Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies visits Hamilton Catholic schools (Stoney Creek News)

While the term wasn’t coined until the 1940s, history provides many examples of genocide.

In 1915 it was the Ottoman government against the Armenians.

In 1990s Rwanda it was the Hutus versus the Tutsis. In 1970s Cambodia it was the Khmer Rouge versus the professional and intellectual classes.

And in Second World War Germany, it was the democratically elected Nazis against the Jewish population.

Daniella Lurion, co-ordinator of the Tour for Humanity, knows that genocides don’t happen overnight.

“It comes down to that very first stage: us versus them. That’s how it starts,” she said.

In her role with the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal For Holocaust Studies, Lurion has connected with students in nearly 500 schools across Ontario. On Feb. 8, Lurion and the Tour for Humanity, a 30-seat mobile human rights education trailer, visited Cardinal Newman Catholic Secondary School. This month, the Tour for Humanity has also visited Bishop Ryan, Bishop Tonnos, St. Jean de Brebeuf and Cathedral secondary schools.

“(Genocide) begins with turning people against each other and that’s where these kids have the power to stop that from happening,” Lurion explained.

Continue reading...