When living conditions worsen and the economy
fails, people try to find reasons for their troubles. This is when political extremists
can become popular as they blame certain groups of people and promise that by getting
rid of them societies’ problems will go away. This can lead to the deliberate elimination of
those who are different because of their race, religion, sexuality, or disability
- a phenomenon known as genocide. The 10 stages of genocide are a framework for
understanding how crimes against humanity happen, so we can spot early warning signs
and potentially prevent them. Stage one is classification:
Extremists divide people into separate groups based on their different
characteristics. This often happens to create an us-vs-them mentality or find
someone to blame for social problems. The second stage is symbolization: This involves
assigning symbols or names to members of the other group. The goal here is to split the
society and make it clear who belongs to who. 3rd is discrimination: The dominant
group uses its power to deny others certain rights or privileges. Particular
new laws may limit the freedom of the marginalized ones. Instances of bullying
increase and the societal divide widens. 4th is dehumanization: the targeted
group is portrayed as less than human, often compared to animals or diseases.
Stripping away the human qualities of a person makes it easier to
justify violence against them. 5th is organization: This stage can
involve violent mobs that are tolerated by the ruling class or even the creation of
state-sponsored militias. In some instances, perpetrators now carefully start to
plan the next steps of the genocide. 6th is polarization: Extremists now
demonize the targeted group and try to fully divide society by demanding that
everyone must take a side. Moderators who want to reduce the tensions are often
identified as enemies and silenced. 7th is preparation. The criminals now plan
for mass murder. They may identify victims by name or number, find where they live and acquire
weapons or build facilities to aid their efforts. 8th is persecution: Violence
escalates. The targeted group is systematically subjected
to harassment, displacement, or other forms of abuse. Often all of that
happens under the disguise of security measures. 9th is extermination. The mass killing begins. The
culprits view their victims as less than human, believing they are "cleansing" the
world of an undesirable element, and in doing so justify the use
of disproportionate violence. 10th is denial. Those responsible for the cruelty
deny their crimes, destroy evidence, blame the victims, and attempt to rewrite history justifying
their actions as necessary for the greater good. This is why in the aftermath of genocide, the
criminals must be made accountable and the trauma must be addressed. Then the survivors
may heal and society can attempt to reunite. Note that the 10 stages may not occur
linearly. They can happen simultaneously. Dr. Gregory Stanton, who observed the phenomenon, suggested preventative measures to battle
each stage, even though he believed that ultimately only an international
intervention can stop such a disaster. In Germany, Cambodia, Rwanda, and other
places, help from outside often arrived too late for too many, which is why
Stanton also founded Genocide Watch, a nonprofit to help prevent the
next tragedy from unfolding. What do you think? Is knowledge enough to prevent
genocidal events? And if not, what other measures can we take to avoid the next human catastrophe?
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