Dictionary of Genocide - D Ank Unlimited

Introduction
The idea for the development of this Dictionary of Genocide was conceived by Samuel Totten
in the late 1990s. This was at a time when an ever-increasing number of scholars in various
fields (international law, sociology, political science, history, and psychology, among
others) were turning their attention to the seemingly insuperable problem of genocide.
Cognizant of the fact that scholars in different fields often used certain key terms in different
ways and that many new terms germane to genocide prevention and intervention
were being coined and/or used in various and often extremely different ways, Totten concluded
that there was a critical need for a dictionary that accurately, clearly, and concisely
delineated genocide-related terminology. It seemed that such a dictionary would make a
contribution to the relatively new but burgeoning field of genocide studies and would thus
be useful not only to scholars but also to government officials, intergovernmental personnel,
and university students.
When a term is defined or understood in various ways by different individuals, groups,
and/or organizations, it results in miscommunication. Furthermore, without a clear definition
that is agreed upon by most, if not everyone, it is difficult, if not impossible, to discuss
and analyze, let alone ameliorate, an issue or problem in an effective manner. Indeed,
the misunderstanding as to what a specific term means can lead not only to disagreements
but also to lengthy and acrimonious debates and arguments as well as missed opportunities
to solve critical situations. Ironically, there does not exist a more classic example of
such misunderstanding in the field of human rights than the debate over how to define
the term genocide.
The definition of genocide used in the United Nations Convention on the Prevention
and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (UNCG) is the one definition that is internationally
recognized by individual states, intergovernmental organizations, ad hoc tribunals
such as the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), the
International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR), and the International Criminal
Court (ICC). That said, numerous scholars have devised their own definitions of genocide
in an attempt to make the definition either more inclusive (e.g., including groups not covered
under the UNCG, such as “political groups”) or more exclusive (e.g., limiting the
focus to mass murder versus such harmful acts as causing “serious mental harm”). As a
result of both the limitations of the UNCG’s definition and the many new definitions
devised by scholars, there has been an ongoing debate over which definition, if any, is the