Samantha Lakin, PhD, is a specialist in comparative genocide and a Senior Fellow at The Center for Peace, Democracy, and Development (CPDD) at the University of Massachusetts-Boston, where she also served as a Lecturer in Conflict Resolution. (Please note: the author is writing in her personal capacity as a genocide scholar, and her views do not represent those of her current employer.)
The Global Challenges of Defining Genocide: Responses to Renewed Debates
Currently, the global community is experiencing an increase in the propensity of extraordinary crimes. Conflicts are changing and becoming more complex. Protracted crises remain unresolved. The spread of misinformation on social media is causing hate speech and polarization to spike, making it harder for communities to come together to address crises that are unfolding in real time.