UNO plans to offer a minor in Holocaust and Genocide Studies starting this spring.
The minor will be interdisciplinary, with three required courses: two in History, and one in Political Science. It’ll also incorporate philosophy, sociology, religious studies, and other areas.
Dr. Lana Obradovic, assistant professor of Political Science at UNO, says the goal is to provide historical context and understanding of why genocide happens.
"Since the time of the Spanish arriving in the New World to the recent genocides in Darfur, Bosnia, Sudan, this phenomenon is continuing to take place. And so we feel that it’s important we create in our students a body of knowledge and understanding for the causes, experiences, and modes of intervention to stop genocide and mass atrocity."
Required courses for the minor focus on the history of genocide and the Holocaust, and international law. UNO’s Sam and Francis Fried Holocaust and Genocide Studies Initiative is funding the program.