DOCSLIB.ORG

Out of the Poison Tree Study Guide

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Out of the Poison Tree Study Guide Educator’s Guide for the film OUT OF THE POISON TREE: The Antidote is Truth written, directed and produced by Beth Pielert copyright © 2007 by Beth Pielert published by the Center for Asian American Media September 2007 CENTER FOR ASIAN AMERICAN MEDIA 145 Ninth Street, Suite 350, San Francisco, CA 94103 t: 415.863.0814 f: 415.863.7428 www.asianamericanmedia.org Educator’s Guide for the film Out of the Poison Tree: The Antidote is Truth written, directed and produced by Beth Pielert GRADE LEVELS: 9-12th SUBJECT AREAS: Social Studies, U.S. History, World History ESTIMATED DURATION: Each individual lesson plan, approximately 1 hour FILM OVERVIEW On the eve of the long-awaited Khmer Rouge trial, an American survivor of the genocide returns to Cambodia hoping to unlock the mystery of her Father’s disappearance in 1975. Thida Buth Mam’s quest intersects with many silent voices: widows, survivors from remote villages, monks and even former perpetrators. Her search for the truth stirs up the fractured pieces of one family’s nightmare, unearths an unimaginable heartbreak and ultimately shines light on a people’s broken silence. Story behind making Out of the Poison Tree In 1977, I was sitting in a Hebrew school class, reading about Anne Frank1 who perished in the Holocaust2. We were told never to let the Holocaust happen again. I was seven-years-old and 13,000 miles away, the Holocaust was happening again; but instead of Eastern Europe, it was in Cambodia. Years later I met a former Nuremberg prosecutor3 who sparked a theme for a film – people who were creators of justice after a great injustice had occurred. After being introduced to one of the founders of the Yale Cambodian Genocide Studies Program at Yale University, I began researching films that had been made about ANNE FRANK Cambodia and discovered many detailed accounts of the genocide but none that explored the forgiveness and reconciliation process – this was 1998. Since then many amazing films have been made such as Refugee, The Flute Player and Monkey Dance. (Please see web site for these films: http://catalog.asianamericanmedia.org) The characters in Out Of The Poison Tree take us on a journey toward understanding what happened in Cambodia and how people have come to forgive after The Killing Fields4. 1. Anne Frank was the young author of The Diary of Anne Frank, an autobiographical account of being a Jewish girl in hiding during the Nazi occupation of Amsterdam. Anne Frank perished at the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp just a few months before the war ended in 1945. 2. The Holocaust refers to the systematic execution of 6 million European Jews by the Nazi party during World War II. 3. Nuremberg prosecutor refers to The Nuremberg Trials that prosecuted the Nazis in Nuremberg, Germany between 1945-1949. 4. The Killing Fields is a phrase used to describe a number of sites in Cambodia where millions of people were killed and buried by the Khmer Rouge communist regime during the 1970s. EDUCATOR’S GUIDE FOR THE FILM OUT OF THE POISON TREE CENTER FOR ASIAN AMERICAN MEDIA, page 2 MATERIALS 1. A copy of the film, Out of the Poison Tree, by Beth Pielert. To purchase a copy of the film please contact the Center of Asian American Media (CAAM) at [email protected]. You can also visit the web site at http://catalog.asianamericanmedia.org 2. Websites: Access needed to internet for student research. See resources on page 9 for list of web sites. Activity 1: Pre-Viewing Activity – Discussion and Writing on Genocidal Factors Teachers can discuss in detail the “Historical Timeline Sheet” on page 6 and then screen the historical timeline section of Out of the Poison Tree to facilitate a classroom discus- sion on the question: What are the factors that enabled the Killing Fields5 to occur? Define the Following Words: • Genocide • Propaganda • Cultural Genocide • Autogenocide • Forgiveness • Refugee • Reconciliation • Buddhism • Coup d’état • Scapegoat • Justice • Classicism Activity 2: Post-Viewing Activity – Discussion Topics • How have the characters in Out of the Poison Tree come to a place of forgiveness? • What is the difference between personal and formal justice? • What is the metaphor behind the film? • How did the lack of education play a part in CHILDREN ENJOYING PARK IN FRONT OF the genocide? NATIONAL MUSEUM, PHNOM PENH • How do you think Buddhism contributed to the reconciliation