1. An Historical Overview https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LG_0qIeRQEA
Genocide
An Historical Overview

2. What are the three reasons for taking a closer look at Genocide?
It has been practiced everywhere in the world throughout history
It is the ultimate violation of human rights
It now produces far more than half of all refugees

3. What was Raphael Lemkin’s definition of genocide in 1944?
The coordinated and planned annihilation of a national, religious or racial group by a variety of actions aimed at undermining the foundations essential to the survival of the group as a group.

4. Who opposed adding “political and other groups” to the United Nations definition of genocide? Why do you think?  
The Soviets and Eastern bloc nations
Why?- Because they would be guilty of practicing genocide under Stalin’s leadership.

5. When did the U.N. adopt the Genocide Convention?
December 9, 1948

6. What is the United Nations definition of genocide?
Any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy in whole or in part national, ethnical, racial or religious groups by:
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 in in part
Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group
Forcibly transferring children of the group to another group

7. What did Irving Horowitz say was a necessary precondition for the genocidal process?
A totalitarian society. But he also believes it is not a sufficient one.

8. According to Horowitz, what plays a much more important role than the above answer?
Horowitz believes that national culture plays a much more important role in genocide than the ideology of the state.
A totalitarian ideology may make class, race, or religion lethal sins, he contends, but the decision to eradicate these sins by committing genocide is largely a function of culture.

9. According to Leo Kuper, the U. N
According to Leo Kuper, the U.N. has a morally bankrupt record of _________
Non-enforcement

10. Concerning the U.N. definition, a common thread that ties each of these scholars’ arguments together is ___
Restrictive specifications

11. What is the conflict between the United Nations definition of genocide and the U.N. definition of a refugee?
People fleeing from genocide (according to the definition) are being recognized as refugees, whereas those unable to flee from the same events are not acknowledged as being its victims

12. Give two ancient examples of genocide:
Pre-dynastic Egypt
The ancient Assyrians
Old Testament Israel (destruction of the Amalekites)
One common thread: the physical destruction of the entire people of defeated opponents was not unusual at that time, nor that it evoked any humanitarian outrage

13. Why did the seemingly common practice of genocide die out thousands of years ago?
It became productive to keep victims as slaves

14. During the history of empires, what was an important characteristic of the victim groups when it came to genocide?
Victim groups were always located OUTSIDE the perpetrator society.

15. What new element of genocide appeared with the Crusades?
Genocides were not designed to implant belief, ideology, or theory.
I.E.- Replace Islam/Judaism with Christianity

16. What major element is characteristic of 20th century genocides?
All are ideological ones > Victim groups are all located within the perpetrator society
Examples:
Armenian Genocide
Ukrainian Genocide
The Holocaust
Cambodian Genocide

17. Identify the four common features of ideological genocides:
They devalue the individual in favor of the collectivity
They sanctify means in order to justify ends
They reject the rule of law
They do not subscribe to or observe the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

18. Why has no genocide ever been completely successful?
Some people have always managed to escape
Escape is one response to persecution and potential genocide; this is why the growing refugee problem represents the number of genocides that have or are taking place.

19. What are two challenges represented by refugees from genocide?
They often bring the most accurate and reliable news of an incipient (developing) genocide
They overtax the U.N. High Commission for refugees and other humanitarian organizations

20. In your own mind, what is the main problem with defining genocide?
Being too restrictive or too general
Once you identify it, you are obligated to act

21. Give your own definition of genocide: