Lemkin

Raphael Lemkin (1900-1959)

Raphael Lemkin was a Polish lawyer of Jewish descent who is best known for coining the term "genocide" and campaigning for its recognition as a crime under international law.

Early Life and Education

Born in Bezwodnie, near Volkovysk (then part of the Russian Empire, now Belarus), Lemkin studied law at the University of Lviv and later at the University of Heidelberg. He was deeply affected by the massacres of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire during World War I and dedicated his life to preventing similar atrocities.

Concept of Genocide

Lemkin developed the concept of "genocide" during the interwar period. He combined the Greek word genos (race, tribe) with the Latin suffix -cide (killing) to create a term that encompassed the systematic destruction of a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group. His initial focus was on acts that threatened the very existence of these groups, including not just physical annihilation but also the destruction of their culture, economy, and political institutions.

Axis Rule in Occupied Europe

During World War II, Lemkin fled Poland and eventually reached the United States. He published his seminal work, Axis Rule in Occupied Europe: Laws of Occupation, Analysis of Government, Proposals for Redress in 1944. In this book, he detailed the Nazi policies of oppression and extermination, coining the term "genocide" within its pages. He meticulously documented the systematic destruction of European nations and cultures, emphasizing that genocide involved more than just mass murder.

Campaign for International Recognition

After the war, Lemkin tirelessly campaigned for the international recognition of genocide as a crime. He worked with the United Nations to draft the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.

Genocide Convention

The Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide was adopted by the UN General Assembly on December 9, 1948. It defines genocide as specific acts "committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group." These acts include killing members of the group; causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group; deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part; imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group; and forcibly transferring children of the group to another group.

Legacy

Raphael Lemkin's work has had a profound impact on international law and human rights. The Genocide Convention has served as a legal basis for prosecuting perpetrators of genocide and has raised global awareness of this heinous crime. Although he did not live to see the widespread enforcement of the Convention, his legacy continues to inspire efforts to prevent and punish genocide around the world. He is remembered as a pioneer in the field of human rights and a relentless advocate for justice.