THE HOLOCAUST AND OTHER CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY

WHEREAS, man's inhumanity to man is exemplified by the Turkish genocide against the Armenians in which almost one-half of the entire nation was murdered and by the Holocaust perpetrated by the Nazis during World War II which caused the deaths of six million Jews and five million others and by the enslavement of millions of Africans. These are shameful acts of history which must never be repeated; and

WHEREAS, education must be provided to children--many of whom are unaware of what took place-so they can understand the factors which allowed the virulent philosophies of the Nazis and others condoning racial superiority to prevail; and

WHEREAS, as parents and teachers concerned about the welfare of all children and worried about the rise of fascism and Neo-Nazism and those who believe in racial and genetic superiority, and its harmful effects on emotionally unstable or zealous adherents who act on the built-up hatreds it inspires; and

WHEREAS, ignorance, neglect and apathy encourage repetition of such crimes against humanity:

RESOLVED, that the American Federation of Teachers actively encourages its affiliated locals to work with their boards of education to develop resource units on the Nazi's genocide program and other shameful national acts of violence so that the future generation can learn about aberrant human behavior and heroic resistance; and

RESOLVED, that the American Federation of Teachers encourages its affiliated locals to seek the cooperation of their boards of education in including such resource units in the curriculum; and

RESOLVED, that the American Federation of Teachers seeks the cooperation of interested community organizations in this endeavor.