“GENOCIDE IS A PROCESS THAT DEVELOPS IN TEN STAGES THAT ARE PREDICTABLE BUT NOT INEXORABLE. AT EACH STAGE, PREVENTIVE MEASURES CAN STOP IT. THE PROCESS IS NOT LINEAR. STAGES MAY OCCUR SIMULTANEOUSLY. EACH STAGE IS ITSELF A PROCESS. LOGICALLY, LATER STAGES ARE PRECEDED BY EARLIER STAGES. BUT ALL STAGES CONTINUE TO OPERATE THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS.” – DR GREGORY H. STANTON
The ten stages of genocide
Classification: Groups in a position of power will categorize people according to ethnicity, race, religion or nationality employing an us versus them mentality.
Symbolisation: People are identified as Jews, Roma or Tutsis, etc., and made to stand out from others with certain colours or symbolic articles of clothing.
Discrimination: A dominant group uses laws, customs, and political power to deny the rights of other groups. The powerless group may not be granted full civil rights or even citizenship.
Dehumanization: The diminished value of the discriminated group is communicated through propaganda. Parallels are drawn with animals, insects or diseases.
Orginization: A state, its army or militia design genocidal killing plans.
Polarisation: Propaganda is employed to amplify the differences between groups. Interactions between groups are prohibited, and the moderate members of the group in power are killed.
Preparation: The victims are identified, separated and forced to wear symbols. Deportations, isolation and forcible starvation. Death lists are drawn up.
Persecution: Victims are identified and isolated based on their ethnic or religious identity. Death lists are drawn up. In state sponsored genocides, members of victim groups may be forced to wear identifying symbols. Their property is often expropriated.
Extermination: The massacres begin. The perpetrators see their actions as “extermination” since they do not consider their victims to be entirely human.
Denial: The perpetrators of the genocide deny having committed their crimes. Victims are often blamed. Evidence is hidden and witnesses are intimidated.
“GENOCIDE IS A PROCESS THAT DEVELOPS IN TEN STAGES THAT ARE PREDICTABLE BUT NOT INEXORABLE. AT EACH STAGE, PREVENTIVE MEASURES CAN STOP IT. THE PROCESS IS NOT LINEAR. STAGES MAY OCCUR SIMULTANEOUSLY. EACH STAGE IS ITSELF A PROCESS. LOGICALLY, LATER STAGES ARE PRECEDED BY EARLIER STAGES. BUT ALL STAGES CONTINUE TO OPERATE THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS.” – DR GREGORY H. STANTON
The ten stages of genocide
Classification: Groups in a position of power will categorize people according to ethnicity, race, religion or nationality employing an us versus them mentality.
Symbolisation: People are identified as Jews, Roma or Tutsis, etc., and made to stand out from others with certain colours or symbolic articles of clothing.
Discrimination: A dominant group uses laws, customs, and political power to deny the rights of other groups. The powerless group may not be granted full civil rights or even citizenship.
Dehumanization: The diminished value of the discriminated group is communicated through propaganda. Parallels are drawn with animals, insects or diseases.
Orginization: A state, its army or militia design genocidal killing plans.
Polarisation: Propaganda is employed to amplify the differences between groups. Interactions between groups are prohibited, and the moderate members of the group in power are killed.
Preparation: The victims are identified, separated and forced to wear symbols. Deportations, isolation and forcible starvation. Death lists are drawn up.
Persecution: Victims are identified and isolated based on their ethnic or religious identity. Death lists are drawn up. In state sponsored genocides, members of victim groups may be forced to wear identifying symbols. Their property is often expropriated.
Extermination: The massacres begin. The perpetrators see their actions as “extermination” since they do not consider their victims to be entirely human.
Denial: The perpetrators of the genocide deny having committed their crimes. Victims are often blamed. Evidence is hidden and witnesses are intimidated.