Speeches

It is a word with a specific meaning: “a coordinated plan of different actions aiming at the destruction of essential foundations of the life of national groups, with the aim of annihilating the groups themselves.”

Με αφορμή αυτό το ζήτημα θα πραγματοποιηθούν 3 ομιλίες.
1. Tribute to the legal scientist Rafael Lemkin. He coined the term “genocide”, combining the synthetic geno-, from the Greek word “γένος” (race), and -cide, from the Latin word “caedo” (act of killing).
2. Tribute to the creator of the briefing paper “The 10 Stages of Genocide” Gregory Stanton. His model suggested that genocide develops in ten stages that are “predictable but not inexorable”. These stages are not linear, and usually several occur simultaneously. Stanton's model is a logical model for analyzing the processes of genocide, and for determining preventive measures that might be taken to combat or stop each process. By learning and recognizing the tactics used to achieve a genocide, we create the chances of preventing another genocide. Our goal is for viewers - participants to become potential peace keepers by transferring this knowledge to their environment.
The classification on the stages of genocide was first created by a US professor, Gregory Stanton, when he worked at the US State Department in 1996 during the time of the genocide in Rwanda.
3. Tribute to the 28th President of the United States Thomas Woodrow Wilson -from March 4, 1913 to March 4, 1921. His approach and attitude towards genocidal nations and his pursuit of constituting a League of Nations is and to this day the best example of this particular issue that concerns all of humanity.

Unlike other Allied leaders, Wilson did not seek territorial gains or material concessions from the Central Powers. His chief goal was the establishment of the League of Nations, which he saw as the “keystone of the whole programme.” Wilson himself presided over the committee that drafted the Covenant of the League of Nations, The covenant bound members to respect freedom of religion, treat racial minorities fairly, and peacefully settle disputes through organizations like the Permanent Court of International Justice. Article X of the League Covenant required all nations to defend League members against external aggression.

Historical events:

• In 1948, the word “genocide” was included in the indictment, but as a descriptive term rather than a legal term.
• December 9, 1948: Legalization of the term. The United Nations has adopted the “Convention on the Prevention and Suppression of the Crime of Genocide”. The Convention, on the one hand, defines “genocide” as an international crime and, on the other hand, obliges the Contracting States to prevent and punish.
• December 10, 1948: The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is adopted by the United Nations General Assembly. Human rights, as defined, concern individual rights.

Definition of "genocide" in accordance with article 2 of the "Convention on the Prevention and Reduction of the Crime of Genocide".

In the present Convention, genocide means any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such:
(a) Killing members of the group;
(b) Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group;
(c) Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part;
(d) Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group;
(e) Forcibly transferring children of the group to another group.