Genocide 101

Genocide 101

Genocide is from the Greek - Genos (family, tribe, race) and the Latin –Caedes (massacre; pronounced kay-dees), was originally coined by Raphael Lemkin, a Polish Jewish legal scholar, in 1943. In 1948, the United Nation’s Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide defined genocide as “Any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such:
Killing members of the group;
Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group;
Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its
physical destruction in whole or in part;
Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group;
...Forcibly transferring children of the group to another group.
There exists, however, a large debate on how to properly define the word “genocide” and moreover, what events constitute genocide or are otherwise crimes against humanity or war crimes. (students know basic genocide)

The 8 stages of genocide
Classification
Symbolization
Dehumanization
Organization
Polarization
Identification
Extermination
Denial

Past genocides and USA Prez
a. Wilson-Armenia
the Ottoman government intentionally destroyed over 1 million Armenians from 1915 - 1923.

b. Rosevelt Holocaust


c. Carter- Cambodia
Khmer rouge instituted a new authoritarian regime.All opposition to the regime was exterminated in a genocidal campaign. Between 1975 and 1979, over 2 million Cambodians were targeted for destruction.

d. Clinton-Rwanda

e. Bush/Obama-Darfur
Current hot spots/areas of concern
the extent to which mass atrocities are occurring
the extent to which civilians are being targeted
In our assessment of how civilians have been targeted by mass atrocities, we relied on the following indicators:
1.levels of mortality, drawing from a number of different sources
2.levels of forced displacement, largely relying on Internal Displacement Monitoring Center numbers
3.the frequency and intensity of human rights violations committed against civilians, as reported by expert and relief organizations, as well as the media