Genocide Awareness and Prevention: Myths Vs. Facts
Myth 1: Genocide only involves mass killings.
The United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide defines genocide beyond mass killings and may include one or more of the following:
- forcibly transferring children of the group to another group.
- 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 or in part;
- imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group;
Check out STF’s Case Study Examples to learn more.
Myth 2: Genocide happens suddenly and without warning.
Genocide typically develops over time, following identifiable stages such as discrimination, dehumanization, and polarization before escalating to violence.
According to Genocide Watch, Genocide is a process that develops in ten stages that are predictable but not unavoidable. At each stage, preventive measures can stop it. The process is not linear. Stages occur simultaneously. Each stage is itself a process.
Check out Early Warning Project and and STF’s Case Study Examples to learn more about risk factors and early warning signs.
Myth 3: Genocide is only committed by governments.
While governments are often involved, non-state actors such as militias, extremist groups, and armed organizations can also perpetrate genocide independently. Check out STF’s Case Study Examples to learn more.
Myth 4: Genocide only happens in developing countries.
Genocide has occurred in both developed and developing nations. Check out STF’s Case Study Examples to learn more.
Myth 5: Genocide is always motivated by ethnic or religious hatred.
Genocide can be driven by political, economic, or ideological motivations. Check out STF’s Case Study Examples to learn more.