March 31, 2023
What We Are Learning This Week with Instructor Sara Winger
Exploring genocide and mass atrocities.
April 3, 2023 in POLI 470 Genocide
Instructor Sara Winger is exploring genocide and mass atrocities in Sudan and South Sudan
Can you tell us a little more about this topic?
Sudan and South Sudan—formally one country that split in 2011 to create two separate countries —have experienced prolonged civil war which has included mass atrocities and genocide since the 1950s. In this class we will be digging into the preconditions of the genocidal violence, how the violence occurred, and what has happened in the aftermath. In both Sudan and South Sudan there is still ongoing violence and so we will consider discuss the role of the international community, different forms of intervention, and the role of truth, justice, and reconciliation.
What else do you cover in your course?
The course is divided into two sections—in the first section we cover theories as they relate to genocide and consider three different forms of prevention: upstream (before violence occurs), midstream (while it is occurring), and downstream (after violence has occurred). In the second section we explore case studies in which genocide has occurred. The first case we discuss is Canada, and we end with current or ongoing cases. Unfortunately, there is no shortage of cases to select from.
What do you find most challenging in teaching this course?
This class deals with a really heavy topic and some of the content can be really difficult. I always start the semester by saying this class is one big trigger warning. I find my biggest challenge is finding the balance between conveying the horrors that occurred within the cases while also highlighting areas for hope.
Finally, what other courses would you recommend for students interested this topic?
Students might be interested in POLI 481 The Politics of Human Rights; POLI 483 International Law, International Organizations, POLI 543 Law and Armed Conflict, POLI 455 Protest, Rebellion & Revolution. Students interested in the Holocaust should take a look at HIST 333 The Age of Totalitarianism, HIST History 413 Modern Germany, GERM 357 Topics in Film (which often focusses on the Holocaust), and SOCI 425 The Sociology of Violence.