when does atrocity demand responsibility?

I've been reading story after story on amnesty international and human rights watch discussing the mass rape of women (which IS illegal under international law) and the ongoing genocide as well as the gross violations involving the targeting of hospitals and religious institutions (in this case mosques). One question remains in my mind, when does atrocity demand responsibility?
With the myopic focus on the spectacle of Fallujah, so many other atrocities are being ignored and sidelined. People are being slaughtered and raped in mass. International law is a joke at this point. A joke. There is no other word that fits. It is a joke, to be tossed around at a pool party of the who's who that runs the world. Ok that's cynical but it really disheartens me to think about the fact that while we sit dosed up on reality tv and propaganda (read: 'fair and balanced news')
people are dying in record numbers and I want to know what have we learned from history? The flip side to the question is of course, what can we do? Well gee I don't know...stop occupying one country against the will of its citizens and bombing it into submission one city at a time. Stop hoarding the world's resources and share the wealth so that terrorism will not be a motivation for anyone. Stop distorting the news and report the reality of war, the reality of genocide, the gross economic imbalance and the gross disregard of the environment. Do you think if they actually told the truth it would matter? I don't know. I have to hope so. Honestly, I don't know what to say. I hate the idea of war. I don't feel sanctions sway any corrupt leader to care about his/her people anymore than a UN delegation waving the naughty naughty finger at them is going to do the trick. Is bombing the answer? God knows I hope not. What is? What will stop genocide? What will stop the mass rape of women and children? I think that at the root of genocide and mass rape is a desire to terrorize and dominate those who cannot fight you. So to me it seems that maybe just maybe if provided the security and stability for survival, these 'warring tribes' and 'resentful soldiers' and whoever else uses the bodies of others to express their outrage/rage, maybe then they will stop. I don't know. I think though that bombing entire generations and imprisoning entire peoples or starving them to death is certainly not going to keep them from hating you or from hurting others. Perhaps to understand the current genocide we need to go beyond the surface, beyond the rhetoric and look hard but honestly at the past. What led to this? What needs to be done to correct it now? What needs to be done to prevent it from happening again? I know these are questions that I am sure are being asked by people in positions of leadership such as those within the UN and those at the forefront of human rights work. What I want to see is a global outrage, education and outreach. I don't know though that we can get to that point if we as a public continue to accept the gross indifference our government shows to America's interdependency and influence on the rest of the world.
I think THAT is the single greatest individual responsibility ever citizen must bear. Maybe we as a group or even as a nation cannot stop genocide without resorting to violence or violent policies (such as sanctions) but what we can do and I think must do, is demand that our leaders act and legislate in ways that are truly for the good of global humanity AND the environment NOT just for the capitalist corporate/military-industrial good. I suppose I am just too much of a "peacenik" "commie" "liberal" "feminist" "irrational idealist" to understand/comprehend U.S. foreign policy much less that currently being thrown around as justification for the many atrocities that are occuring as I type these words. I wish I had more answers than questions.

peace!