A few weeks ago for my english class I read "Left to Tell" by Immaculee Ilibagiza. This book is a personal account of the Rwandan Genocide that occured in 1994. Before reading this book, I honestly knew hardly anything about this terrible tragedy and it definitely opened my eyes.
Anyway, I created this blog as a project for that english class in order to share my thoughts about the Genocide and to hear yours as well. So share your opnions, comment on mine, and take the poll! Thanks for your interest and for helping with my project.
Tuesday
What is the Rwandan Genocide?
According to Wikipedia,
"The Rwandan Genocide was the 1994 mass killing of hundreds of thousands of Rwanda's Tutsis and Hutu political moderates by Hutus under the Hutu Power ideology. Over the course of approximately 100 days, from the assassination of Juvenal Habyarimana on April 6 through mid-July, at least 500,000 people were killed. Most estimates indicate a death toll between 800,000 and 1,000,000, which could be as high as 20% of the total population.
The genocide has its roots in the Hutu-Tutsi ethnic divide and related sporadic violence, which had resulted in a large number of Tutsi refugees in the nations around Rwanda by 1990. In that year, the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), a rebel group composed mostly of Tutsi refugees, invaded. The Rwandan Civil War, fought between the Hutu regime, with support from Francophone nations of Africa and France itself, and the RPF, with support from Uganda, vastly increased the ethnic tensions in the country and led to the rise of Hutu Power, an ideology that stressed that the Tutsi intended to enslave Hutus and thus must be resisted at all costs. Despite ongoing ethnic tension, including the displacement of large numbers of Hutu in the north by the rebels and periodic localized ethnic cleansing of Tutsi to the south, pressure on the government of Juvenal Habyarimana led to a cease-fire in 1993 and the preliminary implementation of the Arusha Accords.
A genocidal plan had existed since 1957, when the Hutu Emancipation Movement called the Parmehutu published the "Bahutu" Manifesto, in which it alleged a monopoly of power held by the Tutsi minority. In the 1960s, these denunciations led to the overthrowing of the monarchy and the establishment of the Republic headed by Gregoire Kayibanda. This was a regime which persecuted the Tutsi, who in many cases were forced to flee. The persecution also went on under the regime of Juvenal Habyarimana who had seized power in 1973 and promised progress and reconciliation.
The assassination of Habyarimana in April 1994 was the proximate cause of the mass killings of Tutsis and pro-peace Hutus. It was carried out primarily by two Hutu militias associated with political parties: the Interahamwe and the Impuzamugambi. The genocide was directed by a Hutu Power group known as the Akazu. The killing also marked the end of the peace agreement meant to end the war and the Tutsi RPF restarted their offensive, eventually defeating the army and seizing control of the country."
For more details, the link to the full Wikipedia article is on the right side of the page under "For Further Reading"
"The Rwandan Genocide was the 1994 mass killing of hundreds of thousands of Rwanda's Tutsis and Hutu political moderates by Hutus under the Hutu Power ideology. Over the course of approximately 100 days, from the assassination of Juvenal Habyarimana on April 6 through mid-July, at least 500,000 people were killed. Most estimates indicate a death toll between 800,000 and 1,000,000, which could be as high as 20% of the total population.
The genocide has its roots in the Hutu-Tutsi ethnic divide and related sporadic violence, which had resulted in a large number of Tutsi refugees in the nations around Rwanda by 1990. In that year, the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), a rebel group composed mostly of Tutsi refugees, invaded. The Rwandan Civil War, fought between the Hutu regime, with support from Francophone nations of Africa and France itself, and the RPF, with support from Uganda, vastly increased the ethnic tensions in the country and led to the rise of Hutu Power, an ideology that stressed that the Tutsi intended to enslave Hutus and thus must be resisted at all costs. Despite ongoing ethnic tension, including the displacement of large numbers of Hutu in the north by the rebels and periodic localized ethnic cleansing of Tutsi to the south, pressure on the government of Juvenal Habyarimana led to a cease-fire in 1993 and the preliminary implementation of the Arusha Accords.
