Pre-Writing Activity

With someone sitting next to you, discuss the following questions:

- What is genocide?

- Where has it occurred?

Record your and your partner’s answers on a sheet of paper that you will turn in at the end of the period.

Genocide

The eight stages of genocide, as defined by Gregory H. Stanton

What are the eight stages of genocide?

Classification

Symbolization

Dehumanization

Organization

Polarization

Preparation

Extermination

Denial

Stage One: CLASSIFICATION

Insert Photo Here

Stage One: CLASSIFICATION

Everyday, we speak in terms of “us” and “them.” Our team and their team. Americans and Iraqis. Christians and Muslims. Straights and gays.

This is the first stage of genocide, though it does not mean that every society in which classification occurs will have a genocide occur. The more “bi-polar” the society is, the more likely a genocide is to occur. The more separate - physically and ideologically - these two groups in a society, the more likely that one will attempt to exterminate the other group.

Stage One: CLASSIFICATION

ON YOUR PAPER: Think of one way in which we separate people in our culture. Do you think this is likely to lead to a genocide? Why or why not?

Stage Two: SYMBOLIZATION

Stage Two: SYMBOLIZATION

Once groups are classified, they typically - either of their own volition to establish their identity or by force so that the dominant group can easily identify them - adopt symbols so that they can be told apart.

In some cases - particularly where race or ethnicity is concerned - symbolization occurs even before classification, as the symbols that suggest they belong with a certain group are innate, such as the color of their skin or their physical features.

Again, this stage is one that does not necessarily lead to genocide.

Stage Two: SYMBOLIZATION

ON YOUR PAPER: Do groups you identified for the last stage have symbols that allow them - or others - to tell them apart? If so, what are they?

Stage Three: DEHUMANIZATION

Stage Three: DEHUMANIZATION

One group denies the humanity of the other group. Members of that group are equated with rodents, insects, other vermin, and even diseases.

If this stage takes hold, it becomes more difficult to stop the progression of genocide.

Stage Three: DEHUMANIZATION

ON YOUR PAPER: Why is it necessary for a dominant power to dehumanize the victims of a genocide? Why would it be impossible for a genocide to accomplish its goal without this stage?

Stage Four: ORGANIZATION

Stage Four: ORGANIZATION

In order for the final stages of genocide to take place, organization must occur. The group that organizes in preparation is typically part of the state due to the amount of financial support required. It can, however, be a terrorist group; because of the amount of organization required, though, any group that successfully organizes a genocide is usually sanctioned - at least to some extent - by a state.

To a certain extent, you should think of this stage as the proverbial “calm before the storm.” The roots of the final stages are beginning to take hold, but very little is actually being done to the victimized group yet.

Stage Four: ORGANIZATION

ON YOUR PAPER: What specifics would have to be worked out by the enactors of a genocide?

Stage Five: POLARIZATION

“Go where you wanted me to go, you evil spirit.”

Stage Five: POLARIZATION

During this stage, the groups are driven even further apart ideologically. Hate groups begin broadcasting propaganda with greater frequency, and laws typically are enacted to forbid any sort of relations between the two groups.

At this stage, it is not just the victimized group that suffers. Any “sympathizers” or moderates are either threatened or attacked by the dominant, oppressing group.

Stage Five: POLARIZATION

ON YOUR PAPER: Have you ever seen a piece of propaganda intended to polarize groups? If you have, please describe it. If you have not, please try to imagine what it might look like.

Stage Six: PREPARATION

Stage Six: PREPARATION

Whereas in the previous stage the victimized group was separated ideologically from the dominant group, in this stage the victimized group is separated physically from the rest of the society.

The victimized group or groups are gathered together, either in ghettoes or concentration camps. At times, they are even forced into a famine-struck area and starved, beginning the seventh stage of genocide.

At this stage, the world typically becomes aware of what is going on, whether they actually step in or not.

Stage Six: PREPARATION

ON YOUR PAPER: Assuming that at this stage, the world cannot help but notice that the victimized group is being forced from their homes in preparation to be slaughtered, why wouldn’t this be the stage where every genocide ends?

This is not a rhetorical question.

Stage Seven: EXTERMINATION

This is the stage where this process legally becomes genocide. Mass killings occur quickly and systematically. When genocide is sponsored by the state, as it almost always is, the armed forces typically work with well-organized militias to exterminate the victims.

Stage Seven: EXTERMINATION

ON YOUR PAPER: What previous stage or stages allow(s) extermination to happen so quickly? If you think that the answer is “all of them,” please identify which stage or stages most enable the rapidity of the execution.

Stage Eight: DENIAL

Stage Eight: DENIAL

If intervention does not occur during the seventh stage of genocide, denial always follows extermination. Mass graves are dug up and bodies are burned; the evidence that the genocide ever occurred is systematically eradicated. Witnesses are bribed, intimidated, or killed.

Investigations into the crimes are blocked by the government that committed the atrocities.

Typically, the victims of the genocide are blamed for their fates if their disappearance is brought up.

Stage Eight: DENIAL

ON YOUR PAPER: Think about the psychological factors that would contribute to the effectiveness of the denial. How could someone who witnessed or took part in a genocide come to believe that a genocide had not occurred?

