Genocide is like a toxic apple amongst a bowl of glorious fruit--it doesn’t do humanity any good.

In a nutshell, genocide can be described as any violation of innate human rights with the intent to destroy, in part or in whole, a targeted group. In the past few centuries alone, millions upon millions of men, women, and children have faced genocidal atrocities including but not limited to murder, torture, rape, and displacement from their homes (endgenocide.org).

In Guatemala during the late 1900’s, for instance, Mayan Indians were enslaved by Spanish Explorers looking to expand economically. Natives were subjected to brutal killings and torture; some were even burned alive in response to peaceful protests. This is a perfect example of genocide because a particular national group was attacked with the intent to kill and/or cause tremendous mental and bodily harm.

So, in looking to rid humanity of this malevolent apple, the first question to consider is, why does genocide happen? Well, there are many ways to interpret this, however, one thing I know: genocide is a process. According to Gregory Stanton, President of Genocide Watch organization, genocide develops in predictable--though, nonlinear--stages.

The cycle is initiated when rising members of a given society are conditioned from a young age to believe that they are superior to those who differ from them. This indoctrination sets the stage for remaining phases of genocide such as discrimination, dehumanization, and eventually, execution.

To illustrate, in an anti-semitic children’s book written by Julius Streicher, a mother and her son came across poisonous mushrooms in a German forest when the mother began to explain, “human beings in this world are like the mushrooms in the forest. There are good mushrooms and there are good people. There are poisonous, bad mushrooms and there are bad people… we have to be on our guard against bad people.” She then went on to identify the “bad people” as Jews.

The above creates an “us vs. them” mindset, sadly, causing young German boys and girls, along with many others like them throughout history, to have gone out into the world believing they held a duty and obligation to blindly place mistrust on an entire group of people. This ups the likelihood for these children to have contributed to the mistreatment, and possibly even harm of Jewish people throughout their childhood and beyond.

Likewise, Hitler’s Nuremberg Race Laws forbade Jews from wedding, engaging in sexual relations, and hiring Germans. This too works to create a barrier between two peoples, making it easier for Germans to side against the minority, and potentially hurt them because of it.

This, once more, solidifies the notion that people stick to what they know, even if it entails murder.

In response to genocide, nations across the globe should work to bring perpetrators to justice and provide aid to victims. Even the small contribution of many countries can accumulatively have a massive, lasting result.

Firstly, enforcing repercussions to those who commit human rights violations and/or genocide sets an example as if to say that it is not okay--and will not go without punishment. Reverting to the work of Gregory Stanton concerning ISIS, he voices that the perpetrators of the crime “must be defeated militarily to destroy the illusion of invincibility [their] terrorism has created” (Stanton). In short, nations worldwide should ideally utilize their military forces to not only combat criminals, but genocide itself.

Secondly, though no formal responsibility exists, to some extent we as mankind have a moral obligation to help fellow human beings in need. Genocide Watch recommends that the “wealthy nations of the world fully support refugees until they can return home”.

When a country suffers from genocide, the citizens within are subjected to a very vulnerable, traumatizing experience. In order to help ease victims through this tough time, nations who are capable should provide them with health and safety necessities, lessening number of things they have to worry about, allowing them to begin the recovery process.

All in all, if we wish to surround ourselves with nothing but the most glorious of fruit, we mustn’t engage in the belief that one group is superior to a minority, nor shall we turn a blind eye to the inhumanity that occurs around us. We are all equal human beings on this Earth, and I say it’s time we started acting like it.