Social Institutions Used as Remembrance of Genocide - Assignment Example

Social Institutions Used as Remembrance of Genocide Genocides are very significant historical events whose commemoration ought not to be downplayed. Remembering the massive killings of people provokes a community’s cohesion, a realization of their history while promoting peaceful living. The lessons learnt from genocides in part are to be preserved in the historical records. For commemoration to be meaningful, a healthy environment must be chosen. Social structures/institutions are best suited for this. Some communities use schools, churches, families while in the most recent cultures spaces are set aside for this special event. From numerous extensive research undertaken to assess how each of the institutions impact the essence of genocide commemorations, educational institutions outperform churches and families in so many ways. The educational institutions used could be higher learning institutions and even the low level educational institutes. In the past, schools have been utilized for the study of curriculum based courses and the training of skills relevant to a society. This primary function of the educational institutions has evolved over time making the institutions a place to instill certain values besides just knowledge and skills. They have now been re-invented to keep traditions, culture and for commemoration of historical genocides. Several countries that experienced a genocide set aside the educational institutions for the commemoration of genocides. A classic example to be used is the Kigali’s way of commemorating the world’s most feared genocide. In the year 2016, through the Rwanda Peace Education Program, the country successfully incorporated the component of genocide commemoration into the education curriculum (Bridgeland, Wulsin & McNaught, 2009). Primarily, the citizens hereby through the education of children and even adults in training colleges commemorate the grim incident in detail since it is part of the curriculum. There are lots of reasons why educational institutions are the best in genocide commemoration. For one, this environment is totally conducive because it’s an educational institution is systematic and very objective in its functions. Secondly, from the Kigali’s reference, there is the incorporation of educational workshops to engender the values of peace and trust among the students and those attending the workshops. Therefore, it is a plus that educational institutions conduct the commemoration as a training thereby going into the depths of the genocides. More than this, the consideration of the values overrides the aspects of just displaying the remains of a genocide for visual appellation as it is dome in churches or other social spaces. Choosing educational institutions for genocide commemoration focus on the actual reason for the commemoration which is to learn and add values that would make a better society. Genocide commemorations aren’t never meaningful without the aspect of reflection and transformations. The educational social institutions actualize this primary element of memorization better than economic social institutions where the focus is on how to translate the remains of the event for revenue from domestic and international tourists. Modern educational institutions are designed and constructed very strategically for remembrance and to forge ahead past the historical atrocities. An educational institution that aspired genocide commemoration is the Sleek Rith Institute of Cambodia. The institute comprises of a research Centre, document archives and a museum. The museum has a collection of remains preserved particularly for remembrance (Hoffman, 2016).Religious institutions may or may not concur with such practices and therefore cut short the details of a genocide. Some preach and insist on the past as being in the past. In simple terms, the institute has greatly invested in exploring the tragic history of the genocide. Amassing all details, the collection of bones, skull, clothes, coffins and some weapons brings a wholesome component relevant to commemoration of the Cambodian genocide. The focus of educational institutions in commemoration of historical events such as this renders these social institutions masters of commemoration. While partaking the commemoration at educational institutes, it is quite easy to stop and reflect on all the atrocities, assessing the pre-conflict society against the post-conflict society. With these, a lot of significance and pile of information is found, the research material and outcomes are filed in the libraries and passed on over to the next generations. This beats commemoration at say economic institutions. The dynamics of a genocide are minimally addressed and individuals may not actually reconcile the events leading up to the genocide as it with the educational institutions. As it stands, commemoration takes varied forms. Preservation is one, while honoring is a more important aspect. The real gesture of honor is that of setting space specifically for commemoration of the innocent victims of a genocide and even celebrating the martyrs. In the scenario of using a school, the honor apportioned is enormous. This is because the normal functionalities of these institutions cannot be easily affected rather, the value of the institution in storing and passing on this part of heritage more significant. Secluding land is an elevated gesture of the historical significance as well as the value of the slain lives in a genocide. However, not many countries will convert spaces for this. Many will only consider the economic value that can be generated from other activities. Beyond the explicit meaning of genocide commemoration, it is insightful to connect the issues with the contemporary human rights issues the world is enduring today. From the experts, the use of churches, economic institutes and religious centers for commemoration fail to connect the genocides with human rights issues. The attention from these structures is somewhat shallow and not so keen in linking these key issues. Remarkably, genocides were instigated interwoven historical practices and societal issues persistent in those centuries. For instance in the Bangladesh genocide of 1971, several factors played part. Some of those heavily blamed include religious rivalry, gender based discrimination as well the struggle for independence. Educational Institutions through the studies on human rights convey the confluence of these factors much more than other social institutions would do. Take for instance in trading Centers or places of worship, the random distribution of people are only saddened by the genocide. They may not even relate to these events unless they have deep knowledge about it. Others social structures are forged on the trending issues and would not emphasis on the past. Assessing the functions held at educational museums, the remembrance of genocide is made vivid every waking day. The genocide museums are dignified to facilitate commemoration through exhibitions and other political events that shaped the genocide. In a national library for example, it would be convenient to hold an exhibition on short notice for visiting tourists The Gulag Museum built in Russia is well-known for on-site educational programs, dialogues and travel experts and other commemoration events. Therefore, in matters attention and focus on genocide, a special place would serve the purpose unlike running this parallel to other social functions. The theory of structural functionalism elaborates on the elemental functions of social structures. Among those enumerated and expansively explained, social cohesion is paramount and the blueprint of the social structures. From empirical data, the role of social structures is increasingly becoming complex. Families are the most affected structures, they experience the most challenges and even the roles of family members is gradually changing. Educational institutions similarly are on the verge of scaling high or collapsing due the ever-evolving demands of the economies. People are more focused on financial issues, their family issues such that they lose focus on their religion and social functions and so forth. This is the basis for educational institutions as places for commemoration. Almost every child or person enrolls in these institute unlike other institutions that may be rarely visited. (Dirk Moses, 2012). In a sum, educational institutions have become elemental for commemoration of history, cultural heritage as well as social identity. As part of the social structures, they complement other social institutions in the remembrance of tragic genocides documents in historical records. Other than their deep immersion in genocide and the aspects that add meaning to it, they contribute enormously in preservation of architecture and the passing on of the lessons derived from warfare. In the light of allocating such core roles to social institutions these are the defining factors. For the long period that educational institutions have played the part, all the critical aspects of commemoration have been sufficiently fulfilled. With these level of performance, the institutions remain at the top in commemoration of historic genocides. References Dirk Moses, A. (2012). The Canadian Museum for Human Rights: the ‘uniqueness of the Holocaust’and the question of genocide. Journal of Genocide Research, 14(2), 215-238. Hoffman, K. A. (2016). Working through the past: A postmodern visual analysis on Holocaust collective memories and the nameless library (Doctoral dissertation, San Diego State University). Bridgeland, J., Wulsin, S., & McNaught, M. (2009). Rebuilding Rwanda: From Genocide to Prosperity through Education. Civic Enterprises. Read More