Facing History and Ourselves will be providing links to important resources throughout the race as part of our discussion and mission to demand recognition and prevention of the past tragic atrocities committed against human kind and promote a heightened sensitivity to genocide, insisting that world leaders take a stand to stop them now.

Understanding the Complexity of Identity

History shapes our identity. Our own history – of course. But, “our own history” is also the history of our family, our ethnic heritage, our country, and perhaps also our world. One of the histories I came to know as a Facing History teacher, and have come to love teaching as a staff member for Facing History, is that of the Armenian genocide. This incredibly difficult history has so many lessons for us today, and lingering legacies with which we must continue to grapple.

On April 24, 1915, the religious, political, and intellectual leaders of the Armenian people were rounded up and killed, marking the beginning of what is now identified as the Armenian genocide. It is from the case of the Armenians, that the seeds were planted for the word “genocide.” It is from the Armenian genocide that Hitler learned that a genocide during wartime could be overlooked by others. It is from the Armenian genocide that Americans learned they could mobilize a massive humanitarian campaign – the effort during World War I remains one of the biggest efforts in our country’s history.

Read more at: http://lanetwork.facinghistory.org/what-do-we-do-with-a-difficult-past/

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Facing History and Ourselves provides ideas, methods, and tools that support the practical needs, and the spirits, of educators worldwide who share the goal of creating a better, more informed, and more thoughtful society. See more at www.facinghistory.org