A Professor Risking His Life to Expose Genocide in Ukraine
Sam Totten, an Emeritus Professor of History and one of the world's leading experts on genocide, is also a courageous activist, risking his life by traveling to some of the world's most dangerous places to combat humanitarian injustices (Read the previous article about Totten's work).
Currently in Ukraine, Totten seeks refuge from missiles while conducting interviews with survivors of Russian brutality. His purpose is to gather evidence to hold the perpetrators accountable in international criminal courts.
Paul Slovic has known Sam Totten virtually for many years. In his words: 'Totten is a remarkable example of compassion. He recently granted permission to publish the email below, providing a documented account of his ongoing trip.'
Recently, Sam shared this testimony from the frontline:
“Dear All,
I am currently in Ukraine. As many of you know, this is my second trip to this war-torn nation. I was last here in March 2023.
Air raid sirens have gone off nearly every single day. Most have been in the morning between 5:00 AM and 10:00 AM. Some Ukrainians I've spoken with are anxiety ridden, exclaiming that they believe it's just a matter of time Lviv is hit.
I've been extremely busy conducting lengthy interviews of survivors of the atrocities perpetrated by Russian troops in the east.
The sole reason I am risking being here is that I am after first-person accounts that would assist the ICC in issuing warrants for certain perpetrators to justice. In that regard I am specifically interested in interviewing four categories of people who can provide highly detailed information about individual perpetrators involved in any of the following:
kidnapping of Ukrainian babies, children, and teenagers.
engaging in the massacre of Ukrainians.
the torture of Ukrainian civilians; and,
any other types of crimes against humanity or war crimes.
All that said, I am intent on doing what I can to see to the arrest of perpetrators of the aforementioned crimes”.
This is not the first time Samuel Totten has reported on a genocide. In the past, he has made significant contributions to genocide studies, humanitarianism, and human rights education. His scholarly work delves into the understanding, prevention, and documentation of mass violence, particularly genocide. Additionally, Totten has actively promoted human rights by engaging in fieldwork and documenting the experiences of survivors and witnesses in regions affected by genocide.
Samuel Totten and Genocide: An Active Fight Against Numbness
In confronting the harrowing realities of mass violence and its resultant psychic numbing, Samuel Totten emerges as a stalwart figure in the realm of genocide studies, significantly influencing our understanding of these complex issues. Through meticulous research and a commitment to amplifying the voices of victims, Totten actively dismantles emotional detachment.
In a recent opinion article, Totten argues that to understand the deep suffering of innocent Ukrainian civilians in the towns, villages and cities closest to the war front, each of the stories must be multiplied by dozens, if not hundreds of thousands. This statement is deeply aligned with lessons emanating from the concept of Psychic Numbing and its effects: “The more who die, the less we care”. Investigating into the phenomenon of individuals becoming indifferent or numb in the face of widespread suffering, Paul Slovic and colleagues identify an effective strategy to counteract this indifference, involving recounting individual human stories, and that is precisely what Totten is doing. In the vital intersection of academic research and public engagement, Totten's work stands as a compelling force, urging society to confront the human stories behind the statistics and collectively strive to prevent and address genocide.
Watch Slovic's Ted Talk about psychic numbing and other elements of a deadly arithmetic of compassion and ways to overcome them:
Continue Reading about Psychic Numbing:
Cover image:Dimitar Dilkoff/AFP/Getty Images