process? • How do you think Buddhism contributed to a lack of justice? • Do you think former perpetrators such as the former Khmer Rouge are victims too? If so, how? MONKS WAITING FOR THE TRIAL 5. The Killing Fields is a phrase used to describe a number of sites in Cambodia where millions of people were killed and buried by the Khmer Rouge communist regime during the 1970s. EDUCATOR’S GUIDE FOR THE FILM OUT OF THE POISON TREE CENTER FOR ASIAN AMERICAN MEDIA, page 3 Activity 3: Post-Viewing Activity – The Importance of Accurate Reporting and Education Youk makes the point that not being taught about the Holocaust in school created ignorance to genocidal factors that contributed to Khmer Rouge successfully taking over the country. In contrast, how has the recent genocide in Darfur main- tained a presence in today’s media? Youk Chhang holding up photograph of young victims of Toul Sleng prison Activity 4: Post-Viewing Activity – Genocide Is News vs. Priorities for Major Networks Despite the fact that there are worldwide monitoring systems for the ongoing Darfur conflict, also referred to, as ‘Genocide’ there is pitifully little coverage of Darfur in the media as compared to pop-star coverage. • Teachers can ask students what is “hot” in the news today? Example: O.J. Simpson, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, Tom Cruise • Teachers can then show the Statistics on Network News Coverage of the Genocide in Sudan chart from at the bottom of: http://www.beawitness.org/ • Finally, teachers can discuss the web resources that exist to help gather information about the conflict in Darfur. – SAVEDARFUR.ORG web presence Amnesty International –eyesondarfur.org – GoogleEarth Monitoring – Web videos distributed via BeaWitness.org – United States Holocaust Museum and Google Earth Map Crisis in Darfur http://www.ushmm.org/googleearth/ – Witness – See It, Film It, Change It http://www.witness.org/ EDUCATOR’S GUIDE FOR THE FILM OUT OF THE POISON TREE CENTER FOR ASIAN AMERICAN MEDIA, page 4 Activity 5: Post-Viewing Activity – Walking in Their Shoes • Why do you think Thida’s mother Ean Boun won’t return to Cambodia? • If you were in Thida’s position, would you continue to search for the details of your father’s disappearance? THIDA’S SISTER RASMEI HOLDS UP A PHOTO OF THEIR MISSING FATHER BUTH • How does Choen’s status as a Congressman CHOEN. ultimately affect his fate? • How is Aki Ra righting the wrongs of his past? • If you knew everything there was to know about landmines would you do what Aki Ra does – removing landmines by hand? Activity 6: Post-Viewing Activity – Personal Injustice The seed for genocide begins with name-calling, bullying and creating a separation between oneself and others. Ask students to write on a piece of paper a person- al example of this and how they dealt with the injustice. Discuss some basic conflict resolution and how to halt intolerance in its tracks. AKI RA AND SEEKA, LANDMINE MUSEUM, SIEM REAP Resources http://www.peacegames.org/ http://www.kidpower.org/School-age.html http://www.antibullying.net/ EDUCATOR’S GUIDE FOR THE FILM OUT OF THE POISON TREE CENTER FOR ASIAN AMERICAN MEDIA, page 5 Activity 7: Research and Report on Current Status of Khmer Rouge Tribunal The Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) is the arena for the formal trial to prosecute the senior leaders of the Khmer Rouge. Because so many of the leaders have passed away the ECCC is now a court where serious crimes committed during the Khmer Rouge regime (1975-1979) are tried. While this is a United Nations funded tribunal, Japan contributed approximately one-half the budget. The Khmer Rouge Tribunal has taken three decades to manifest and as of 2007, the pros- ecution has been operating behind closed doors. A recent accomplishment includes the charging of Kang Kek Ieu, aka Douch who was the director of Toul Sleng between 1975- 1979. Douch named Noun Chea as his direct superior during the Khmer Rouge Regime which resulted in Noun Chea’s arrest in September 2007. Soon after his arrest, an indict- ment was released by the tribunal’s investigating judges. It stated that Mr. Noun Chea “planned, instigated, ordered, directed or otherwise aided and abetted” the commission of crimes including “extermination.” It also said that he exercised effective control over the group’s detention centers. The wheels of justice are finally turning. Research the following: What is the status of the Khmer Rouge Tribunal as of today? In what ways does the judicial process at the Extraordinary Chambers in Cambodia differ from our Western one? Sources: • Open Society Justice Initiative http://www.justiceinitiative.org/db/resource2?res_id=103814 • Khmer Rouge Trials http://www.parish-without-borders.net/cditt/cambodia/politics/kr-trials1.htm • An Introduction to the Khmer Rouge Trials http://www.cambodia.gov.kh/krt/english/introduction_eng/index.htm • Cambodia and the Khmer Rouge Tribunal http://www.genocidewatch.org/news/CAMBODIA.htm EDUCATOR’S GUIDE FOR THE FILM OUT OF THE POISON TREE CENTER FOR ASIAN AMERICAN MEDIA, page 6 The Perfect Storm: A Historical Timeline for Cambodia 1659 – First Vietnamese invasion of Cambodian territories. 