Genocide is a crime. It involves certain acts meant to destroy all or part of a national, ethnic, racial or religious group. These acts can include killing, causing serious harm and taking children from the group by force. The UN explains the legal definition and how it differs from other mass crimes.
Why it matters
These histories also involve attacks on culture and identity. In Canada, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission called the residential school system cultural genocide. The NCTR’s school history resources explain what happened and its lasting effects on Indigenous families. Listening to survivors is central to this learning.
Take action
To help prevent such harm, we need to challenge hate and act on warning signs. You can study reliable accounts, question false claims and learn about protecting rights. Treat people’s stories with care. Do not reduce them to numbers or assume every conflict has the same causes.
In all my travels, I've never seen a country's population more determined to forgive, and to build and succeed than in Rwanda.