A hollow slogan? 'Never again' is not enough.

BEYOND THE 'NEVER AGAINS'

Published by the Swedish Government, 2005

Book and CD set (ISBN 91-631-7354-9)

IN 2000, SWEDEN HOSTED an international conference on Holocaust education, remembrance and research. The response of the world community was phenomenal, with representatives of 46 countries, including 20 Heads of State and Government taking part in the proceedings. The conference was successful in providing the impetus for the development of Holocaust education centres in many countries.

The greatest success of that first conference, however, was in its recognition of failure. Participants and organizers realized that remembering the Holocaust and repeating fine slogans, such as "never again", did not save the lives of millions of people slaughtered during genocides and other political mass murders since the Holocaust. Thus, three more conferences in the Stockholm International Forum series were held: Combating Intolerance (2001), Truth Justice and Reconciliation (2002), and Preventing Genocide-Threats and Responsibilities (2004).

In 2005, the Swedish Government published the book and compact disc set titled Beyond the 'Never Agains', not to display the results of the forum, but rather to demonstrate that issues raised must remain on the international political agenda. While the CD contains documentation of the conferences, the book includes post-conference interviews of 18 experienced and knowledgeable experts/participants, ranging from genocide survivors, such as Youk Chhang of Cambodia and Esther Mujawayo-Keiner of Rwanda to diplomats like United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan and Permanent Observer Celestino Migliore of the Holy See, to professors/journalists Samantha Power and Gitta Sereny, and government leaders, such as Kay Rala Xanana Gusma, the first elected President of Timor-Leste, and Prime Minister Goran Persson of Swden.

The interviews are frank and in-depth explorations of the failure of the international community, not only to prevent genocides but also to deal effectively and justly with post-genocide issues. Youk Chhang, Director of the Cambodia Documentation Center, recounts his journey from revenge to reconciliation. Although, he says, he dislikes conferences in general, he believes that the Stockholm Forum did make a difference in his work, recounting how he now understands the importance of a global perspective on genocide as a safeguard against narrow-mindedness and repetition of genocide. Mr. Chhang also points out the importance of an international examination of post-genocide issues of justice and reconciliation.

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On the other hand, Esther Mujawayo-Keiner does not believe in reconciliation. A survivor of the Rwandan genocide and one of the founders of the women's support group, Association des Veuves du Genocide (AVEGA), she believes that "too much is expected of the victims" who, in her view, need first to be reconciled with themselves and their losses. Restitution and reparations are essential prerequisites before any consideration of reconciliation with the perpetrators. Both Ms. Mujawayo-Keiner and Mr. Chhang remind us that culture, religion and national history must be considered in fashioning post-genocide justice. The concept of forgiveness and reconciliation varies among cultures and religions.

Kay Rala Xanana Gusmao states that the pain of survivors is "so overwhelming that talk of forgiveness seems like another insult". The world community must listen to these survivors to learn how to stop the cycle of genocide and war from beginning anew, and must consider these voices and issues in fashioning post-genocidal systems of "justice". Ignoring these issues risks the continuation of cultural, national and historical factors that could lead back into genocide or war.

Some interviewees, such as journalist/professor Samantha Power, are frank in their discussions of the failure to move beyond mere slogans into action. She asserts that the progress is not being made because it is still "largely cost-free for Governments to ignore" crises of a scale such as Darfur, pointing to the "root" of the lack of world response to atrocities--"that many States don't care about the suffering of distant civilians". This failure is echoed by Yehuda Bauer, who served as a senior academic advisor to the first and fourth Stockholm conferences. He speaks of the individual's duties to act and expand his or her moral universe of obligation, pointing out that "the real difficulty is, indeed, to get people to act. That takes guts." Professor Bauer also emphasizes the uselessness of conference participants who give speeches, saying that people should be better, but then go home and take no action.

With the publication of Beyond the 'Never Agains', the Swedish Government has attempted to follow Mr. Bauer's advice. The book is a wake-up call to action for individuals, government officials, diplomats and world leaders. The interviewees enlighten us with viewpoints of which outsiders often remain ignorant because of cultural narrow-mindedness or simply lack of information.

The discussions in the book go beyond the repetitive ringing phrases that are so common in Holocaust and genocide writings today. While the book has its share of phrases that meant to stir emotions into action, its value lies in its frank examination of the failure to combat genocide and deal effectively with its aftermath. The book informs us of the real actions that must be taken to prevent genocides and other mass atrocities. Perhaps the phrase "never again" should not be uttered ever again. Action must replace the hollow words.

Deborah Fox is an attorney and currently a graduate student of Holocaust and genocide studies at Richard Stockton College (New Jersey, USA). She is an author of numerous articles, most recently of "Magda Trocme: A Mother Responds 'Hineni!'" examining Magda Trcme's rescue of Jews in Le Chambon-sur-Lignon, France, during the Second World War.

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REVIEWED BY DEBORAH FOX