--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Genocide, after all, is an exercise in…" description: "\"“Genocide, after all, is an exercise in community building...In 1994, Rwanda was regarded in much of the rest of the world as the exemplary instance of..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/892/philip-gourevitch-17484_community-building_genocide-after-all-is-an-exercise-in-com_1078910.jpg" --- # Genocide, after all, is an exercise in community… ![“Genocide, after all, is an exercise in community building...In 1994, Rwanda was regarded in much of the rest of the world as the exemplary instance of the chaos and anarchy associated with collapsed states. In fact, the genocide was the product of order, authoritarianism, decades of modern…” quote by Philip Gourevitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/892/philip-gourevitch-17484_community-building_genocide-after-all-is-an-exercise-in-com_1078910.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/892/philip-gourevitch-17484_community-building_genocide-after-all-is-an-exercise-in-com_1078910.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/892/philip-gourevitch-17484_community-building_genocide-after-all-is-an-exercise-in-com_1078910.jpg) > ““Genocide, after all, is an exercise in community building...In 1994, Rwanda was regarded in much of the rest of the world as the exemplary instance of the chaos and anarchy associated with collapsed states. In fact, the genocide was the product of order, authoritarianism, decades of modern political theorizing and indoctrination, and one of the most meticulously admistered states in history.”” [Philip Gourevitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-gourevitch/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The passage argues that genocide, while seemingly chaotic, is actually a product of systematic order, authoritarian control, and deliberate political ideology. **In simple terms:** Genocide is organized, not random. Key Takeaway Recognize the role of structured power in mass violence. Themes politics genocide authoritarianism order statecraft Mood somber critical Type historical analytical When to use this quote - human rights education - policy making - peacebuilding workshops - academic research Key Concepts totalitarianism social engineering historical analysis Questions to Reflect On - What mechanisms enable a state to orchestrate genocide? - How can societies prevent ordered violence? A Different Perspective Focusing only on chaos can obscure the deliberate planning behind atrocities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Community building](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/community-building/) [Fitness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fitness/) [Genocide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/genocide/) [Israel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/israel/) ## Related quotes > [“Genocide, after all, is an exercise in community building. A vigorous totalitarian order requires that the people be invested in the leader's scheme, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-gourevitch/genocide-after-all-is-an-exercise-in-community-building-a-vigorous/) [Philip Gourevitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-gourevitch/) > [Genocide, after all, is an exercise in community building.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-gourevitch/genocide-after-all-is-an-exercise-in-community-building/) [Philip Gourevitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-gourevitch/) > [“Genocide, as many have noted, is a form of community-building.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-burr-gerrard/genocide-as-many-have-noted-is-a-form-of-community-building/) [David Burr Gerrard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-burr-gerrard/) > [“Like Leontius, the young Athenian in Plato, I presume that you are reading this because you desire a closer look, and that you, too,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-gourevitch/like-leontius-the-young-athenian-in-plato-i-presume-that-you-are/) [Philip Gourevitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-gourevitch/) > [“The pygmy in Gikongoro said that humanity is part of nature and that we must go against nature to get along and have peace.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-gourevitch/the-pygmy-in-gikongoro-said-that-humanity-is-part-of-nature-and-that/) [Philip Gourevitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-gourevitch/) > [ “Just as a state's police swear to prevent and punish murder, so the signers of the Genocide Convention \[in 1948\] swore to police a… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-gourevitch/just-as-a-state-s-police-swear-to-prevent-and-punish-murder-so-the/) [Philip Gourevitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-gourevitch/) > [The West's post-Holocaust pledge that genocide would never again be tolerated proved to be hollow, and for all the fine sentiments inspired by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-gourevitch/the-west-s-post-holocaust-pledge-that-genocide-would-never-again-be/) [Philip Gourevitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-gourevitch/) > [“...great and sustained destruction requires great ambition. 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Especially when we understand it as love.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joy-donnell/equity-is-not-a-finite-resource-especially-when-we-understand-it-as/) Joy Donnell > [“The key to success lies not in measuring the magnitude of one's suffering, but in the capacity to harness challenges as catalysts for personal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erick-the-black-sheep-g/the-key-to-success-lies-not-in-measuring-the-magnitude-of-one-s/) [Erick "The Black Sheep" G](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erick-the-black-sheep-g/) > [“While small wins mark progress, we must not overlook the necessity of identifying and rectifying poor behaviors.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erick-the-black-sheep-g/while-small-wins-mark-progress-we-must-not-overlook-the-necessity-of/) [Erick "The Black Sheep" G](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erick-the-black-sheep-g/) > [Religion has always been a matter of community building; a matter of building precisely those relations of compassion, fellow feeling and - I dare…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rowan-williams/religion-has-always-been-a-matter-of-community-building-a-matter-of/) [Rowan Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rowan-williams/) > [“Always staying low key, you'll see me when you see me, but when you see me you'll know it's me”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erick-the-black-sheep-g/always-staying-low-key-you-ll-see-me-when-you-see-me-but-when-you-see/) [Erick "The Black Sheep" G](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erick-the-black-sheep-g/) ## More by Philip Gourevitch > [“Like Leontius, the young Athenian in Plato, I presume that you are reading this because you desire a closer look, and that you, too,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-gourevitch/like-leontius-the-young-athenian-in-plato-i-presume-that-you-are/) [Philip Gourevitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-gourevitch/) > [“…the war about the genocide was truly a postmodern war: a battle between those who believed that because the realities we inhabit are constructs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-gourevitch/the-war-about-the-genocide-was-truly-a-postmodern-war-a-battle/) [Philip Gourevitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-gourevitch/) > [“As far as the political, military, and economic interests of the world’s powers go, (Rwanda) might as well be Mars. 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The ostensible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-gourevitch/my-definition-of-a-good-book-is-one-that-you-would-read-for-pleasure/) [Philip Gourevitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-gourevitch/) > [ “Just as a state's police swear to prevent and punish murder, so the signers of the Genocide Convention \[in 1948\] swore to police a… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-gourevitch/just-as-a-state-s-police-swear-to-prevent-and-punish-murder-so-the/) [Philip Gourevitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-gourevitch/) > [“When you're that resigned and oppressed you're already dead. It shows the genocide was prepared for too long. I detest this fear. These victims…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-gourevitch/when-you-re-that-resigned-and-oppressed-you-re-already-dead-it-shows/) [Philip Gourevitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-gourevitch/) > [“Colonisation is violence, and there are many ways to carry out that violence. In addition to military and administrative chiefs and a veritable army…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-gourevitch/colonisation-is-violence-and-there-are-many-ways-to-carry-out-that/) [Philip Gourevitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-gourevitch/) > [The people are living seperately together," he said. "So there is responsibility. I cry, you cry. You cry, I cry. 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Especially when we understand it as love.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joy-donnell/equity-is-not-a-finite-resource-especially-when-we-understand-it-as/) Joy Donnell > [“Positive thought and forward action equals harmony!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erick-the-black-sheep-g/positive-thought-and-forward-action-equals-harmony/) [Erick "The Black Sheep" G](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erick-the-black-sheep-g/) > [When you get to really involve yourself with a piece and the other people, and you get to feel like it's a community and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-groff/when-you-get-to-really-involve-yourself-with-a-piece-and-the-other/) [Jonathan Groff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-groff/) > [“Be wary! Commercializing who you are may pave the way for a profound downfall. 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