Ten Stages of Change: The Series on Genocide Prevention

Josh Bicknell
  • 5.0 (4)
  • Documentary
  • Updated Monthly

In societies on the brink of catastrophe, ordinary words and actions can shift dangerously into the "crime of crimes." This series gives voice to those crimes, and the signs that suggest the process of genocide is unfolding in ways history has yet to reckon with: neighbors turning on neighbors, silence serving as permission, and abandonment of memory in the final stage of denial. Each episode is a narrated essay drawn from a larger project examining genocide, mass violence, and the forces that polarize communities before destruction unfolds. The framework: Gregory Stanton's Ten Stages of Genocide, from Classifciation in Darfur to Denial in Armenia. Through rigorous attention to language, testimony, and historical patterns, the recordings invite listeners to trace the moments that often go unnoticed, to understand how violence grows, and to confront the human stories that endure long after the killings end. It is a space for reflection, learning, awareness, and insight into the patterns that still shape the world today, and most importantly, how we can stop them.

Episodes

  1. Jul 6

    Human Quotas: Persecution and Consumption in the Genocide of Xinjiang’s Uyghurs

    The article discusses the genocide and human rights abuses against Uyghurs in Xinjiang, detailing systemic violence, forced labor, and cultural erasure since 2017. It highlights the testimonies of survivors, their traumatic experiences, and how global consumer habits contribute to these atrocities. Calls to action encourage awareness and advocacy against such injustices.

  2. 12/28/2025

    Before Dawn, By Design: Preparation and Process in the Holocaust

    The seventh stage of genocide, preparation, is explored through the lens of the Holocaust, and specifically the Einsatzgruppen and Wannsee Conference as well as testimony by Edward Anders who narrowly escaped a grim fate at Skede Beach.

  3. 07/19/2025

    Splintered Lines: Polarization and Division in the Bosnian Genocide

    'My youngest boy... those little hands. I imagine them picking strawberries, holding books, going to school. Every morning I cover my eyes so I don’t see other children heading to school, husbands walking to work, holding hands.'

  4. 08/14/2024

    “Like Moths to a Flame”: Dehumanization in the Rwandan Genocide

    An in-depth analysis of the fourth stage of genocide, dehumanization, focusing on the Rwandan genocide as a case study. Dehumanization of Tutsi people is highlighted, including the role of media in inciting violence, and the historical roots of ethnic divisions, while intertwining personal testimonies and survivor accounts with the broader analysis of the genocide's progression. Education, media literacy, and collective action are

  5. 05/29/2024

    In Darkness and Separation: Women, the Hazara, and Discrimination in Afghanistan

    The Hazara face relentless, systematic attacks under Taliban rule. Women's rights regress to repression and silence.

  6. 01/21/2024

    Threads of Resistance: Symbolization in the Cambodian Genocide

    The second stage of genocide, Symbolization, is analyzed within the context of Cambodia. The impact of the Khmer Rouge regime on the culture and people is explored, highlighting the resilience and ongoing struggle for justice and human rights that echoes today through the krama and actions as symbols of peace and unity.

  7. 12/28/2023

    From ‘Us’ to ‘Them’: Classification in Darfur

    Exploring the first stage of genocide, classification, this initial installment features the genocide in Darfur, Sudan, highlighting harrowing and poetic eyewitness accounts from the Jebel Marra to Chad, the evolution of an "us" and "them" mentality within the complexities of a fierce geopolitical climate, and the urgency for awareness, intervention, and practical actions.

  • 7 Episodes

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

In societies on the brink of catastrophe, ordinary words and actions can shift dangerously into the "crime of crimes." This series gives voice to those crimes, and the signs that suggest the process of genocide is unfolding in ways history has yet to reckon with: neighbors turning on neighbors, silence serving as permission, and abandonment of memory in the final stage of denial. Each episode is a narrated essay drawn from a larger project examining genocide, mass violence, and the forces that polarize communities before destruction unfolds. The framework: Gregory Stanton's Ten Stages of Genocide, from Classifciation in Darfur to Denial in Armenia. Through rigorous attention to language, testimony, and historical patterns, the recordings invite listeners to trace the moments that often go unnoticed, to understand how violence grows, and to confront the human stories that endure long after the killings end. It is a space for reflection, learning, awareness, and insight into the patterns that still shape the world today, and most importantly, how we can stop them.

Information