Defining Genocide: The Attempt to Name and Prevent a Horrific Crime | Facing History & Ourselves

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Professional Learning

Defining Genocide: The Attempt to Name and Prevent a Horrific Crime

In this virtual educator workshop in partnership with the New-York Historical Society, we look to remember the meaning of the word genocide and the conditions that drove a lawyer named Raphael Lemkin to coin this term to describe a horrific crime — a crime that prior to 1944 lacked a name and legal repercussions. By understanding the meaning of the term genocide and the human suffering to which it refers, our students will be able to use it with care while appreciating the need to wrestle with our obligations towards those victimized by a range of human rights violations.

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About this event:

Single Session

Our single professional learning sessions are designed to easily fit into your day. Typically one hour or less, these sessions explore timely and relevant topics including teaching strategies, current events, and more.

Instructor-Led

This professional learning event will be led by Facing History staff. When you register, you will receive instructions for how to attend the event.

Civics & Citizenship
Genocide

Key Points

  1. Learn about the historical roots and context for the word Genocide

  2. Engage with scholarship and gain tools to address these historical legacies in your school context

  3. Gain access to educator resources to address the topic of Genocide within a school curriculum

Words referencing mass atrocities of the past, such as fascist, racist, Nazi, genocide, and Holocaust, carry deep historical meaning, yet these words are often misused in reference to contemporary events. Using these words too casually not only diminishes the meaning of the words themselves, but also diminishes the events that the words represent. Yet being too cautious to label an event “genocide” can be an excuse to look away or not intervene. 

Join Facing History in partnership with the New-York Historical Society for this virtual educator workshop where we look to remember the meaning of the term genocide and the conditions that drove a lawyer named Raphael Lemkin to coin this term to describe a horrific crime — a crime that prior to 1944 lacked a name and legal repercussions.

By understanding the meaning of the term genocide and the human suffering to which it refers, our students will be able to use it with care while appreciating the need to wrestle with our obligations towards those victimized by a range of human rights violations.

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