• Exhibition United against genocide: Understand, question, prevent
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Exhibition United against genocide: Understand, question, prevent

Speaking Out

In the early stages of genocide, people may try to sound the alarm and prevent genocide through political means. At this stage, organized groups and politicians will work to change the government’s persecution of minorities. Once genocidal policies are in place, democratic political action becomes more difficult and so speaking out changes. Occasionally, political groups will go underground and become armed resistance. In some cases, opposing political parties may become governments in exile. Usually, they cease to exist altogether. However, opposing groups may keep trying to draw attention to the atrocities and incite an international response. There are prominent examples of this kind of activity during the Armenian genocide, genocide in Rwanda and the Holocaust, where groups or emerged early on due to pre-existing tensions.