Rwanda Personal Statement

By establishing humans as inherently capable of evil, and perpetrators of evil as no less human, Hatzfield encourages a nuanced understanding of the causes of genocide. In doing so, Hatzfield warns readers of the ease with which genocide can take place and cautions against allowing prejudice to take hold in communities. In Rwanda, Hutus lived with Tutsis as friends and neighbors mere days prior to slaughtering them. However, the groundwork for the massacres “was the result of plans and preparations formulated essentially by collective decision” long before the genocide began (52). Radio propaganda drove tensions far in advance, and the assassination of the Hutu president was not the reason for the genocide but the signal for it to finally begin. Hatzfield establishes this point by humanizing the Hutus. One of the interviewees explains that when “you receive a new order, you hesitate but you obey, or else you’re taking a risk. When you have been prepared the right way by the radios and the official advice, you obey more easily, even if the order is to kill your neighbors” (71). While this could easily be dismissed as an excuse born of fear and guilt, understanding the truth of this statement is crucial to the prevention of further mass violence; indeed, if the preparation through propaganda and conditioning can be identified,

The Rwandan Genocide also is still an existing issue which killed one million people, mostly Tutis and some Hutu’s, continues to be one of the most tragic and memorable events in the contemporary society of Africa. Specifically for those who were involved. Lucie Niyigena, a 70 year old woman who managed to survive the genocide, is still forced to face her fear everyday living beside someone who could have potentially killed a member of her family. This is just one of the still existing hardships for those forced to live it. This problem has not been changed since historical times partly because modern society has chosen not to make the change.

Rwanda is a country located in the middle of the African continent. The two ethnic groups present in the country lived in peace under their monarch until the arrival of Europeans. The Belgians arrival into Rwandan is what split the two ethnic groups of the Tutsi and Hutus, making them identify themselves with ID cards. This caused tension between the two groups as the Belgians favored the ethnic Tutsi, and made them the head of the government. Decade’s later Hutu extremists would take over the government and have revenge on the Tutsi. The new government would send out broadcasts calling on Hutus to kill their friends and neighbors. The Rwandan genocide would become the worst genocide to ever happen in Africa and one of the worst in the world. Today Rwanda’s recovery is surprisingly fast with the help of multiple nations and organizations. Rwanda’s recovery is nothing short of a miracle and is an amazing story of a war between two peoples.

The Rwandan Genocide also is still an existing issue which killed one million people, mostly Tutis and some Hutu’s, continues to be one of the most tragic and memorable events in the contemporary society of Africa. Specifically for those who were involved. Lucie Niyigena, a 70 year old woman who managed to survive the genocide, is still forced to face her fear everyday living beside someone who could have potentially killed a member of her family. This is just one of the still existing hardships for those forced to live it. This problem has not been changed since historical times partly because modern society has chosen not to make the change.

Rwanda is located in East Africa. Rwanda has a population of 12 million people and only 23% of this population has access to the electric grid. Rwanda boarders with Burundi in the south, Democratic Republic of Congo in the west, Tanzania in the East and Uganda in the North. It is a small, densely populated country, with an area of 3/4 of the Netherlands. Rwanda belongs to the 20 poorest countries in the world. However, economic growth was high in recent years, and the prospects for further development are good (World Bank, 2015).

In the memoir We Wish to Inform You that Tomorrow We Will be Killed with Our Families, Philip Gourevitch builds his credibility by essentially stating that, ‘The best reason I have come up with for looking closely into Rwanda’s stories is that ignoring them makes me more uncomfortable about existence and my place in it”, including conversations he has had with authority figures in Rwanda, and the numerous stories collected from victims of the genocide and genocidaires (Gourevitch 20). By stating that Gourevitch would be more disturbed about his place as a human, if he had not collected all of the stories from people that experienced the Rwandan Genocide, it presents his trust in this because he feels as if there is a duty for him to spread

William Hogan Research Paper Help Received: Group Understanding Genocide And Factors That Contribute To It Genocide is important to understand so we can help prevent future violence on humanity. Political, cultural, economic, and ethnicity differences led to terrible modern day genocides in Rwanda and during the Holocaust. Parallels between the Holocaust and Rwandan genocides can be drawn from the role the state played in mobilizing and organizing genocide. “Genocide is a sustained purposeful action by a perpetrator to physically destroy a collectivity directly or indirectly, through interdiction of the biological and social reproduction or group members, sustained regardless of the surrender or lack of threat offered by the victim” (Fein,

