Every April commemorates Genocide Awareness and Prevention Month. It is recognized internationally during this time to align with the anniversaries of major genocides, including but not limited to, the Armenian Genocide in 1915, the Cambodian Genocide in 1975, the genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda in 1994 and Yom HaShoah, also known as Holocaust Remembrance Day. To align with the purpose of the month, students in the Bearing Witness senior seminar engage with the topic of genocide, learning about how its many definitions intersect and how genocide is a systemic process that develops over long periods.
History Department Chair Elana Goldbaum teaches Bearing Witness and said defining genocide is more complicated than most people might be aware of.
“There are multiple definitions of genocide,” Goldbaum said. “Most people are familiar probably with the one that has been adopted by the United Nations since 1946, but the main distinguishing factor between genocide and other forms of violence is intent to destroy.”
The U.N. defines genocide as actions that intend to “destroy a national, ethnic, racial or religious group.” Specific actions could include implementing harsh living conditions, forcibly transferring children and assimilating them to other cultures and murdering members of the targeted group. While all of these actions fall underneath the U.N. definition of genocide, the U.N. does not recognize cultural destruction — such as the intent to destroy traditions, values and language — as genocide.
“An example of cultural genocide would include the restrictions on certain practices. So for example, in the United States with Indigenous Americans, or Native Americans, there were restrictions about hair, so that the hair would be forcibly cut for Native American children at boarding schools,” Goldbaum said. “The U.N. definition of genocide does not include the criteria for cultural genocide, however, that is included with other organizations.”
Organizations, such as Genocide Watch, a nonprofit, nonpartisan group dedicated to raising awareness for international genocide prevention, recognize cultural genocide as legitimate. They discern warning signs using the ten stages of genocide, coined by Dr. Gregory H. Stanton, President of Genocide Watch. These stages include classification, symbolization, discrimination, dehumanization, organization, polarization, preparation, persecution, extermination and denial.
Gabriella Specchierla (’25), a student in Goldbaum’s class, said it is crucial to understand genocidal intent. Even if some aspects of genocide are not recognized by the U.N., they can still cause harm.
“Having a class like Bearing Witness has opened my eyes to not only what genocide is, but also how the steps that lead to genocide can be overlooked so many times,” Specchierla said. “Keeping people informed is so important.”
Another student in Bearing Witness, Mia Vosicher (’25) said although people naturally classify or label groups in their minds, awareness of genocide is key to preventing future atrocities.
“People are always categorizing and grouping people in their minds,” Vosicher said. “But making sure that we are not attaching certain stigmas, physical symbols or assumptions to others is the first step in ensuring that it doesn’t happen in the future.”
Goldbaum agreed and said remembering genocide involves open communication and understanding.
“What I would ask any young person is to seek to understand the way that we classify and look at genocides in history changes,” Goldbaum said. “There are disagreements about what qualifies as genocide and what does not, but that doesn’t mean those disagreements are bad. It means that we just need to engage in a dialogue about that.”
Vosicher said honoring the stories of genocide survivors is fundamental to learning about past atrocities and how to overcome them.
“These stories only remain as memories or legacies,” Vosicher said, “as long as we bear our eyes to them.”