1851 – Cambodia successfully overthrows Vietnamese invasion. 1863 – King Norodom is forced to accept French protection to avoid domestic rebellion.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Structural and Psychological Perspectives on the Perpetrator of Genocide Marin, Roxana
    www.ssoar.info Structural and psychological perspectives on the perpetrator of genocide Marin, Roxana Veröffentlichungsversion / Published Version Zeitschriftenartikel / journal article Empfohlene Zitierung / Suggested Citation: Marin, R. (2012). Structural and psychological perspectives on the perpetrator of genocide. Studia Politica: Romanian Political Science Review, 12(2), 235-258. https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:0168-ssoar-445686 Nutzungsbedingungen: Terms of use: Dieser Text wird unter einer CC BY-NC-ND Lizenz This document is made available under a CC BY-NC-ND Licence (Namensnennung-Nicht-kommerziell-Keine Bearbeitung) zur (Attribution-Non Comercial-NoDerivatives). For more Information Verfügung gestellt. Nähere Auskünfte zu den CC-Lizenzen finden see: Sie hier: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/deed.de Structural and Psychological Perspectives on the Perpetrator of Genocide 235 Structural and Psychological Perspectives on the Perpetrator of Genocide ROXANA MARIN ”Any broad historical examination of the phenomenon of genocide cannot fruitfully proceed without engagement with issues of collective human psychopathology.” MARK LEVENE1 ”Understanding genocide requires probing the minds of those who commit it, and those who seek to prevent or limit it.” ADAM JONES2 There is a statutory contention that violence and killing is some sort of irreducible mark of the human being, an inseparable trait encrypted within the human nature. Interhumane violence is a biblical manifestation, Elie Wiesel would sententiously argue about one of the introductory scenes of the Bible whose protagonists are brothers Cain and Abel: ”Two men [and] one of them became a killer”3. From the slaughter of Abel to mass killings the Holy Book of Judeo-Christian tradition counts only several pages.
    [Show full text]
  • The American Media During the Rwandan Genocide of 1994
    University of Central Florida STARS Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2004-2019 2013 Too Few Voices, Too Many Distractions, Too Little Concern, Too Little Understanding: The American Media During The Rwandan Genocide Of 1994 Skip-Thomas Parrish University of Central Florida Part of the History Commons Find similar works at: https://stars.library.ucf.edu/etd University of Central Florida Libraries http://library.ucf.edu This Masters Thesis (Open Access) is brought to you for free and open access by STARS. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2004-2019 by an authorized administrator of STARS. For more information, please contact [email protected]. STARS Citation Parrish, Skip-Thomas, "Too Few Voices, Too Many Distractions, Too Little Concern, Too Little Understanding: The American Media During The Rwandan Genocide Of 1994" (2013). Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2004-2019. 2874. https://stars.library.ucf.edu/etd/2874 TOO FEW VOICES; TOO MANY DISTRACTIONS; TOO LITTLE UNDERSTANDING: THE AMERICAN MEDIA DURING THE RWANDAN GENOCIDE OF 1994 by SKIP-THOMAS PARRISH B.A. University of Central Florida, 2002 A thesis submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in the Department of History in the College of Arts and Humanities at the University of Central Florida Orlando, Florida Fall Term 2013 ABSTRACT Too Few Voices; Too Many Distractions; Too Little Understanding: the American Media During the Rwandan Genocide of 1994 Upwards of one million people died during the Genocide, Civil War, and Refugee Crisis in Rwanda and surrounding nations, during one of the fastest Genocides to occur in modern history.
