What is Genocide?
• Genocide: is any act that is intended to destroy,
in whole or part, a national, ethnic, racial or
religious group.
• Examples:
–
–
–
–
–
Killing members of a group
Causing bodily or mental harm
Inflicting negative conditions of life
Prevent births
Transfer children
• UN Genocide Convention
GENOCIDE
• CAUSES:
• Difficult social
conditions
• intense economic
problems
• intense political conflict
– this can be conflict
between dominant
groups and subordinate
ones that are poor and
have limited rights
• very great and rapid
social changes
• List EXAMPLES:
cultural aspects that make
genocide probable
• Define SCAPEGOATING:
• History of conflict and
violence between two
groups
• Strong respect for authority
• Totalitarian countries are
more likely to engage in
genocide than democratic.
– WHY?
• How does passivity increase
the violence?
• http://www.soundportraits.org/on•
air/remembering_kitty_genovese/
The New York Times: Multimedia Search for
'rwanda'
HUTU-TUTSI CONFLICT
GENOCIDE
“ETHNIC CLEANSING”
RWANDA
Paul Kagame
• Hutus are the
______________
• Tutsi are the
______________
• The European power that
imperialized Rwanda is
________
• Independence was
gained in 1961
– Hutus took power
– 200,000 Tutsi’s fled
Rwanda
• Tutsi’s formed the
Rwandan Patriotic Front
(RPF)
– a militia group
Rwanda’s Colonial Legacy
• 1600s- Tutsi kings
conquered Hutus
– feudal system set up
• 1916- Belgium took control
of Rwanda
– required identity cards labeled
w/ person’s ethnicity
– ruled through Tutsi kings
– Tutsi were the minority
• 1959-Hutus rebelled against
Tutsis
– 20,000 killed
– others forced into exile
Hutu/ Tutsi Conflict
• Hutu
• 85% of Population
• Under colonial rule:
– serfs/ peasants
• After independence:
– Hutu’s wanted power back
– Took power
– 200,000 Tutsi’s fled Rwanda
» 1994
• After plane crash w/ the
presidents of Rwanda &
Burundi, both Hutus, begin to
commit killings of Tutsis.
• Who’s believed to shot down
the plane?
• Tutsi
• 15% of population
• Under colonial rule:
– Upper class
• After independence:
– Tried to keep power
• 800,000 massacred
• Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF)
– Tutsi militia group
– Ended the genocide
The Spark
• 1994: Rwandan President Juvenal
Habyarimana, a Hutu, plane was
shot down
– Who shot down the plane?
• Gov’t encourages Hutus to kill
Tutsi over the radio
• an unofficial militia group called the
Interahamwe (meaning those
who attack together) began to
massacre Tutsi’s
– Death toll: _____________
– @ Hutu: ______________
• Why?
• RPF defeated the Interahamwe
– Defeated Hutus (2 million) flee to
Zaire in fear of retribution
Fleeing to Zaire (now the DR Congo)
Aftermath
• Tutsis recapture capital
– w/ help from the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF)
• Death toll equaled 10% of the population
– 90% of victims were Tutsi
– 10% were moderate Hutus
• 2 million Hutu refugees flee in fear
• Rwanda’s leader at the time, Jean Kambanda
(Hutu), put on trial
• Given life in prison
Reflection
• Why do you think this
event started?
• Was Rwanda a
genocide? Explain.
• What should the United
Nations have done?
Explain.
• What should the US
have done? Explain.
• Heroes and Bystanders
– www.pbs.org/wgbh/page
s/frontline/shows/ghosts/
video
DARFUR, Sudan
• Who is committing the
acts of Genocide?
• Who are the victims?