There was the massacre of Armenians in Turkey in the early 1900s, resulting in more than a million Armenian lives lost. Next came the attempted extermination of the Jews in World War II by Adolf Hitler, resulting in six million deaths. The tense conflict between the Hutu and Tutsi militias in Rwanda followed in the 1990s, accounting for 800,000 deaths.

Looking back upon history, it becomes hard to imagine that evil deeds of this nature such as genocide still exist today and are performed on a daily basis. Yet in the Congo today, women are being raped and tortured by the thousands and famine is prominent.

The Enough Project is intent on ending genocide. The project plans to address the issues of mass genocides and crimes against humanity still existing today. Based in Africa, the project serves to deliver the three Ps to the innocent citizens of African nations. The three P’s, the main focus of the initiative, are peace, protection, and punishment.

Creating peace begins with lawmakers and individuals in power who can make a difference. It also includes having countries that are well equipped to step in and prevent genocide to assist the project. Protection comes next. Many people who are victims of genocide are helpless and unable to protect themselves from the harm of their perpetrators. Someone needs to account for these people and save them from the destructive nature of genocide. These people could be trained guards, military forces, or even police forces.

Finally, the punishment portion of the Enough Project involves holding accountable those who are responsible for the heinous crimes. This ensures such crimes will never be perpetrated again. Furthermore, the organization works to prevent further genocide by analyzing these crises as well as advocating for concrete action to be taken by policymakers in order to “transform the United States from a late responder to a world leader in the prevention of genocide and crimes against humanity”.

The Enough Project uses these tactics to drive programs in the Congo, Darfur and other parts of Africa. Through activism and analysis of the crimes being committed, the Enough Project serves to end the violent history of genocide.

– William Norris

Sources: Enough Project, History Place