    [Show full text]
  • Cambodian Refugee Experience History of Genocide Implications for Social Workers Mark Cavanaugh Augsburg College
    Augsburg University Idun Theses and Graduate Projects 6-1-1994 Cambodian Refugee Experience History of Genocide Implications for Social Workers Mark Cavanaugh Augsburg College Follow this and additional works at: https://idun.augsburg.edu/etd Part of the Social Work Commons Recommended Citation Cavanaugh, Mark, "Cambodian Refugee Experience History of Genocide Implications for Social Workers" (1994). Theses and Graduate Projects. 161. https://idun.augsburg.edu/etd/161 This Open Access Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by Idun. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Graduate Projects by an authorized administrator of Idun. For more information, please contact [email protected]. AUGSBURG COLLEGE LIBRARY ltfftftlJfttttiftffiftfltlfitfitfiflttiftlltllfl!tfifltlffi 3 0510 021 47 7783 ,4-UGSBURG C-O-L-L-E-G-E MASTERS IN SOCIAL WORK IHESIS MSW Mark Cavansmgh Thesis Camhodian Refugee Experience '.iJ:-.1!!EF; l Sa History of Genocide Implications for Cavaria Social Workers 1994 A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF AUGSBURG COLLEGE CAMBODIAN REFUGEE EXPERIENCE HISTORY OF GENOCIDE IMPLICATIONS FOR SOCIAL WORKERS BY MARK CAVANAUGH Augsburg College George Sverdrup Librar9 Minneapolis, MN 55454 IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF SOCIAL WORK MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA MASTER OF SOCIAL WORK AUGSBURG COLLEGE MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA CERTIFICATE OF AJ'PROVAL This is to certify that the Master's Thesis of Mark Cavanaugh has been approved by the Examining Committee for the thesis requirements for the Master of Social Work Degree. Date of Oral Presentation: 1st of June, 1994. Thesis Committee: Thesis Advisor Thesis Reader Thesis Reader ABSTRACT The purpose of this study is to provide social workers and other human service professionals with an understanding of the Cambodian refugee experience.
    [Show full text]
  • Holocaust and Genocide Studies
    Nutley Public Schools Social Studies Holocaust and Genocide Studies Unit #1 The Nature of Human Behavior Summary and Rationale The study of genocide is very complex and requires an understanding of general human behavior as well as the knowledge that human behavior is determined by multiple causes. This unit covers the basis of human behavior. Students will examine various theories on human behavior and analyze the human potential for both good and evil. They will also evaluate the impact that both nature and nurture have on the development of human behavior and their actions. Students will also be encouraged to relate their own personal experiences to the learned material and reflect on similar situations they see in their daily life. Students will use this knowledge and apply it to their subsequent studies of the Holocaust and genocide. Recommended Pacing 2-3 Weeks Standards 2014 NJ Social Studies Core Curriculum Content Standards CPI CPI Description 6.2.12.D.2.d Analyze the impact of new intellectual, philosophical, and scientific ideas on how humans viewed themselves and how they viewed their physical and spiritual worlds. 6.3.12 Active citizens in the 21st century: ● Determine the credibility and value of information, while also considering context, point of view, and multiple perspectives. ● Analyze sources of prejudice and discrimination and propose solutions to eliminate them. ● Collaboratively evaluate possible solutions to problems and conflicts that arise in an interconnected world. ● Critically analyze information, make ethical judgments, and responsibly address controversial issues. ● Communicate through rational and persuasive written and oral arguments to present solutions to controversial issues.
