By Carlos Haag, FSWC Educator

This month also marks Genocide Remembrance, Condemnation and Prevention Month, a time not only to mourn past atrocities but to recognize the patterns that allowed them to happen again and again.

Genocide is not an isolated event — it is a process. It begins long before the killing starts, fueled by divisive rhetoric, scapegoating, and systematic discrimination. The Holocaust did not start with gas chambers; it began with words, laws and propaganda that dehumanized Jews. The Rwandan Genocide began with radio broadcasts calling the Tutsi population “cockroaches.” Recognizing these warning signs is crucial because genocide does not emerge overnight — it is built over time through complacency, silence and indifference.

For educators, teaching genocide means moving beyond statistics and dates. It means helping students understand the human choices behind these events — why some people become perpetrators, others stand by and a few resist. Survivor testimonies, primary sources and discussions about modern hate movements can bridge the gap between past and present, making the topic immediate and urgent.

Genocide prevention is not just about remembrance but about action. The most effective way to honour victims is to create a world where such atrocities no longer happen. This requires challenging misinformation, recognizing prejudice in its early forms, and refusing to stay silent in the face of injustice.

This April let’s not just look back in sorrow but forward with responsibility. The past has shown us the cost of indifference, and the future depends on what we do next.

Additional resources:

• 10 Stages of Genocide & Preventative Measures

• United Nations Definition of Genocide

• Coining a Word & Championing a Cause: The Story of Raphael Lemkin

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