview books on genocide so I'm not so confident in my judgment.

Peace!