Amandacook8stagesofgenocide

8 Stages of GenocideBy Amanda Cook

Classification

All cultures have categories to distinguish people into “us and them” by race, ethnicity, religion, or nationality: German and Jew, Hutu and Tutsi.

Bipolar societies that lack mixed categories, such as Rwanda and Burundi are most likely to have genocide.

Classification (cont.)

Genocide in Rwanda

Symbolization

We give names or other symbols to the classifications.

We name people “Jews” or “Gypsies”, or distinguish them by colors or dress; and apply the symbols to members of groups

Classification and symbolization are universally human and do not necessarily result in genocide unless they lead to the next stage, dehumanization.

When combined with hatred, symbols may be forced upon unwilling members of pariah groups.

Symbolization (cont.)

For example: The yellow star for Jews under Nazi rule, the blue scarf for people from the Eastern Zone in Khmer Rouge Cambodia.

Dehumanization

This is when one group denies the humanity of the other group.

Members of it are equated with animals, vermin, insects of diseases.

Dehumanization overcomes the normal human revulsion against murder.

At this stage, hate propaganda in print and on hate radios is used to vilify the victim group.

Dehumanization (cont.)

A Swastika, symbol used by racists.

Organization

Genocide is always organized, usually by the state, often using militias to provide deniability of state responsibility (The Janjaweed in Darfur.)

Sometimes organization is informal(Hindu mobs led by local RSS militias) or decentralized (terrorist groups).

Special army units or militias are often trained and armed.

Plans are made for genocidal killings.

Organization (cont.)

Janjaweed fighters

Polarization

Extremists drive the groups apart. Hate groups broadcast polarizing

propaganda. Laws may forbid intermarriage or social

interaction. Extremist terrorism targets moderates,

intimidating and silencing the center. Moderates from the perpetrators own

group are most able to stop genocide, so are the first to be arrested or killed.

Preparation

Victims are identified and separated out because of their ethnic or religious identity. Death lists are drawn up. Members of victim groups are forced to wear identifying symbols.

Their property is expropriated. They are often segregated into ghettos,

deported into concentration camps, or confined to a famine-struck region and starved.

Preparation (cont.)

A Jewish Ghetto in Poland

Extermination

Extermination became the mass killing legally called genocide.

It is “extermination” to the killers because they do not believe their victims to be fully human.

When it is sponsored by the state, the armed forces often work with militias to do the killing.

Sometimes the genocide results in revenge killings by groups against each other, creating the downward whirlpool-like cycle of bilateral genocide.

Extermination (cont.)

Denial

Is the eighth stage that always follows a genocide.

It is among the surest indicators of further genocidal massacres.

The perpetrators of genocide dig up the mass graves, burn the bodies, try to cover up the evidence and intimidate the witnesses.

They deny that they committed any crimes, and often blame what happened on the victims.

Denial (cont.)

They block investigations of the crimes, and continue to govern until driven by force, when they flee into exile.

There they remain with impunity, like Pol Pot of Idi Amin, unless they are captured and a tribunal is established to try them.

Denial (cont.)

Europeans against the Armenian Genocide Denial

Darfur

Where did the genocide take place?

The genocide happened in the Darfur region of Sudan.

When did it happen?

It started in February 2003 and it is still going on today.

Darfur Village during Genocide

Who is involved?

Darfur rebel groups-the Sudan Liberation Army and the Justice and Equality movement vs. Sudan government or the Janjaweed.

The Janjaweed

What happened?

Rebel groups rose against the Sudan government, the Janjaweed then attacked villages.

The Janjaweed displaced over 2,500,000 people and five thousand people are killed each month.

There were many attempts to try to regain peace but none of them have been effective.

Why did it happen?

A big struggle occurred over political control, when Omar Bashir took control the tension worsened.

Problems came up between African farmers and the Arab tribes.

When rebel groups fought back, genocide began.

Omar Bashir

How did it end?

The genocide in Darfur is still going on and it continues to threaten the stability of the region.

Making Connections

Polarization: Clash between African Farmers and Arab Tribes.

Dehumanization: People were displaced and mistreated and killed.

Organization: Darfur rebel groups-the Sudan Liberation Army and the Justice and Equality movement.

Symbolization: Skin color is used to distinguish between races.

Preparation: Militias were formed. Extermination: Five thousand people are killed each

month. Denial: The government of Sudan denies that the

genocide ever happened.

Works Cited

http://www.jewishmuseum.org.uk/the-holocaust-new

http://khmernz.blogspot.com/2009_02_22_archive.html

http://mubi.com/lists/the-holocaust http://

www.todayszaman.com/newsDetail_getNewsById.action?newsId=269868

http://www.bwbs.de/bwbs_biografie/Liquidation_of_all_Jewish_ghettos_in_Poland_B1150.html

http://www.summarynewspaper.com/9-nazi-members-sentenced-to-life-imprisonment/3599.html

Works Cited (cont.)

http://www.unitedhumanrights.org/2009/05/the-genocide-in-rwanda

http://justiceinconflict.org/2011/12/02/fifth-icc-warrant-in-darfur-case-announced-sudanese-minister-of-defence-indicted/

http://www.ayf.org/Home/tabid/36/cmd424/arch/archDt424/022008/Default.aspx

http://www.finalcall.com/artman/publish/World_News_3/article_6808.shtml

Works Cited (cont.)

http://people.howstuffworks.com/darfur.htm http://

edu.glogster.com/glog.php?glog_id=18933584&scale=54&isprofile=true

“Genocide in Darfur.” United Human Rights Council. Armenian Youth Federation- Western United States, 2012. Web. 3 Apr 2012. http://www.unitedhumanrights.org/genocide/genocide-in-sudan.html.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/commentisfree+world/omar-al-bashir

http://techcrunch.com/2009/08/06/google-steps-up-its-darfur-genocide-coverage-in-google-earth/