A genocidal plan had existed since 1957, when the Hutu Emancipation Movement called the Parmehutu published the "Bahutu" Manifesto, in which it alleged a monopoly of power held by the Tutsi minority. In the 1960s, these denunciations led to the overthrowing of the monarchy and the establishment of the Republic headed by Gregoire Kayibanda. This was a regime which persecuted the Tutsi, who in many cases were forced to flee. The persecution also went on under the regime of Juvenal Habyarimana who had seized power in 1973 and promised progress and reconciliation.
The assassination of Habyarimana in April 1994 was the proximate cause of the mass killings of Tutsis and pro-peace Hutus. It was carried out primarily by two Hutu militias associated with political parties: the Interahamwe and the Impuzamugambi. The genocide was directed by a Hutu Power group known as the Akazu. The killing also marked the end of the peace agreement meant to end the war and the Tutsi RPF restarted their offensive, eventually defeating the army and seizing control of the country."
For more details, the link to the full Wikipedia article is on the right side of the page under "For Further Reading"
Death is Not a Statistic
At this point, I'm willing to guess that you are asking the same question I did when I started learning about these events...
How in the world did this happen?
How is is possible that something like this could go on for 100 days - that approximately one million people could be killed in such a short time?
The answers to these questions are extremely complicated, and in many cases, there really aren't any answers; there are only more questions. That is the first thing I want to make clear: I don't pretend to have any solutions; I simply want to share my perspective and opinions.
Having said that, the thing about this whole situation that struck me the hardest was the lack of public awareness. The more time goes by, the more I realize just how self-absorbed we are in the United States. I will never forget how amazed I was when I did some traveling a couple of years ago and realized how important world news is in other countries... everywhere but here, it seems like. Unless it's something that directly affects OUR safety or OUR economy or OUR lives, it seldom makes the news.
I recently googled both "Rwandan Genocide" and "9-11 attacks" and the discrepancy in the amount of information available was staggering. "9-11 attacks" brought up 13,600,000 hits, while "Rwandan Genocide" brought up only 747,000. And yet 1 million people were killed in Rwanda, and a little under 3,000 on 9/11. I don't mean to belittle the tragedy that was September 11. I simply want to illustrate the extent to which we, as a nation, focus on ourselves and forget about the billions of other people on this planet.
How selfish and how sad! We as a nation have such potential to create change in our world, but we rarely take advantage of it. How can we stand by with our eyes on ourselves while, in a matter of days, one million innocent men, women and children are brutally murdered?
I realized one possible reason for this phenomenon after a recent visit to the Holocaust Museum in LA. In one of the exhibits, there was a quote by Joseph Stalin that I found both incredibly insightful and disturbing at the same time:
"One death is a tragedy, one million is a statistic."
As much as I would love to be able to say that I don't think this is true, I believe that it often is. One person's death - that of a family member or close friend, for example - will usually affect us much more profoundly than the more numerous deaths associated with war or genocide. We become disconnected with the truth that our fellow human beings are losing their lives and that children are losing parents, husbands are losing wives, and people are losing dear friends.
Death should never become a statistic.
This is why I found the book "Left to Tell" so profound. It connected me on a personal level to an event I would have normally looked at as another chapter in my history textbook. If you ever get a chance to check it out, I would highly recommend it.
I don't know about you, but I want to be the kind of person who actually gets off the couch and does something! There are so many ways to get involved, and absolutely no excuses to not do so!
I guess that's it for now on my part, but if these thoughts have raised questions in your own mind, or if you're simply interested in reading more about the Rwandan Genocide, check out the links under "For Further Reading" on the right side of this page. Hopefully those will get you started. "Left to Tell" is the personal account I mentioned earlier, while "Bystanders to Genocide" is a broader look at the worldwide lack of organization and effeciency that surrounded these events and what the US could (and probably should) have done better. There is also a link to the resolutions that were adopted by the UN at the Convention on Genocide on December 9, 1948.
Thanks again for reading and I look forward to hearing your thoughts!
How in the world did this happen?