    [Show full text]
  • The Burden of Sacrifice: British Eugenics And
    THE BURDEN OF SACRIFICE: BRITISH EUGENICS AND GENDERCIDAL AUTOGENOCIDE, 1900–1916 A Thesis Presented to The Faculty of the College of Arts and Sciences Florida Gulf Coast University In Partial Fulfilment of the Requirement for the Degree of Master of Arts in History By Christopher L. Harrison 2015 1 APPROVAL SHEET This thesis is submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in History ________________________________ Christopher L. Harrison, Student Approved: April 2015 ________________________________ Dr. Paul R. Bartrop, Committee Chair / Advisor ________________________________ Dr. Nicola Foote, Committee Member 1 ________________________________ Dr. Eric Strahorn, Committee Member 2 The final copy of this thesis has been examined by the signatories, and we find that both the content and the form meet acceptable presentation standards of scholarly work in the above mentioned discipline. 2 Contents Dedication and Acknowledgments 3 Preface 4 I. World War I Eugenics and Genocide Studies 8 II. Boer War Muddling and Proposed British Degeneration, 1900–1906 26 III. Class, Conscription, and Eugenics in Debate, 1906–1912 49 IV. Sacrifices of the Less Efficient, 1912–1916 68 V. Gendercidal Autogenocide Policy and Application, 1906–1916 90 VI. Class, Gender, and Sacrifice in World War I 110 Bibliography 113 3 Dedication and Acknowledgments This work is dedicated to the memory of Charles William Harrison, Private of the 15th Battalion, West Yorkshire Regiment, as commemorated in perpetuity with honor at Thiepval Memorial, France, and to all those affected by World War I. I would like to thank Dr. Paul R. Bartrop for his expert advice, guidance, and patience throughout the development of this project.
    [Show full text]
  • Physical and Cultural Genocide of Indigenous Peoples
    530 Chapter 13 PHYSICAL AND CULTURAL GENOCIDE OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLES Robert K. Hitchcock Tara M. Twedt Introduction The indigenous peoples in the world today have been described as "victims of progress" (Bodley, 1999) and who as a people have had to face "colonization, genocide, and a constant struggle for cultural and physical survival" (Independent Commission on International Humanitarian Issues, 1987, p. xi). Indigenous peoples are small-scale -- and sometimes large-scale -- societies that frequently have been dealt with harshly by the governments and citizens in the states in which they live. Some see them as being particularly vulnerable to genocidal acts because of their small group sizes, cultural distinctiveness, occupation of remote areas, and relative technological and organizational simplicity (Kuper, 1985, p. 301; Burger, 1987, p. 38; Amnesty International, 1992a, pp. 61-62). Variously referred to as aboriginals, native peoples, tribal peoples, Fourth World peoples, or "first nations," these populations have suffered from vicious mistreatment, discrimination, and lack of equal opportunity in employment for centuries. This was especially true from the time of colonial expansion into Africa, Asia, the Pacific, and the 530 From Century of Genocide, 3rd Edition, © 2009 Taylor and Francis, Inc 531 Americas (International Labour Office, 1953; Wolf, 1982; Wilmer, 1993; Heinz, 1988; Howard, 2003). As Burger (1987) notes, "When the indigenous population did not encounter direct genocide, they faced instead enslavement, forced labor, and menial work" (p. 38). Over the past 500 years, literally millions of indigenous peoples have had to cope with destruction of their life ways and habitats, disease, dispossession, and exploitation (Clay, 1984; Maybury Lewis 1997, 2002; International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs 1988; Hitchcock, 1999; Hitchcock and Koperski, 2008).
    [Show full text]
  • Savage Ecology War and Geopolitics at the End of the World Jairus Victor Grove
    savage ecol ogy This page intentionally left blank Savage Ecology war and geopolitics at the end of the world jairus victor grove Duke University Press— Durham and London— 2019 © 2019 Duke University Press All rights reserved Printed in the United States of Amer i ca on acid- free paper ∞ Designed by Courtney Leigh Baker Typeset in Warnock Pro by Westchester Publishing Services Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Names: Grove, Jairus Victor, [date] author. Title: Savage ecology : war and geopolitics at the end of the world / Jairus Victor Grove. Description: Durham : Duke University Press, 2019. | Includes bibliographical references and index. Identifiers: lccn 2018055115 (print) | lccn 2019005433 (ebook) | isbn 9781478005254 (ebook) | isbn 9781478004219 (hardcover : alk. paper) | isbn 9781478004844 (pbk. : alk. paper) Subjects: lcsh: War—Environmental aspects. | Geopolitics—Envi- ronmental aspects. | Political violence—Environmental aspects. | Climatic changes—Effect of human beings on. | War and society. Classification: lcc qh545.w26 (ebook) | lcc qh545.w26 g76 2019 (print) | ddc 363.7—dc23 lc record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2018055115 Duke University Press gratefully acknowledges the generous support of the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa, which provided funds toward the publication of this book. Cover art: Kuwait, 1991. © Bruno Barbey/Magnum Photos. O I see now, flashing, that this Amer i ca is only you and me, Its power, weapons, testimony, are you and me, Its crimes, lies, thefts, defections, slavery, are you and me, Its Congress is you and me— the officers, capitols, armies, ships, are you and me, Its endless gestations of new States are you and me, The war— that war so bloody and grim— the war I will henceforth forget— was you and me, Natu ral and artificial are you and me, Freedom, language, poems, employments, are you and me, Past, pre sent, future, are you and me.
