Genocide

In 1944, Raphael Lemkin, a Polish-Jewish lawyer, introduced the word “genocide” to the English language. In his 1944 book, Axis Rule in Occupied Europe (published originally by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace), Lemkin explains:

“This new word, coined by the author to denote an old practice in its modern development, is made from the ancient Greek word genos (race, tribe) and the Latin cide (killing)….”

On December 9, 1948, the United Nations approved the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Genocide (often referred to as the Genocide Convention) which defines genocide as the following:

...any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such:
(a) Killing members of the group;
(b) Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group;
(c) Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part;
(d) Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group;
(e) Forcibly transferring children of the group to another group.
– Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, Article II

Resources

STORIES AMONG US: PERSONAL ACCOUNTS OF GENOCIDE
A Newspapers In Education Series, published in the Seattle Times, 2008
This 10-article series focuses on the stories of individuals in our community directly affected by genocide during the past century. Includes teacher guide with activities and study questions.

BLOG
Current events, student projects and teaching resources - posted weekly.  
Have something you would like to see posted?  Email info@wsherc.org. 

WORLD IS WITNESS
A project of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum
This blog bears witness to genocide and related crimes against humanity around the world. Staff and guest contributors bring you updates from the field, eyewitness testimony, photographs, interactive maps and more.

GENOCIDE: NAMING THE NAMELESS CRIME
An interactive website by student Katie W.
This outstanding interactive website includes: interactive world maps, an interactive timeline, an introduction to Raphael Lemkin.  Created by Katie W, a student of Nick Coddington at Charles Wright Academy in Tacoma, for National History Day. Katie's passion and curiosity for the subjects didn't stop when the contest was over - she continued her research, fact-checking, and expansion of the site over an entire year.

ARMENIAN GENOCIDE RESOURCE LIBRARY FOR TEACHERS
Created by the Genocide Education Project 
Designed specifically for secondary school teachers. Includes teacher guides, maps, handouts, personal stories, and more.

FACING HISTORY AND OURSELVES
Facing History and Ourselves delivers classroom strategies, resources and lessons that inspire young people to take responsibility for their world.  Professional development, teaching guides for the Armenian genocide, Cambodian genocide, Rwandan genocide, Holocaust, and lots more.  Student resources also available online.

LIBRARY
Holdings available online!
Check out the Holocaust Center's collection. All items are available to borrow. Use the keyword "genocide."