Atrocity

• The submission includes access to testimonial evidence gathered and recorded by the CFTJ that corroborates the alleged policy of genocide being planned, instigated, and implemented by President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan, including their Parliament.
• This is the first case of any entity lodging a case at the ICC for genocide of Armenians, and it comes days before the April 24 annual commemoration of the World War I-era genocide in which Ottomans killed 1.5 million Armenians.
• "The ICC should send a clear message that there will be no impunity for such crimes and those responsible for genocide will be held accountable."
• Aliyev himself said as top officials in Baku celebrated the forced displacement of Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh.

• “In 2024, threats to our way of life have surpassed terrorism as Australia’s principal security concern,” he said.
• Tensions, especially in western Sydney, are much elevated because of the Middle East conflict.
• And the Wakeley attack came just two days after the Bondi Junction shopping centre stabbings, which killed six people.
• While that atrocity did not fall under the definition of “terrorism”, inevitably the two incidents were conflated by an alarmed public.
• The challenge for political leaders is not just dealing with the immediate increasing threats to cohesion, but with longer term policy.
• Andrew Jakubowicz, emeritus professor of sociology at the University of Technology Sydney, highlights the three separate elements of multiculturalism.

“Settlement policy, which deals with arrival, survival and orientation, and the emergence of bonding within the group and finding employment, housing and education
"Multicultural policy, which ensures that institutions in society identify and respond to needs over the life course and in changing life circumstances, and
"Community Relations policy, which includes building skills in intercultural relations, engagement with the power hierarchies of society and the inclusion of diversity into the fabric of decision-making in society - from politics to education to health to the arts.”

• The Albanese government last year commissioned an independent review of the present multicultural framework.
• Although the review is not due for release until mid-year, the May budget is likely to see some initiatives.

Michelle Grattan does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

• The Tutsi were targeted primarily due to long-standing ethnic tensions between the Tutsi minority and the majority Hutu population.
• As the mass killings were happening, the international community stood by in a stupor, even though the nations of the world had a legal and moral obligation to intervene in cases of genocide.
• To its credit, the United Nations had already put in place a peacekeeping mission, the United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda (Unamir).
• In my view this was possible but would have required three main things: detailed intelligence, preventive measures and political will.

Detailed intelligence

• Unfortunately, the UN mission felt deaf and blind in the field as it did not have the analytical capacity to synthesise these important pieces of evidence.
• It was also prevented by UN headquarters from taking measures to secure more information and taking steps for prevention.

Preventive action

• Had the UN taken deterrent actions early on, it might have been able to stop the genocide at the outset.
• Later, a large deployment of troops would have been needed to bring a halt to the many senseless killings.
• UN preventive actions should have dealt with people (both plotters and resisters), the genocide structures (networks) and the tools (weapons) of the genocide.
• In response to illicit weapons flowing into Kigali, the peacekeeping force should have firmly applied the embargo.
• Quick, decisive action by the UN might have isolated the genocide to the Kigali sector before it spread into the countryside.

Political will

• The simple answer is a lack of political will.
• The lack of US commitment was largely the result of a disastrous mission in Somalia the previous year.
• Still, these peacekeepers managed to save 20,000 to 30,000 lives, showing what dedicated action from a small force can achieve.

Moving forward

• Primarily it is a matter of fostering a sense of enlightened self-interest among all nations, linking human welfare around the globe with one’s own.
• It means recognising that when crimes against one section of humanity are committed, no matter where, it is a crime against all of humanity.
• If this isn’t enough, then the fear of inaction should also be a motivating force.

Walter Dorn receives a salary and funding from the Department of National Defence.

• This exclusive gathering serves as a pivotal moment in the ongoing battle against child trafficking, a cause close to the heart of the foundation and its supporters.
• Set against the electrifying backdrop of Formula 1 Miami, the gala promises an evening of glamour and purpose, uniting influential figures, philanthropists, and racing enthusiasts in a collective effort to combat child exploitation.
• "This gala represents more than just an evening of sophistication; it's a powerful statement of solidarity in the fight against child trafficking," remarked C.K.
• Proceeds from the gala will be directed towards critical initiatives aimed at combating child trafficking.