Raphael Lemkin and the Concept of Genocide

History at King's is proud to host Dr. Douglas Irvin-Erickson, Director of the Genocide Prevention Program at George Mason University, who will be giving a talk entitled: "Raphael Lemkin and the Concept of Genocide: the Man, the Myth, the Legend."

Raphaël Lemkin, the Polish and Jewish jurist who coined the word genocide and led the world movement to outlaw the crime at the United Nations, is now considered a 20th century human rights hero. Lemkin left a significant imprint on the century's history, indeed. However, Lemkin's legacy is complicated, and many of the things we think we know about Lemkin, upon closer examination, turn out to be comforting myths that have been passed on in received scholarship and popular culture. In this presentation, Douglas Irvin-Erickson will discuss his recent biography of Lemkin (University of Pennsylvania Press 2017), and share some of his thoughts on the implications of Lemkin's work in his own time and our own.