The Grounds of a Former Catholic Church in Rwanda |
On the eve of the new millennium, nations seem no closer to
stopping war and ethnic violence than at the beginning of the millennium.
But there is fresh optimism that at the close of a war-stained century,
nations have found the collective will to deter and punish the worst crimes
against humanity. International courts have been set up to enforce new laws
against human rights violations, and new scientific methods are being
employed to trace those who commit war crimes. In an in-depth documentary
series, NPR will explore the question of why these crimes continue and
whether they can be stopped. At the core will be the central question of
whether this kind of collective violence is an aberration -- or a
fundamental part of human nature, something we carry in our genes. The
documentary will look at the way governments and victims deal with the
desire for revenge or justice.
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| PART ONE: Psychology of War Crimes |
December 1, 1999 -- All Things Considered
Are war crimes rooted in immutable historical, ethnic, and religious animosities, or are they the result of bad leaders manipulating history and peoples in a quest for political power? What are the root causes of war crimes of the 1990s? In the face of such slaughters, what is our responsibility as a nation? Can the international community prevent war crimes by military intervention, by the creation of international courts? If not, once the killing occurs, what must the international community do? Listen as Mike Shuster sets out all the questions that the rest of the series will tackle in specific cases.
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| PART TWO: The Case of Kosovo |
Grand Hall at Gracanica, a Serbian Orthodox Monastery near Pristina and a symbol of Serbian nationhood |
December 4, 1999 -- Weekend Edition Saturday
This report by Sylvia Poggioli explores the historical and psychological origins of the recent Kosovo conflict. A look at how nationalism built on the collectivist ideology of communism, sowing the seeds of ethnic paranoia and leaving a landscape of graveyards.
This piece was produced by Rod Abid. |
| PART THREE: What Happens to a Society When Perpetrators Are Not Punished |
December 6, 1999 -- Morning Edition
The perpetrators of one of history's most horrifying slaughters have escaped justice for two decades -- and so far the United Nations and Cambodia cannot agree on how and where to try the leaders of the Khmer Rouge. When they ruled Cambodia from 1975 to 1979 more than a million people died of starvation, disease, torture and execution. As Anne Garrels reports, though the Khmer Rouge regime was overturned twenty years ago, its legacy continues to effect Cambodians politically, economically and psychologically.
December 7, 1999 -- Morning Edition
NPR's Anne Garrels has the second of two reports on the legacy of Cambodia's infamous Khmer Rouge, the brutal Communist regime that tortured, murdered, and starved more than a million Cambodians in the 1970's. It's been 20 years since the Khmer Rouge rulers were overthrown, but Cambodia still hasn't recovered from the damage they did to the country and its people. |
| PART FOUR: Social Legacy -- Rwanda |
Nyamata, Rwanda |
December 8, 1999 -- All Things Considered
Five years after the genocide in Rwanda, NPR's Jennifer Ludden reports that the country is still trying to deal
with those who committed atrocities and coping with fundamental issues like
how to integrate Hutus back into the population.
This piece was produced by Peter Breslow. |
| PART FIVE: The German Experience |
"Only honorable comrades of German blood, or related descent, may become allotment gardeners."
March 22, 1933 |
December 9, 1999 -- All Things Considered
Germany is the only nation on earth that has spent a half century coping
with the crimes of its former leaders. For several decades Germans on both
sides of the divide shrank from a full and open debate on the causes of the
Holocaust and the responsibility of Germans. But in recent years, a new
generation has sought to confront the past, in writing, movies, art, public
memorials, and education. Mike Shuster reports.
This piece was produced by Rebecca Davis. |
| PART SIX: Truth and Reconciliation Committee in South Africa |
December 13, 1999 -- Morning Edition
In South Africa, the Truth and Reconciliation has finished taking testimony from victims but is still hearing from those who want amnesty for their crimes. Many victims of apartheid are waiting to hear what kind of monetary compensation they will receive from the government. As in Rwanda, South Africa is still trying to figure out what to do with those who committed crimes. NPR's Jennifer Ludden reports.
This piece was produced by Peter Breslow. |
| PART SEVEN: Forensics of Genocide |
December 15, 1999 -- All Things Considered
NPR's Chris Joyce reports that creating a sense of normalcy in the former Yugoslavia after a decade of war has been a slow and laborious task. While aid agencies can provide money and advice, there remains an enduring wound that is slowest to heal -- the
disappearance of thousands of civilians. One group, Physicians for Human
Rights, has focused on closing that wound by creating a system for
identifying bodies from mass graves and counseling the survivors. It has
become perhaps the world's most comprehensive forensic project designed for the survivors of war crimes, rather than for those seeking to prosecute the perpetrators.
This piece was produced by Jeff Rogers & Eric Stover.
Visit Eric Stover's Website at www.crimesofwar.org.
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| PART EIGHT: International Court |
December 20, 1999 -- Morning Edition
The International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia in The Hague
is one of the models that have been created to try to deal with punishing
war criminals. Sarah Chayes goes to the region in Bosnia where the first
tried and condemned criminal came from. She spoke with people who knew him
and who had testified against him. There is strong belief in the Tribunal
process, but also deep frustration with the slow pace of the proceedings. Listen as Sarah Chayes reports.
Related Links:
International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia
Truth and Reconciliation in South Africa |