Homework

ON YOUR PAPER: How has your understanding of genocide changed during this class period? Assuming that I did not show you this to make you uncomfortable or sicken you, why did I share these stages and these images of genocide with you? Please write roughly half of a page.

You can find the information in this presentation at www.genocidewatch.org/8stages.htm. This website also contains suggestions about how to stop genocide at each of the stages.

Images taken from http://www.calvin.edu/academic/cas/gpa/sturmer.htm and various sources found through Google Images.

Genocide in History There are many cases of Genocide which have existed

throughout our history dating back to biblical times.

Genocides From 1500-1950 The Native Canadian people(Mi’kmaw, Beothuk) The Congo 1820-1920 Ottoman Empire (1932–1933) Holodomor World War II Mao Zedong

Native Canadian People

After the arrival of the Europeans in 1492- Native populations began to drastically decrease.

Some methods of genocide included Murder Infected smallpox blankets Scalping Proclamations Treaties Centralization (1942) The Indian Act (Residential Schools) 1928-1982

Population declined 80-90% in the first 100 years

The Congo21.5 million people died in Congo from 1880-1920

The population decreased due to murder, disease, starvation.

Congo “Free State” was privately owned by King Leopold II and he started the mass murders and slave labor.

In 1908 end of Leopold’s rule

Holodomor 1932-1933

Famine was the act of Genocide committed by the Soviet Govern.

In 1932 the Soviets increased grain production 44%, which resulted in Grain Shortage- the peasants could not feed themselves. The Soviet knew this, but would not let them eat (by law) until the quota was met.

They could not travel for food.

Stalin states that “"the great bulk (of the 10 million) were very unpopular and were wiped out by their labourers."

7,000,000 to 15,000,000 people, mostly Ukrainians, died

Armenian Genocide (1915-1923) Up to 1.5 million Armenians were slaughtered

The Ottoman Empire (Turkish) existed from 1299 to 1923. They were responsible for the following: Deportation of 2,000,000 from their homeland-

1,500,000 of the men, women and children were then murdered.

500,000 were expelled from the Armenian homeland which existed for 2,500 years.

The Turkish gov. disputes these charges 15 countries agree (France and Russia)

WORLD WAR II 1939-1945

During the Holocaust the Nazis’ killed 6million Jews, 3 million POW’s, 2 millionPoles and 400,000 other “undesirables”(slaves,

homosexuals and communists)The holocaust was most predominant from previous

genocides because of the cruelty, scale and efficiency of the mass murders.

People were killed by: open-air shootings, by killing squads, extermination camps (gas chambers, mass shootings)

Over 11 million People were killed.

Mao Zedong killed 30 million Chinese people during his reign in 1945-1976

Although World War II is the most common Genocide that occurred during 1500-1950’s, it is very important for us to understand the other cases of Genocide that have occurred throughout our history and our World.

Genocides from 1951-Present

Cambodia (1975–1979)

Saddam Hussein's Baath Party

Rwanda 1994

Sudan

Cambodia 1975-1979

The communist party Khmer Rouge ruled Cambodia from 1975-1979. They were responsible for forced labour, starvation, and execution.

This was one of the most lethal regimes of the 20th century.

This communist party killed “suspect ethnic groups”- Chinese, Vietnamese,Buddhist monks, and refugees.

The Khmer Rouge killed 1.7 million

Saddam Hussein’s Baath Party

In 1987-1991 (approx) the Baath Party killed 100,000 Kurds. (The Kurds are people of Indo-European origin who live mainly in the mountains and uplands where Turkey, Iraq, and Iran meet, in an area known as "Kurdistan" for hundreds of years)

The Gulf War (1990) It is estimated that 300,000 people are buried in 260 mass graves.

1991-2003- Estimates of 500,000 to 1.2 million people were killed through bombings.

After the September 11, 2001 attacks- the US invaded Iraq-2003 Saddam was captured.

RWANDA 1994

The Rwandan Genocide was the slaughter of an estimated 800,000 to 1,000,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus, mostly carried out by two extremist Hutu militia groups (Interahamwe and Impuzamugambi) during a period of 100 days from April 6th through mid-July 1994.

The Western and First World Countries did nothing to help this situation.

Prior to the attacks the UN did not respond to reports of the Hutu plans.

This Genocide was ended when the Tutsi rebel movement (Rwandese Political Front) lead by Paul Kagame seized power of the Hutu Government.

Rwanda 1994

“Hutu Mobs armed with machetes and other weapons killed roughly 8,000 Tutsis a day during a three-month campaign of terror. Powerful nations stood by as the slaughter surged on despite pleas from Rwandan and UN observers” National Geographic 2006.

Sudan Civil War 1983- Sudan signed a peace agreement in 2002- where

they were accused of genocide.

Since the civil war began in 1983: 2,000,000 people have been killed 4, 000, 000 people have been displaced.Mukesh Kapila ( UN coordinator) has stated that "This is

more than just a conflict. It is an organised attempt [by Khartoum] to do away with a group of people. The only difference between Rwanda [in 1994] and Darfur now is the numbers of dead, murdered, tortured and raped involved“.

Sudan Cont… In 2004, it became widely known that a nomadic

group Janjaweed was trying to get rid of 80 black African groups in the Darfur region.

This was is very similar to Rwanda. However professional/intellectuals are not being attacked- it is a fight between the nomads and farmers for land.

There is risk of famine and a threat to international security.