How is is possible that something like this could go on for 100 days - that approximately one million people could be killed in such a short time?
The answers to these questions are extremely complicated, and in many cases, there really aren't any answers; there are only more questions. That is the first thing I want to make clear: I don't pretend to have any solutions; I simply want to share my perspective and opinions.
Having said that, the thing about this whole situation that struck me the hardest was the lack of public awareness. The more time goes by, the more I realize just how self-absorbed we are in the United States. I will never forget how amazed I was when I did some traveling a couple of years ago and realized how important world news is in other countries... everywhere but here, it seems like. Unless it's something that directly affects OUR safety or OUR economy or OUR lives, it seldom makes the news.
I recently googled both "Rwandan Genocide" and "9-11 attacks" and the discrepancy in the amount of information available was staggering. "9-11 attacks" brought up 13,600,000 hits, while "Rwandan Genocide" brought up only 747,000. And yet 1 million people were killed in Rwanda, and a little under 3,000 on 9/11. I don't mean to belittle the tragedy that was September 11. I simply want to illustrate the extent to which we, as a nation, focus on ourselves and forget about the billions of other people on this planet.
How selfish and how sad! We as a nation have such potential to create change in our world, but we rarely take advantage of it. How can we stand by with our eyes on ourselves while, in a matter of days, one million innocent men, women and children are brutally murdered?
I realized one possible reason for this phenomenon after a recent visit to the Holocaust Museum in LA. In one of the exhibits, there was a quote by Joseph Stalin that I found both incredibly insightful and disturbing at the same time:
"One death is a tragedy, one million is a statistic."
As much as I would love to be able to say that I don't think this is true, I believe that it often is. One person's death - that of a family member or close friend, for example - will usually affect us much more profoundly than the more numerous deaths associated with war or genocide. We become disconnected with the truth that our fellow human beings are losing their lives and that children are losing parents, husbands are losing wives, and people are losing dear friends.
Death should never become a statistic.
This is why I found the book "Left to Tell" so profound. It connected me on a personal level to an event I would have normally looked at as another chapter in my history textbook. If you ever get a chance to check it out, I would highly recommend it.
I don't know about you, but I want to be the kind of person who actually gets off the couch and does something! There are so many ways to get involved, and absolutely no excuses to not do so!
I guess that's it for now on my part, but if these thoughts have raised questions in your own mind, or if you're simply interested in reading more about the Rwandan Genocide, check out the links under "For Further Reading" on the right side of this page. Hopefully those will get you started. "Left to Tell" is the personal account I mentioned earlier, while "Bystanders to Genocide" is a broader look at the worldwide lack of organization and effeciency that surrounded these events and what the US could (and probably should) have done better. There is also a link to the resolutions that were adopted by the UN at the Convention on Genocide on December 9, 1948.
Thanks again for reading and I look forward to hearing your thoughts!
Monday
Left to Tell Highlights
Like I said before, "Left to Tell" was an amazing book, and it really gave me a personal perspective on the Rwandan Genocide. So I just thought I would share some of the portions that stuck out to me the most...
"Perhaps we should do as Damascene says," I urged my father. "Think of all the things we've been hearing on the radio. I haven't taken them seriously, but that might have been a mistake. They say that all Tutsis should be killed. Maybe Damascene is right - maybe we should leave now!"
"No, Immaculee, we shouldn't leave. Things are getting better with the government, and there will be peace soon. Those people on the radio are crazy; no one is taking them seriously! Don't worry. Let's just stay calm and enjoy the holidays. There is no death list, and no one is coming to kill us. I'm older and I know better," my father said, with a weak smile. "Now, for heaven's sake, let's sit down and eat dinner together."
This conversation between Immaculee and her father really saddened me. I truly believe that it illustrates the sentiments of many Rwandans at the beginning of the genocide. It is unbelievable that one day the reports on the radios were just distant news from other places, and the next, they were an awful reality for so many people. How quickly things change...
