HOUSTON, TX–At the 88th annual conference of the National Council for Social Studies, The Genocide Education Project brought educational resources about the Armenian Genocide to the country’s history teachers.
Through a packed workshop and informational booth at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, Texas, teachers were exposed to a wide range of historical and educational materials they can use to incorporate the Armenian Genocide into their classes on WWI, genocide, or human rights.
Each year for the past 6 years, The Genocide Education Project has provided NCSS participants with a different workshop theme and new lesson plans and instructional materials on the Armenian Genocide.
"The NCSS organization is like the beating heart of the Social Studies education community in the in this country," said Raffi Momjian, Executive Director of The Genocide Education Project. "The teachers who attend this conference are committed to giving their students the best and most broad understanding of history, in order to equip them to be productive citizens. Each year, we welcome this opportunity to educate more teachers about this important piece of history, and we’re confident that those we have reached will take the lessons of the Armenian Genocide back to their communities and their classrooms."
This year’s workshop, "Deadly Days: Studying Events that Sparked Select Genocides," was developed and presented by Sara Cohan, the Genocide Education Project’s Education Director. Drawing attention to the 70th anniversary of Kristallnacht (the event that sparked the Holocaust), the workshop led more than sixty teachers from schools from around the country through a study of the parallel events that marked the onset of the Armenian, Jewish, and Rwandan genocides. Using historical documen’s including government orders and news reports, and exploring the key causes of genocide and its meaning, the participants learned strategies for teaching about multiple genocides. Educators were also provided a resource CD including practical lesson plans and background materials (timelines, eye-witness accounts, UN documen’s, government orders, news reports, etc.), and were given guidance for locating more resources.
In addition to the workshop, The Genocide Education Project met hundreds of teachers at its informational booth, discussing the importance of addressing the subject of genocide and the particular case of the Armenian Genocide, explaining the various resources available, and distributing educational materials.
The Genocide Education Project, whose motto is, "Learning the Past, Building the Future," is a nonprofit organization established in 2004, to assist educators in teaching about human rights and genocide, particularly the Armenian Genocide. The organization has developed and distributed a variety of lesson plans, including online, interactive lessons, and hosts educational workshops for school district administrators, teachers, and students. Educators and students are welcome to use The Genocide Education Projects "cyber resource library" at www.TeachGenocide.com
The National Council for Social Studies was founded in 1921 and is the largest US association devoted solely to social studies education. It is organized into more than 110 affiliated state, local, and regional councils, and its members represent K-12 classroom teachers, college and university faculty members, curriculum designers and specialists, and leaders in the various social studies disciplines. NCSS defines social studies as "the integrated study of the social sciences and humanities to promote civic competence."
The Genocide Education Project is a nonprofit, tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization that assists educators in teaching about human rights and genocide, particularly the Armenian Genocide, by developing and distributing instructional materials, providing access to teaching resources and organizing educational workshops.
Maybe the problem with genocide is democracy and monarchy. Civilocity is the solution to genocide being covered up by the person leading a country.
Civilocity is a form of government where the people watch the ruler entirely amongst their reign. Democracy is a form of government where the people pick by majority who their leader is. Which form of government do you think is better?
Civilocity makes sure the leader of a country like Sudan never again has the ability to cover up genocide. Do you want the leader of Sudan to cover up genocide tomorrow?
It is a choice if people want democracy so the leader of Sudan can cover up genocide tomorrow or if people want civilocity so the leader of Sudan can’t cover up genocide tomorrow? It is a true battle between civilocity and democracy yet knowing if there is law is more important then picking someone who say’s there is law? Do I spend a life fighting democracy in a democratic country? For the last four years, after writing civilocity at age 22, I have only begun to see the obstacles I will face challenging democracy and can only imagine the obstacles to come.