Genocide definitions

Genocide definitions include many scholarly and international legal definitions of genocide,[1] a word coined by Raphael Lemkin in 1944.[2] The word is a compound of the ancient Greek word γένος (génos, "genus", or "kind") and the Latin word caedō ("kill"). While there are various definitions of the term, almost all international bodies of law officially adjudicate the crime of genocide pursuant to the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (CPPCG).[3]

This and other definitions are generally regarded by the majority of genocide scholars to have an "intent to destroy" as a requirement for any act to be labelled genocide; there is also growing agreement on the inclusion of the physical destruction criterion.[4][5] Writing in 1998, Kurt Jonassohn and Karin Björnson stated that the CPPCG was a legal instrument resulting from a diplomatic compromise; the wording of the treaty is not intended to be a definition suitable as a research tool, and although it is used for this purpose, as it has an international legal credibility that others lack, other definitions have also been postulated.[6] This has been supported by later scholars.[7][8][9] Jonassohn and Björnson go on to say that for various reasons, none of these alternative definitions have gained widespread support.[6] Rouben Paul Adalian writing in 2002 also highlights the difficulty there has been in trying to develop a common definition for genocide among specialists.[10]

According to Ernesto Verdeja, associate professor of political science and peace studies at the University of Notre Dame, there are three ways to conceptualise genocide other than the legal definition: in academic social science, in international politics and policy, and in colloquial public usage. The academic social science approach does not require proof of intent,[11] and social scientists often define genocide more broadly.[12] The international politics and policy definition centres around prevention policy and intervention and may actually mean "large-scale violence against civilians" when used by governments and international organisations. Lastly, Verdeja says the way the general public colloquially uses "genocide" is usually "as a stand-in term for the greatest evils".[11] This is supported by political scientist Kurt Mundorff who highlights how to the general public genocide is "simply mass murder carried out on a grand scale".[13]

  1. ^ Jones 2024, pp. 24–29.
  2. ^ Oxford English Dictionary "Genocide" citing Raphael Lemkin Axis Rule in Occupied Europe ix. 79
  3. ^ Dunoff, Ratner & Wippman 2006, pp. 615–621.
  4. ^ Jones 2024, p. 32: "There is something of a consensus that group 'destruction' must involve physical liquidation"
  5. ^ Hiebert 2017, p. 3.
  6. ^ a b Jonassohn & Björnson 1998, pp. 133–135.
  7. ^ Bachman, Jeffrey S. (2019). "Introduction: Bringing cultural genocide into the mainstream". Cultural Genocide: Law, Politics, and Global Manifestations. Routledge. pp. 1–2. ISBN 978-1-351-21410-0.
  8. ^ Bieńczyk-Missala, Agnieszka (2018). "To act or not to act immediately? Is there really a question?". In Totten, Samuel (ed.). Last Lectures on the Prevention and Intervention of Genocide. Routledge Studies in Genocide and Crimes against Humanity. Routledge. p. 32. ISBN 978-1-315-40977-1.
  9. ^ Bloxham & Moses 2010, pp. 7–8.
  10. ^ Adalian 2002, pp. 10–11.
  11. ^ a b Samuel, Sigal (13 November 2023). "How to think through allegations of genocide in Gaza". Vox. Archived from the original on 9 July 2024. Retrieved 2 July 2024.
  12. ^ Burga, Solcyré (13 November 2023). "Is What's Happening in Gaza a Genocide? Experts Weigh In". Time. Archived from the original on 25 November 2023. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  13. ^ Mundorff, Kurt (2021). "Lemkin in the cultural moment". A Cultural Interpretation of the Genocide Convention. Routledge. p. 74. ISBN 978-1-003-00600-8.