Guidelines for Teaching About a Genocide United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Guidelines for Teaching About a Genocide

Defining Genocide “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 Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part

Acts of Genocide Continued Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group. Forcibly transferring children of the group to another group.

Investigate the context and dynamics that have lead to genocide What steps lead toward genocide in a society Analyze the factors and patterns of behavior which lead to genocide: Political considerations, economic difficulties, local history and context How are the targeted groups defined, dehumanized, marginalized and segregated before mass murder begins

Be wary of simplistic parallels to other genocides Each incidence of genocide is a unique event with its own set of characteristics concerning time, place, people and methods employed Teach students to avoid simplistic comparisons the will lead to inaccurate interpretations and conclusions. Example: comparing the current genocide in Darfur with the Holocaust

Context and Dynamics Continued: Have students consider how steps and casual conditions may have been deflected and minimized Have students think about scope, intent, and tactics. There is not set blueprint or series of events that automatically leads to genocide Teachers need to facilitate their students to focus on the pain and specifics of a particular community at a particular time and place German clergy’s denunciation of the T4 program The German wives protest at Gestapo headquarters

Make careful comparisons Compare the tactics and/or the procedures used by the perpetrators. Genocides have no fixed set of procedures, while there may be similarities, all genocides are unique. Avoid comparisons of pain and suffering of individuals.

Analyze American and world response The need for the students to understand the changes to the world since the end of World War Two. The need to learn from the mistakes of the past and apply that learning in the future. Students must strive to understand what actions were taken and why some actions were not.

American and world response Choices Available to the United States Choices available to the global community Consider the role of non governmental organizations Frustration by students with the inaction of government Ramifications of Intervention

Illustrate Positive Actions taken by Individuals and Nations Always there are individuals who speak out against the genocide. Always there are Individuals who rescue (Hotel Rwanda) Those at risk verse those at a distance who are stakeholders Rescuers, big and small Let the facts tell the story, avoid embellishment