Genocide and Its Features
Senior 1 · History and Citizenship
Genocide and Its Features
Lesson 2 of 5
25 min
In 1996 the American genocide scholar Gregory H. Stanton described genocide as a process that moves through stages. He first named eight stages, and in 2012 expanded the model to ten. His organisation, Genocide Watch, uses it to warn the world when a country is moving towards genocide. Figure 2 shows the ten stages, described here in our own words, with a way to stop each one.
| Stage | What happens (in our words) | An example from history |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Classification | people are sorted into "us" and "them" | the Belgian colonial census of 1933 to 1934 recorded every Rwandan as Hutu, Tutsi or Twa |
| 2. Symbolisation | names, labels or symbols are attached to the groups | the ethnic label on Rwandan identity cards; the yellow star that Jews were forced to wear in Nazi-ruled Europe |
| 3. Discrimination | laws or customs deny one group its rights | the Nuremberg Laws of 1935 took German citizenship from Jews; before 1994, quotas limited places for Tutsi in Rwandan schools and public jobs |
| 4. Dehumanisation | propaganda presents the group as less than human, dangerous or diseased | newspapers and radio in Rwanda before and during 1994 gave Tutsi insulting names; Nazi propaganda did the same to Jews |
| 5. Organisation | militias or special units are formed, trained and armed | the Interahamwe militia in Rwanda |
| 6. Polarisation | extremists silence or attack moderates who try to keep the peace | on 7 April 1994, political leaders who opposed the extremists were among the first to be killed |
| 7. Preparation | leaders plan: lists of names, weapons, orders | lists of names and stores of weapons prepared in Rwanda before April 1994 |
| 8. Persecution | victims are identified, separated, robbed of property or driven out | Jews forced into closed ghettos; Herero driven into the desert in 1904 |
| 9. Extermination | mass killing of the group | the Holocaust (1933 to 1945); the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi (7 April to mid-July 1994) |
| 10. Denial | perpetrators hide evidence and deny that it was genocide | denial of the Holocaust and of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, which is a crime under Rwandan law |
Worked example: identifying the stage
Question: Which stage does each piece of evidence show? Explain why.
Check your reasoning: ask "what is being done, and to what purpose?" The same event can show two stages at once: identity cards are both classification and symbolisation.
Definition
Stage of genocide: a step in the process that can lead to genocide. Stanton describes ten: classification, symbolisation, discrimination, dehumanisation, organisation, polarisation, preparation, persecution, extermination and denial.
Definition
Propaganda: information, often false or one-sided, spread on purpose to shape what people think and do. Example: hate radio broadcasts that turn neighbours against each other.
Definition
Denial of genocide: saying that a genocide did not happen, was not planned, was smaller than it was, or was the victims' own fault. Denial is the last stage of genocide and can prepare the ground for new violence.
Definition
Early warning: noticing the signs of the early stages, such as hate speech or the arming of militias, and acting before killing begins.
Important
After 1994, Rwanda put in place measures that work against the early stages of genocide. Link each to Figure 2:
Stanton says the stages are not a ladder that is always climbed in order. Why is the model still useful? At which stages can an ordinary student do something, and what?
Tip
Memory hook for the order: "Classify, Symbol, Discriminate, Dehumanise, Organise, Polarise, Prepare, Persecute, Exterminate, Deny": the first four are about ideas and laws, the next three about planning, then the crime, then the lie.
United Nations: "Hate Speech & the Consequences Explained: What You Can Do to Prevent the Next Atrocity". The UN Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide explains how hate speech has led to atrocities, and what communities can do. Link what she says to stage 4 of Figure 2. Teachers should preview it before class.
Practice
Sources and credits
