Genocide is defined as the intentional and systematic destruction of a racial, ethnic, national, or religious group. This definition encompasses the coordinated efforts to eliminate a group through various means, including killing members of the group, causing serious bodily or mental harm, deliberately inflicting living conditions aimed at destroying the group, and imposing measures to prevent births within the group.
The term "genocide" was coined by Polish-Jewish lawyer Raphael Lemkin in 1944, combining the Greek word "genos" (meaning "race" or "family") with the Latin suffix "-cide" (meaning "killing"). The legal definition was later adopted by the United Nations in the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in 1948, which establishes genocide as a crime under international law.
Key components of genocide include:
- Intent: It must be proven that the perpetrator intended to destroy, in whole or in part, a particular group.
- Target: The victims must belong to a specific national, ethnical, racial, or religious group.
- Actions: Acts that can constitute genocide include killing, causing serious bodily or mental harm, inflicting harmful conditions, and cultural destruction.
For further information and detailed insights, you can refer to the following websites:
- United Nations Office on Genocide Prevention and the Responsibility to Protect: www.un.org/en/genocideprevention
- United States Holocaust Memorial Museum: www.ushmm.org
- International Criminal Court: www.icc-cpi.int