Here’s how decent people can help prevent genocide In a 1988 speech, Holocaust survivor and renowned psychiatrist Viktor Frankl expanded on an earlier conclusion that there are only two “races” of people, the decent and the indecent, both of whom are found in every social group. Frankl cautioned, “Danger threatens where a political system promotes…
A deep dive into claims of genocide perpetrated by both sides in the Israel-Hamas war According to the United Nations Genocide Convention of 1948, “genocide means any of the following acts (five possible acts are listed) committed with INTENT to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group.” Intent means…
Unveiling the influence of Christian Zionism on the current Hamas-Israel war I am addressing Christian Zionist educators today, hoping they can help clarify the confusion I feel when observing current world events. I believe many could benefit from their insights. As we watch the unprecedented suffering of millions of residents in Gaza, those of us…
Global disgust growing at political leaders’ failure to act against Gaza genocide It is said that history repeats itself. I do not believe that this is necessarily true. It is more a matter of studying history and recognizing the patterns of behaviour that bring about positive results and those that do not. If we respond…
Government efforts to control outcry over Gaza crisis fall short in face of digital media deluge We are living in an unprecedented moment in human history. Never have we seen public opinion shift so quickly as world events unfold on our smartphones and computers. Governments are taking extreme measures to control the momentum of the…
There is growing support within the Jewish community for Palestinian rights With the growing violence in the Middle East and a groundswell of global support for the well-being of Palestinians, the media is reporting that there is also an increase in the number of racist acts targeting Jews. In an interview with Now This News,…
As a half-German, half-Arab educator, I struggle to make sense of the conflict in the Middle East Concepts like international humanitarian law, crimes against humanity, and genocide can be very academic. However, they are central to my career as I teach my students these ideas as words from a textbook. Too often, I forget their…
The deep-rooted history behind the Artsakh-Karabakh conflict and the Armenian Genocide While there is no internationally agreed-upon definition of the term ethnic cleansing, a United Nations commission has described it as “a purposeful policy designed by one ethnic or religious group to remove by violent and terror-inspiring means the civilian population of another ethnic or…
During the Cold War, Canada encouraged thousands of Nazi war criminals to immigrate from Ukraine We are all aware that “In war, truth is the first casualty.” Truth, of course, is the antithesis of propaganda, and in a society where people think critically, what is labelled by one side as “disinformation” cannot simply be dismissed; it…
Embracing our liability for historical wrongs is essential to finding meaning and happiness in life One of the greatest writers on the meaning of human existence is the psychiatrist Viktor Frankl. His theories were galvanized as he battled between life and death every day in Nazi concentration camps. Ultimately, he chose to say yes to…