"I knew that my family was at peace, but that didn't ease the pain of missing them. And I couldn't shake the crippling sorrow that seized my heart whenever I envisioned how they'd been killed. Every night I prayed to be released from my private agony, from the nightmares that haunted my sleep and troubled my days. It took a while, but as always, God answered my prayers. This time, He did so by sending me a dream unlike any I've ever had."
Imaculee shares how in this dream, she saw her family members who had been killed. They spoke with her and encouraged her to move on and to forgive the people who had hurt her so deeply. She ends up going to visit the man who had killed her family in prison...
"Stand up, killer!" [The prison guard] shouted. "Stand up and explain to this girl why her family is dead. Explain to her why you murdered her mother and butchered her brother. Get up, I said! Get up and tell her!" [The prison guard] screamed even louder, but the battered man remained hunched and kneeling, too embarrassed to stand and face me..." "What do you have to say to her? What do you have to say to Immaculee?"
[He] was sobbing. I could feel his shame. He looked up at me for only a moment, but our eyes met. I reached out, touched his hands lightly, and quietly said what I'd come to say.
"I forgive you."
My heart eased immediately, and I saw the tension release in [his] shoulders before [the prison guard] pushed him out the door and into the courtyard...
This portion of the book touched me in a really special way. It speaks so profoundly of the power of forgiveness, both for those who need to forgive, and for those who need to be forgiven. It also reminds us of the lasting effects of a tragedy like the one that took place in Rwanda. The struggles do not stop once the immediate crisis is resolved. There are lasting emotional, psychological and cultural scars that remain. The rebuilding process takes a great deal of time and effort, and it it important to not overlook this issue when dealing with events like this.
"Perhaps we should do as Damascene says," I urged my father. "Think of all the things we've been hearing on the radio. I haven't taken them seriously, but that might have been a mistake. They say that all Tutsis should be killed. Maybe Damascene is right - maybe we should leave now!"
"No, Immaculee, we shouldn't leave. Things are getting better with the government, and there will be peace soon. Those people on the radio are crazy; no one is taking them seriously! Don't worry. Let's just stay calm and enjoy the holidays. There is no death list, and no one is coming to kill us. I'm older and I know better," my father said, with a weak smile. "Now, for heaven's sake, let's sit down and eat dinner together."
This conversation between Immaculee and her father really saddened me. I truly believe that it illustrates the sentiments of many Rwandans at the beginning of the genocide. It is unbelievable that one day the reports on the radios were just distant news from other places, and the next, they were an awful reality for so many people. How quickly things change...
"I knew that my family was at peace, but that didn't ease the pain of missing them. And I couldn't shake the crippling sorrow that seized my heart whenever I envisioned how they'd been killed. Every night I prayed to be released from my private agony, from the nightmares that haunted my sleep and troubled my days. It took a while, but as always, God answered my prayers. This time, He did so by sending me a dream unlike any I've ever had."
Imaculee shares how in this dream, she saw her family members who had been killed. They spoke with her and encouraged her to move on and to forgive the people who had hurt her so deeply. She ends up going to visit the man who had killed her family in prison...
"Stand up, killer!" [The prison guard] shouted. "Stand up and explain to this girl why her family is dead. Explain to her why you murdered her mother and butchered her brother. Get up, I said! Get up and tell her!" [The prison guard] screamed even louder, but the battered man remained hunched and kneeling, too embarrassed to stand and face me..." "What do you have to say to her? What do you have to say to Immaculee?"
[He] was sobbing. I could feel his shame. He looked up at me for only a moment, but our eyes met. I reached out, touched his hands lightly, and quietly said what I'd come to say.
"I forgive you."
My heart eased immediately, and I saw the tension release in [his] shoulders before [the prison guard] pushed him out the door and into the courtyard...
This portion of the book touched me in a really special way. It speaks so profoundly of the power of forgiveness, both for those who need to forgive, and for those who need to be forgiven. It also reminds us of the lasting effects of a tragedy like the one that took place in Rwanda. The struggles do not stop once the immediate crisis is resolved. There are lasting emotional, psychological and cultural scars that remain. The rebuilding process takes a great deal of time and effort, and it it important to not overlook this issue when dealing with events like this.
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