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Praying For Bullets: The Moral Necessity Of International Intervention In Cases Of Genocide, Layla Raine Grice

Young Historians Conference

Perhaps the most heinous crime imaginable, genocide has pockmarked the landscape of the twentieth century. Genocidal conflicts erupt over issues of culture and race, touching the heart of how we as humans define ourselves. Despite repeated attempts to prevent genocide the UN’s policies remain unclear and insufficient. This paper attempts to define the moral obligation of the UN towards nations experiencing genocide, including a specific examination the Bosnian and Sudanese genocides of 1995 and 2004. Based on Rawl’s “veil of ignorance” and theories of moral objectivism, the UN is morally obligated to intervene with whatever tools necessary to halt genocide.