    [Show full text]
  • "Liberat[Ing] Mankind from Such an Odious Scourge": the Genocide Convention and the Continued Failure to Prevent Or Halt Genocide in the Twenty-First Century
    Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal Volume 9 Issue 1 Article 7 5-1-2015 "Liberat[ing] Mankind from such an Odious Scourge": The Genocide Convention and the Continued Failure to Prevent or Halt Genocide in the Twenty-First Century Kelly Maddox Lancaster University Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarcommons.usf.edu/gsp Recommended Citation Maddox, Kelly (2015) ""Liberat[ing] Mankind from such an Odious Scourge": The Genocide Convention and the Continued Failure to Prevent or Halt Genocide in the Twenty-First Century," Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal: Vol. 9: Iss. 1: 48-65. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5038/1911-9933.9.1.1263 Available at: https://scholarcommons.usf.edu/gsp/vol9/iss1/7 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Open Access Journals at Scholar Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal by an authorized editor of Scholar Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. "Liberat[ing] Mankind from such an Odious Scourge": The Genocide Convention and the Continued Failure to Prevent or Halt Genocide in the Twenty-First Century Acknowledgements I would like to thank Aristotle Kallis for his invaluable insights, support and guidance in writing this article. This work was supported by the Economic and Social Research Council [ES/J500094/1]. This article is available in Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal: https://scholarcommons.usf.edu/gsp/vol9/iss1/7 “Liberat[ing] Mankind from such an Odious Scourge”: The Genocide Convention and the Continued Failure to Prevent or Halt Genocide in the Twenty-First Century Kelly Maddox Lancaster University Lancaster, United Kingdom Abstract: Since it came into force in 1951, the United Nations’ Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, a document created with the explicit purpose of “liberat[ing] mankind from such an odious scourge,” has largely failed to deliver on the promises it enshrined.
    [Show full text]
  • The Psychology of Bystanders, Perpetrators, and Heroic Helpers
    The Psychology of Bystanders, Perpetrators, and Heroic Helpers What leads groups of people or governments to perpetrate genocide or mass killing? What are the characteristics and psychological processes of individuals and societies that contribute to such group violence? What is the nature of the evolution that leads to it: What are the motives, how do they arise and intensify, how do inhibitions decline? A primary example in this article will be the Holocaust, the killing of between 5 and 6 million European Jews by Nazi Germany during World War 11. Other examples will be the genocide of the Armenians in Turkey in 1915-1916, the "autogenocide" in Cambodia between 1975 and 1979, the genocide in Rwanda in 1994, and the disappearances and mass killing in Argentina, mainly between 1976 and 1979. Many of the same influences are also present both in the widespread uses of torture and in terrorist violence. In the United Nations charter on genocide the term denotes the exter- mination of a racial, religious, or ethnic group. Although not included in the charter, and although some scholars call it politicide (Harff & Gurr, ~ggo),the destruction of a whole political group is also widely regarded as Reprinted from a' chapter of the same title by E. Staub in L. S. Newman & R. Erber (Eds.). (2002). What social psychology can tell us about the Holocaust: Understanding perpetrator behavior. New York: Oxford University Press, with permission from Oxford University Press. An earlier version of this chapter was published as an article by E. Staub (1993).The psychol- ogy of bystanders, perpetrators, and heroic helpers.
