Genocide Conference Basics
What the conference is about: After the Holocaust, in which 6 million Jews were killed by Adolf Hitler’s Nazi regime, the phrase “never again” became a well-known call to action. But since the end of World War II, “never again” has happened again and again. You’ve probably read about the current crisis in Darfur [Sudan], where African farmers and others are being systematically displaced and murdered by the Janjaweed, a government-supported militia recruited from local Arab tribes. The genocide in Darfur has claimed 400,000 lives and displaced over 2,500,000 people. But that’s only one example of mass killings that have taken place in recent years. If you saw the movie, “Hotel Rwanda,” you know something about the genocide of the Rwandan Tutsi tribe, in which nearly a million people were slaughtered, as the world stood by and watched. Maybe you’ve read about the ethnic strife in Kosovo during the 1990s.
The question is: Why does “never again” keep happening, and what can we do about it? This question will be the central issue of Active Citizen 360’s Genocide Conference, on Friday, February 19, 2010 [beginning at 5 pm] and Saturday, February 20 [ending at 3 pm].
Here’s how the conference works, and how you can get involved:
Conference schedule: This is an overnight conference. You’ll arrive at the hotel/conference center between 3:30 and 5:00 pm on Friday, February 19, 2010, check into your assigned hotel room, and assemble with the group for dinner and an evening discussion session. After the Friday night session, you’ll stay overnight in the hotel. On Saturday morning, you’ll rejoin your committee for further discussions and projects. Committees continue through 3:00 pm on Saturday afternoon, with a break for lunch at the conference center.
Committees. At the conference, you’ll be assigned to a committee, where you’ll engage in interesting and challenging discussions of topics related to genocide. Sitting next to you and across the table will be high-school students from many schools in the St. Louis area, who share your interest in international issues and human rights, and in making the world a better place. A Civitas staff member will lead the discussions, but your ideas will be the fuel that makes the discussions flow.
Getting ready for the conference: To help you learn about genocide, we’ll hold two Prep Sessions before the conference. Attending these prep sessions is important, because they will help you gain a background for the conference discussions.
Prep Session I: Saturday, January 30, 2010, 9 – 11 am. Introduction to genocide. This session will help you get familiar with the history of genocide, and with the way language has been used to make genocide possible in various societies and cultures.
Prep Session II: Saturday, February 13, 2010, 9 – 11 am. Independent research presentations. At this session, students who have signed up for the conference will make short presentations of information they’ve gathered on various topics related to genocide. [More info on independent projects in next section.]
Research projects for conference participants. To make conference discussions meaningful and lively, we’ll need information. That’s where your curiosity kicks in. Before the conference, we’re asking as many participants as possible to do a short research project, and to present your results at Prep Session II. Research projects are OPTIONAL but strongly encouraged. You can select your project from the list below, or propose your own project and get it approved by Civitas staff in advance. At Prep Session II, you’ll present the information you’ve gotten. Your presentation can be as short as 3-5 minutes [longer, if you like]. Your presentation can be in any format: reading something you’ve written, informally discussing what you’ve learned, talking from your notes, a Power Point or video. You can team up with another participant, or do the project on your own.
Topics for research projects. Here are some ideas for research projects. Please let us know which one you’re choosing, so we can avoid duplications. Topics will be assigned on a first-come, first-served basis. Choose yours soon.
1. Read and discuss a book, article, or movie about genocide.
a. “Night” by Eli Weisel [Holocaust book]
b. “Hotel Rwanda” [movie]
c. “Darfur Diaries: Stories of Survival” [book, available through Civitas]
d. “We Wish to Inform You that Tomorrow We Will be Killed with Our Families: Stories from Rwanda,” [book, available through Civitas
e. “Shoah” [Holocaust movie]
f. “Schindler’s List” [Holocaust movie]
g. “Seeds of Change in Rwanda” [Time Magazine] http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1665646,00.html
h. “Lessons of the Srebrenica Genocide,” [Bosnia genocide article] http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,169877,00.html
i. “The Armenian Genocide,” PBS Documentary
j. Other book, movie or article of your choosing, to be approved by Civitas
2. Present information about genocide based on Internet, library, personal interviews, or other research sources.
a. Genocide of Armenians by Turkey in early 20th century
b. Holocaust facts
c. Rwanda genocide facts
d. Darfur genocide facts
e. Destruction of Native American population and culture
f. “Ethnic cleansing” in Bosnia/Croatia/Kosovo in 1990s
g. Human Rights Watch information on genocides
h. Japanese internment camps in World War IIhttp
i. Genocide Intervention Network: www.1800genocide.com
j. Holocaust deniers [who are they, what are they saying, what has been the world’s response to them, what countries have passed laws against Holocaust denial?]
k. Report on a visit to Holocaust Museum in St. Louis
l. Interview with a Holocaust survivor, or a refugee from Bosnia/Croatia/Kosovo
m. Truth and Reconciliation commissions after Genocide
n. Nuremburg laws developed after the Holocaust
o. Other topic of your choosing, to be approved by Civitas
How to reserve your place at the conference: Enrollment is now open. You can apply on-line, or in person at Civitas events. The application form will ask you to write a very brief paragraph on why you want to participate.
Cost. The fee for this conference is $60. Scholarships are available for anyone who needs them.