Creation of ‘other’ in their own country, politicized identity-based division, and the rise of hostility toward ‘out-group’ in a multi-ethnic, poly-cultural world: a study on genocide prevention, human security, and peacebuilding

ABSTRACT

In the era of globalization, no country is monocultural today. All countries are cultural mosaics since different ethnic groups have their own unique set of traditions. It is particularly important to appreciate and respect these traditions since they represent an integral part of our cultural heritage. Likewise, in many countries, the majority population is far greater than all the minorities combined, whereas, in others, the minority groups all together comprise a significantly large number. In this increasingly integrated yet fragmented world, many multi-ethnic countries face the challenges of preventing cultural conflicts between diverse groups and finding solutions. A fresh wave of persecution and violence against minority groups for their membership in a pluralistic society has escalated in many parts of the world, altering the climate of peaceful coexistence and democratic oversight. Such challenges are particularly pressing for marginalized, vulnerable groups. The article endeavors to foster a more holistic interpretation of the questions: why do some regions of the world experience major incidents of ‘crimes against humanity' and gross human rights violations while others do not, and how do the ‘us vs. them’ politics, politicians, and other leaders subtly transform civilians into killers? The article also examines the triggering factors of major tragedies, particularly what sets off acts of ethnic cleansing or genocide. As such, exploring the demagogues’ malicious mission to subvert justice, democratic success, and the rule of law, creating destructive cultures on the path to mass atrocities, is the additional emphasis of this piece. This entry’s relevance depends on the quest for the conditions and prospects for conflict transformation, peacebuilding, and peaceful cohabitation across different cultural traditions in the changing socio-political and cultural milieu owing to contemporary global shifts to authoritarianism and illiberal populism.

KEYWORDS:

• Virulent nationalism
• hate crimes
• régime complicity
• genocide watch
• Universal Declaration of Human Rights
• international court of justice

Acknowledgments

The esteemed editors of Social Identities are two individuals to whom the author is thankful for their careful reading of all the previous iterations of the article and their constructive comments, scrutiny, and responses. Besides, the author would like to express his gratitude to all the anonymous reviewers engaged at various stages by the Social Identities in the peer-review processes. Their feedback, suggestions, recommendations, and novel ideas have been highly enlightening and beneficial. In this way, the roles and contributions of the academics mentioned above are of great benefit to both the author and the article. Finally, the author would also like to express his appreciation to the editorial and production teams at Social Identities, Taylor & Francis Group, for their expertise, assistance, and excellent work in copyediting, typesetting, and publishing this piece.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).