PSU's Graduate Certificate in Holocaust and Genocide/Atrocity Prevention (H-GAP Graduate Certificate), the only graduate-level program of its kind in the Pacific Northwest, prepares educators, activists, policy makers and change agents in the work of genocide and atrocity prevention.
Students will not only learn about historic and current genocides and atrocities, but will also learn to recognize the patterns and precursors that lead to the systematic destruction of a people. The H-GAP Graduate Certificate will support you to build foundational knowledge of best practices for recognizing threats of atrocities and mass violence, and for implementing strategies that can support the prevention of future atrocities.
Portland State's Holocaust and Genocide Studies Project has been engaging students, faculty and local communities in difficult conversations about the Holocaust, genocide, and crimes against humanity for over a decade. The H-GAP Graduate Certificate builds on that work, drawing from the strengths of our Conflict Resolution Department, and situating its exploration of resistance and transformation within the larger purview of the School of Gender, Race and Nations as we support students and the larger community to engage in social change processes that yield improved justice outcomes.
Building upon historic examples of the Holocaust and other atrocities that have shaped the language and scope of the field, the H-GAP Graduate Certificate invites students to explore emerging scholarship about how identity issues, climate change, political trends and migration patterns impact the risks of genocide and mass atrocities; and about how to maximize the role of civil society actors, local governments, and international bodies in effective prevention efforts. The certificate program combines historical background with theories and practices of conflict resolution that support constructive engagement, strategic communication and empowered collaboration — all essential tools for effective prevention.
The Holocaust and Genocide Studies Project operates under the premise that education in action is at the heart of stopping systematized hate, and ending the dehumanization that leads to genocide. In partnership with community partners, including the United Stated Holocaust Memorial Museum, the Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education, the Never Again Coalition, the Oregon Historical Society, World Oregon, Immigrant Story Project, and the Holocaust Education Foundation, among other local and national collaborators, you'll have opportunities to engage in conversations about the Holocaust and other genocides and a broad range of prevention efforts through world-renowned speakers, films and workshops.
The H-GAP Graduate Certificate can be completed on its own, or can be woven into other graduate degrees at PSU to best fit your interests. Demand for Holocaust and genocide education is high as Oregon is among 16 states that has mandated that the subject be taught in schools, and this certificate equips educators with multiple interdisciplinary perspectives in genocide and atrocity prevention. Our graduates also make a difference as conflict resolution practitioners, peacemakers, human rights advocates, social justice warriors, civic leaders, policymakers, politicians, and international development professionals.