 When living conditions worsen and the economy fails, people try to find reasons for their troubles. This is when political extremists can become popular as they blame certain groups of people and promise that by getting rid of them society's problems will go away. This can lead to the deliberate elimination of those who are different because of their race, religion, sexuality or disability, a phenomenon known as genocide. The 10 stages of genocide are a framework for understanding how crimes against humanity happen so we can spot early warning signs and potentially prevent them. Stage one is classification. Extremists divide people into separate groups based on their different characteristics. This often happens to create an us versus them mentality or to find someone to blame for social problems. The second stage is liberalization. This involves assigning symbols or names to members of the other group. The goal here is to split the society and make it clear who belongs to who. Third is discrimination. The dominant group uses its power to deny others certain rights or privileges. Particular new laws may limit the freedom of the marginalized ones. Instances of bullying increase and the societal divide widens. Fourth is dehumanization. The targeted group is portrayed as less than human, often compared to animals or diseases. Stripping away the human qualities of a person makes it easier to justify violence against them. Fifth is organization. This stage can involve violent mobs that are tolerated by the ruling class or even the creation of state-sponsored militias. In some instances perpetrators now carefully start to plan the next steps of the genocide. Sixth is polarization. Extremists now demonize the targeted group and try to fully divide society by demanding that everyone must take a side. Moderators who want to reduce the tensions are often identified as enemies and silenced. Seventh is preparation. The criminals now plan for mass murder. They may identify victims by name or number, find where they live, and acquire weapons or build facilities to aid their efforts. Eighth is persecution. Violence escalates. The targeted group is systematically subjected to harassment, displacement, or other forms of abuse. Often all of that happens under the disguise of security measures. Ninth is extermination. The mass killing begins. The culprits view their victims as less than human, believing they are cleansing the world of an undesirable element and in doing so justify the use of disproportionate violence. Tenth is denial. Those responsible for the cruelty deny their crimes, destroy evidence, blame the victims, and attempt to rewrite history justifying their actions as necessary for the greater good. This is why in the aftermath of genocide, the criminals must be made accountable and the trauma must be addressed. Then the survivors may heal and society can attempt to reunite. Note that the 10 stages may not occur linearly. They can happen simultaneously. Dr. Gregory Stanton, who observed the phenomenon, suggested preventative measures to battle each stage, even though he believed that ultimately only an international intervention can stop such a disaster. In Germany, Cambodia, Rwanda, and other places, help from outside often arrive too late for too many, which is why Stanton also founded Genocide Watch, a non-profit to help prevent the next tragedy from unfolding. What do you think? Is knowledge enough to prevent genocidal events? And if not, what other measures can we take to avoid the next human catastrophe? Share your thoughts in the comments below.