The Anthropology Of Genocide - WNLibrary

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the Philippines, Ethiopia, Iraq, the former Yugoslavia, Haiti, Rwanda, and, recently,
Zimbabwe (Geiger and Cook-Deegan 1993; Middle East Watch and Physicians for
Human Rights 1993; Haglund and Sorg 1997; Stover and Peress 1998). The information
obtained during the course of these activities can and will serve as part of
the evidence for pursuit of human rights cases by courts and the International War
Crimes Tribunals (for example, those for the former Yugoslavia and for Rwanda).
The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), Physicians for
Human Rights (PHR), Human Rights Watch, the Minnesota Lawyers International
Human Rights Committee, and regional teams of forensic anthropologists,
lawyers, and medical personnel collaborate in carrying out investigations, conducting
workshops, and doing training exercises for people involved in the examination
of instances of suspicious deaths.
GENOCIDE, ANTHROPOLOGY, AND EDUCATION
It is of the utmost necessity for university and secondary school curricula not to
focus solely on genocidal acts themselves but also on the preconditions of genocide,
as well as methods of intervention and prevention, including the role of individuals
acting alone and in concert with others. A primary purpose of holding up clear
examples of the abuse of human rights is to encourage people to look seriously at
events and deeds in their own lives and the world about them that may increase the
likelihood of bigotry and the possibility for violence.
The most effective pedagogy on genocide helps students think about issues such
as the use and abuse of power, the implications of a society that violates civil and
human rights, and the role and responsibilities of individuals, groups, and nations
when confronting human rights violations and genocidal acts. Examining these issues
can broaden students’ understanding of key concepts and concerns, such as
racism, prejudice, discrimination, blind obedience, loyalty, conflict, conflict resolution,
decision making, justice, prevention, intervention, and survival, all of which
can be useful when considering what constitutes responsible citizenship. If that is
not done, the study is little more than an academic exercise.
If students at all levels of schooling across the globe are going to be reached
effectively, then something more—much more—than traditional curricula and
instructional efforts are needed. An all-out, well-coordinated educational and
outreach effort is required, one that involves those groups working on the behalf
of victims of genocide as well as those groups working on various genocidal and
human rights issues, in conjunction with pedagogical experts. Working together,
those three groups, we believe, could not only produce outstanding curricular
materials but could also reach students in a way that has not been attempted
thus far.
The protection of individuals and groups who are different is very much a contemporary
issue, and students should be presented with opportunities (if they so
desire) to move from studying and thinking to becoming actively involved in inter-