    [Show full text]
  • Chomsky and Genocide
    Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal Volume 14 Issue 1 Article 8 5-7-2020 Chomsky and Genocide Adam Jones University of British Columbia Okanagan Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarcommons.usf.edu/gsp Recommended Citation Jones, Adam (2020) "Chomsky and Genocide," Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal: Vol. 14: Iss. 1: 76-104. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5038/1911-9933.14.1.1738 Available at: https://scholarcommons.usf.edu/gsp/vol14/iss1/8 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Open Access Journals at Scholar Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal by an authorized editor of Scholar Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Chomsky and Genocide Adam Jones University of British Columbia Okanagan Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada Introduction Avram Noam Chomsky (1928–) may be the most prominent and significant public intellectual of the post-World War Two period. His contributions to linguistic theory continue to generate debate and controversy. But two generations know him primarily for his political writings, public talks, and other activism, voicing a left-radical, humanist critique of US foreign policy and other subjects. Works such as American Power and the New Mandarins (1969, on Vietnam and US imperialism more generally), The Fateful Triangle: Israel, the US, and the Palestinians (1983), James Peck’s edited The Chomsky Reader (1987), and 1988’s Manufacturing Consent: The Political Economy of the Mass Media (co-authored with Edward S. Herman) hold a venerated status for leftist/progressive readers.
    [Show full text]
  • CIVILIZATION and GENOCIDE by CHRISTOPHER JOHN POWELL, B.A., M.A. a Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Resea
    CIVILIZATION AND GENOCIDE by CHRISTOPHER JOHN POWELL, B.A., M.A. A thesis submitted to The Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Department of Sociology and Anthropology Carleton University Ottawa, Ontario November 2004 © copyright 2004, Christopher John Powell Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Library and Bibliotheque et 1*1 Archives Canada Archives Canada Published Heritage Direction du Branch Patrimoine de I'edition 395 Wellington Street 395, rue Wellington Ottawa ON K1A 0N4 Ottawa ON K1A 0N4 Canada Canada Your file Votre reference ISBN: 0-494-00806-7 Our file Notre reference ISBN: 0-494-00806-7 NOTICE: AVIS: The author has granted a non­ L'auteur a accorde une licence non exclusive exclusive license allowing Library permettant a la Bibliotheque et Archives and Archives Canada to reproduce,Canada de reproduire, publier, archiver, publish, archive, preserve, conserve,sauvegarder, conserver, transmettre au public communicate to the public by par telecommunication ou par I'lnternet, preter, telecommunication or on the Internet,distribuer et vendre des theses partout dans loan, distribute and sell theses le monde, a des fins commerciales ou autres, worldwide, for commercial or non­ sur support microforme, papier, electronique commercial purposes, in microform,et/ou autres formats. paper, electronic and/or any other formats. The author retains copyright L'auteur conserve la propriete du droit d'auteur ownership and moral rights in et des droits moraux qui protege cette these. this thesis. Neither the thesis Ni la these ni des extraits substantiels de nor substantial extracts from it celle-ci ne doivent etre imprimes ou autrement may be printed or otherwise reproduits sans son autorisation.
    [Show full text]
  • War As the Key to Unlocking Mass Murder the Rwandan Genocide Revisited
    ASPJ Africa & Francophonie - 4th Quarter 2013 War as the Key to Unlocking Mass Murder The Rwandan Genocide Revisited ARTHUR N. GILBERT, PHD* KRISTINA HOOK ince the term genocide was coined in the 1940s to classify specific crimes committed with the intent to destroy the existence of a group of people, this field of study has emerged as one of the most diverse and perhaps even the most divisive in modern academe. In his classic study Revolution and Genocide: On the Origins of the Armenian Genocide and the Holocaust, Robert SMelson argues that war, revolution, and genocide are intertwined as revolutionary regimes concurrently turn outward to fight wars and inward to exterminate ene- mies in their midst.1 Despite the influence of Melson’s framework in this scholas- tic field, Daniel Jonah Goldhagen dissents, arguing that genocide has little to do with war. In his view, genocide originates in the minds of people, who are in turn affected by culture and ideology.2 Such strong differences in opinion are of more than academic interest. Understanding genocide through the proper scholastic paradigm may aid in the prevention of future instances of mass murder. We have therefore identified Rwanda as an important test case for these two diverse hy- potheses. Drawing from a wide range of influential scholars and historical infor- mation, this article seeks to place the Rwandan case study within the general de- bate on mass murder. By doing so, we are able to identify not only current trends *An associate professor of international studies at the Josef Korbel School of International Studies, Uni- versity of Denver, for many years, Arthur N.
    [Show full text]