The Eight Stages of Genocide

The Eight Stages of Genocide and Preventing Genocide

• Understanding the genocidal process is crucial in preventing future genocides.
• The Eight Stages of Genocide were first outlined by Dr. Greg Stanton in 1996.
• The first six stages are early warnings: classification, symbolization, dehumanization, organization, polarization, and preparation.
• The last two stages are extermination and denial.
• Classification is a primary method of dividing society and creating a power struggle between groups.
• Symbolization involves distinguishing groups by names, languages, dress, and symbols.
• Dehumanization denies the humanity of a group and overcomes the normal human revulsion against murder.
• Organization is a group crime, and the state usually organizes, arms, and financially supports the groups that conduct the genocidal massacres.
• Polarization involves extremists driving groups apart and laws being passed to forbid intermarriage or social interaction.
• Preparation includes members of victim groups being forced to wear identifying symbols, death lists being made, and victims being separated due to their ethnic or religious identity.
• Extermination is when mass killing becomes legally called "genocide," and most genocide is committed by governments.
• Denial is always found in genocide and extends the crime to future generations of the victims, and tactics of denial are predictable.

Preventing Genocide:

• Genocide succeeds when state sovereignty blocks international responsibility to protect.
• Prevention requires early warning, rapid response, and courts for accountability.
• Lack of authoritative international institutions to predict and ready rapid response forces to stop genocide, as well as lack of political will to peacefully prevent it and forcefully intervene to stop it, contribute to the continuation of genocide.
• Building an international mass movement to end genocide in this century, organizing civil society and human rights groups, mobilizing religious leaders, putting genocide education in curricula worldwide, and holding political leaders accountable are ways to prevent genocide.