The "Genocide" Label and U.S. Foreign Policy

Learning Objectives

Students will use historic and contemporary case studies to assess the implications of a genocide determination for U.S. foreign policy.

Length

One 60-90 minute class session

Grade Level

College

(5 min) - Begin class session with a brief explanation of the word "genocide" and its legal history.
(5 min) - Ask students to recall what they learned from the CFR Education reading ("What is Genocide?", linked above) about Raphael Lemkin.
(10 min) - Show students the video on Slide 8 of the "Activity Slides" (linked above). Follow up the video using the discussion questions included on Slides 9-11.
(5 min) - Explain to students the practical and political challenges to formally determining a situation to be genocide.
(15 min) - Use the QR Code on Slide 15 to help students access the CFR Expert Brief, "What the ‘Genocide’ Label Means for U.S. Foreign Policy." Students should read the article, then have an in-class discussion on the pressures the U.S. government might face in determining a situation to be a genocide.
(15 min) - Ask students to explore one of the three case studies in the CFR Education homework reading. Use the questions on Slide 19 to guide their exploration of their chosen topic.
(5 min) - Conclude the class session with a discussion of what Raphael Lemkin might think about the world and his legacy today.