Amanda Barker

English 112B

Professor Warner

5/10/06

Genocide: Why History Matters

As an International Studies/Political Science major, history is essential to my understanding of the world around me. With out history, we are unable to define who we are. I cannot be defined as a friendly person unless I have done something friendly in the past. Not only knowing the world's history, but also attempting to use this knowledge to predict and control the future may we begin to prevent atrocities such as genocide from occurring. Only then can we protect future victims of such actions, but also to protect potential threats from themselves and preventing them from carrying out their wishes.

As a college student, I have the advantage of hindsight to realize how essential it is to the learning process that young people's exposure to history to be true and meaningful. This exposure will determine how these young students will see the world in the near and far future. If students are encouraged to see past their every day lives of wants and "gimmes" to dig deeper into themselves and their world, they will have the tools to look injustices in the face and, more importantly, to stand up against them.

After students read just one or two of these books, they will have a brief understanding of what has been happening, and hopefully be able to stand up and say "that was wrong" and really mean it. It is extremely important for young people to learn about the Holocaust. But, as a school-aged youngster, they will learn of the Holocaust's past impacts, and perhaps think, "Thank Goodness that's over." But, this is an ignorant statement when, in reality, the Holocaust is not over. Yes, maybe Europeans are saved from the concentration camps, the rapes, the beatings, the starvation and the extreme temperatures. But, this has happened more than a dozen times since World War II. I want students to see for themselves that the United States' and other western nations' proclamation to never allow the Holocaust to take place again is simply an empty promise.

I also believe that non-fiction is a way of allowing the students to see the truth through the eyes of those who actually experience genocide in its many forms. It is important, at a younger age, for students to read fictional accounts of the Holocaust in order to introduce them to such harsh realities. But, age the age of twelve and on, these students should be ready to face the truth. If they have not experienced any kind of eye-opening experiences up until High School, then this will be a big shock to them. This makes it even more important for them to read some of the selections here in the bibliography.

I know that during High School, we primarily discussed the Holocaust. Not until college was I exposed to details of the genocide in Rwanda, and even further, as I took on this project, I learned of even more mass murders all over the world I had never even heard about. This is most disturbing to me, and should be to anyone who is interested in world affairs or education. Something is missing here in our educational system. I am a rare example, as a college student studying world affairs. But, what about the rest of the people in this world who don't get to go to finish high school, let alone college, who do not have access to the internet or to world news? Not only are these people in the dark about the truths of our communal past, but these are also the people who are targets for future attacks.

Annotated Bibliography

Genre: Non Fiction. Subject: Genocide

1. Weisel, Elie. Night. New York: Bantam Books, 1982.

As with many accounts of World War II's The Holocaust, Weisel describes his time in Nazi-run concentration camps. His writing is geared not only toward delivering a full description of his painful experience as a teen, but also to send the message that this should never be permitted to happen again and to "never forget" the sufferings faced by the people of the Holocaust.

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?z=y&isbn=0374500010&itm=2

2. Gourevitch, Philip. We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed with Our Families: Stories from Rwanda. New York: Picador USA, 1999.

Gourevitch offers an in depth history leading up to, the actual events of, and the aftermath wrought in Darfur, Sudan as a result of the ethnic cleaning performed by the Hutus in order to demolish all Tutsis, the minority. Gourevitch's perspective is that of a journalist compiling interviews he has done and the extensive traveling he has done in Rwanda in order to understand the complexity of this genocide. He discusses the heroism he is told of, and the horror of the deaths, primarily by machete.

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?z=y&isbn=0312243359&itm=1

2. Power, Samantha. A Problem from Hell: America and the Age of Genocide. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 2003.

A well researched explanation of why America, who vows "never again" fail to act in times of genocide. Through interviews, research and personal accounts in modern times of genocide, she vows to answer this baffling issue. She also shows how some Americans have risked everything to stand up against what America just can't find the time to do in hopes that something will be done.

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?z=y&isbn=0060541644&itm=1

3. Prunier, Gerard. Darfur: The Ambiguous Genocide (Crises in World Politics Series). Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 2005.

Prunier gives an historical analysis of the genocide in Darfur, Sudan, which is still ongoing. He successfully explains the events leading up to it, its unfurling and how the world handled the news. His phrase "Shuffling papers while Africans die" gives a clue as to how he felt about the world's lack of intervention, even today. Prunier aims to enable even the most basic-level readers to grasp the complexity and ambiguity of this event.

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?z=y&isbn=0801444500&itm=1

4. Koff, Clea. The Bone Woman: A Forensic Anthropologist's Search for Truth in the Mass Graves of Rwanda, Bosnia, Croatia, and Kosovo. New York: Random House, Inc., 2005.

This is one of my favorite books. As an inspiration to me, Koff somehow manages to describe her work in detail without boring the reader, as well as the implications of her work as an anthropologist. She admits when tears are evoked, and what most gets to her about these mass graves she has been instructed to exhume. In order to determine whether these people were victims of war or of genocide.

5. Sudetic, Chuck. Blood and Vengeance: One Family's Story of the War in Bosnia Penguin Group, 1999.

Journalist Chuck Sudetic describes the course of the Srebenica genocide through the experiences of a Muslim family, The Celiks. The Celiks happen to be the family of his Serbian wife, which makes the story even more intimate. Over 7000 people were killed, and this important account should be made public. Again, it is vital to understand our world's history. And, the Celik family's story makes it far more personal than a text book ever could. Sudetic'/s experience as a journalist during the conflict gives this book a unique twist from someone other than an outsider.

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?z=y&isbn=0140286810&itm=2

6. Bingham, Marjorie. "Teaching about Women in Twentieth-Century Genocide." Teaching for a Tolerant World. Eds. Carol Danks, et al. National Council of Teachers of English, New York: 1999.

Marjorie Bingham's particular article in this teaching guide struck me. Although aimed directly at teachers who must tackle the difficult task of introducing genocide to her students in a civil, digestible way. I love that this article touches directly on women's roles in genocide and allows us to see that, although most stories are written by men and their experiences of genocide, this gives a stoic and neutral perspective about women's sometimes brutal role and participation in the brutal murders and beatings of many infamous genocides.

7. Chang, Iris. The Rape of Nanking: The Forgotten Holocaust of World War II. New York: Penguin Group (USA), 1998.

Iris Chang offers a unique perspective into the frightening, violent genocide in the China of 1937. First from a Japanese man who took part in the killings, from "Chinese civilians who endured it," and from a mass of Americans and Europeans who fought to save the city, one whom she found the journal of, are all offered in Chang's book. What is so moving about this book is the courage discovered in the journal of just one of many who really stood up to the massacring of the Chinese in Nanking.

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?z=y&isbn=0140277447&itm=1

8. The Armenian Genocide. Dir. Andrew Goldberg. 2006. DVD. PBS.

Films are always a good way to reach students. They are more attentive to films than the ordinarily would be to a lecture in class. The different faces featured in such a film, especially one that includes extensive interviews and "never before seen footage" of the events that took place.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000FIFHZ0/qid=1147281794/sr=1-3/ref=sr_1_3/002-3343047-6997613?%5Fencoding=UTF8&v=glance&n=130

9. Hakbayan, Anna. Overture. Transitions Online September 9 2005: 1.

This scholarly article discusses the relations between Armenia and Turkey since the still disputed genocide during the fall of the Ottoman Empire over ninety years ago. This article allows its readers to see that genocides have lifelong implications, and affects not only the individuals who suffered during the time, but foreign relations between whole nations and their governments. This can affect future economic activity as well as respect, or lack thereof, of the citizens of each both Armenia and Turkey. This article allows its audience to put into context contemporary events with historical ones, an important tool for understanding why history matters.

10. Wiesenthal, Simon, Harry James Cargas, Bonny V. Fetterman, eds. The Sunflower: On the Possibilities and Limits of Forgiveness.

I think this book delivers an extremely important message: that of forgiveness. It is difficult for many of us, myself included, to know that these murderous actions have taken place and to forgive the perpetrators of such. These three editors created a composition of dozens of response to Simon Wiesenthal's question, "What would you have done in my position?" This refers to Wiesenthal's personal experience of being in a Nazi concentration camp and being called to the bedside of a tortured soul: that of a camp prison guard. He was tormented by the acts he had committed, and wanted to be forgiven, but only by a Jew. People of all professions have responded to his question with many different emotions, and Wiesnthal, Cargas and Fetterman devoted this book to their responses and to the sizeable mission of forgiveness.

11. Frankl, Victor. "Man's Search for Meaning." Washington Square Press: New York: 1946.

Victor Frankl's book is a bit complex for young adult readers, but I have confidence that if students and their instructors worked though some of the more difficult ideas, it would be worth the effort. Frankl's experience in a several concentration camps during WWII is not an uncommon experience. However, his perspective is quite unique. Frankl is a trained psychiatrist, and through his writings, he analyzes the complexities of the human mind. Baffling reactions such as good moods and hearty laughter appeared in these camps despite suicides, starvation and frostbite, all of which put excessive stress on the remaining camp occupants. Frankl's search for which emotions were felt and why is merely half of this book. He later developed a psychiatry theory known as logotherapy from these experiences, which he also explains in his book.