The tables were instantly flipped, Tutsis were now seen as cockroaches. Tensions continued to build until In April 1994, the Rwandan president Juvénal Habyarimana plane was shot down. This was the tipping point, and was followed by 100 days of ruthless killings totalling 1 million people, mostly Tutsis. These 100 days have had a lasting impact on the people of Rwanda. Even though now 20 years later the country is stable economically and politically, the terror of the genocide lingers in the memories. Everywhere there are buildings, places, and people that have witnessed the massacre of loved ones. It may have taking a while, but finally Rwanda is again safe for people like Jean who had to flee, to return to their home where most have somewhat forgiven their murdering neighbours, but never forgotten their loved ones. The second article is called Geographic aspects of genocide: a comparison of Bosnia and Rwanda. This article aims to educate the reader on how, and why genocides in the past have occurred from a geographical point of view. The author draws on deep geographical roots in both Bosnia and Rwanda that fueled the

I am pursuing a Bachelors of Arts degree in International Security and Conflict Resolution with a Specialization in Environment and Security because it will further assist me in understanding the different cultural, economic and social dilemmas within global conflicts. After graduating from San Diego State University in 2017, I plan to obtain a Master’s degree in

“I believe the only time we call for intervention is when there is an ongoing genocide” – Bianca Jagger. Looking at the world’s response to the persecution of specific groups of people, the past shows us there is something wrong with how the world views genocide. Of course, any viable human conscience gawks at the news of the most recent minority being wiped out by a ruling power, but this tardy response does nothing to combat the atrocities. Currently, the only response the world implements comes after thousands, or even millions of people have already lost their lives. Truly combating genocide is a battle that must be fought before it ever begins. In partnership with the United States Holocaust Museum, the United States Institute for Peace has developed a program called the Genocide Prevention Task Force. This task force works closely with current government officials to develop a type of plan. A plan that has levels of structure that does more than just respond to future genocide. Spreading the word for prevention though the Genocide Prevention Task Force, will do more to combat genocide than any other approach.

In 1994, one of the most brutal genocides of all time took place in the small country of Rwanda. Over the span of approximately 100 days, 800,000 Rwandans were killed—an average of 8,000 people per day— with Tutsis being the primary target. The staggering numbers called for international intervention, yet the action taken across the world was slim. Samantha Power’s “Bystanders to Genocide” reveals that the U.S.’s handling of the Rwandan genocide under the Clinton Administration was both minimalistic and ineffective. She discusses how the U.S. made full effort to pull out all Americans and then pulled back completely on aid, put their own interests above the needs of the Rwandans, and used the history of a similar situation in Somalia to validate their reluctance to take action. Power’s article presents a strong case for why the action, or lack of action, taken by the U.S. was a poor handling of the situation, but leaves the reader with little understanding of why these decisions were made. By examining the U.S.’s decisions in relation to the ideas that Dalai Lama discusses in “Beyond Religion”, the question of why can be answered. Through this lens one can see that the true reason behind their decisions is a lack of “genuine compassion”. This lacking becomes the basis of their decisions, and becomes a rational for standing by during the murder of 800,000 people.

If indeed I was a critic, they might encounter by some unknown higher government or political official trouble for granting me access. Whether political, post-genocide reconstruction, economic development or social re-development, foreign researchers are put under pressure by Rwandan officials. This has increased since Remaking Rwanda, which Clark (2013) comments enraged Rwandan officials after its publication. Thomson (2013, 3-28) is the most notable example, as she writes of her sentencing to an ingando educational facility while performing research on Rwanda’s post-genocide social reconstruction. Foreign researchers in Rwanda, whether or not they experience the same level of treatment as Thomson, still fear their research being influenced from government restrictions. Some, such as Clark argue that Rwandan intimidation of foreign researchers is not as simple as researchers being watched, restricted or harassed just because they are from outside Rwanda. He argues that research in Rwanda can be conducted without hindrance if special attention is placed on respecting the opinions of Rwandans. He suggests that research methodology, particularly interview questions should be, “discreet, patient and respectful in the field” as well as allowing the researcher to “(build) close relationships with local respondents, researchers and (where possible) government officials” (Clark 2013).

Thus to forestall adverse publicity and, more importantly, activity that could lead to costly work stoppages, HG needed as many local allies as it could get. Getting (and keeping) them, was another key facet of Martin’s job. Martin, though still young by most standards, was well suited to the Ugandan project. After high school, he entered the University of Wisconsin, where he became fascinated with Africa through a course in its pre-colonial history. Graduating with a major in African studies, he served with the Peace Corps in Kenya, where he worked with small business start-ups and took side trips to Ethiopia and Tanzania. Although he loved working in Kenya, Martin developed a disdain for the Western managers and workers who isolated themselves in expatriate ghettos and congregated in the capitals first class hotels. His creed became “Don’t draw attention to yourself and, above all, learn and respect the culture.” At the end of his Peace Corps stint, Martin was determined to return to and work somewhere in Africa. After earning an M.B.A. at the University of Maryland, he took a job with HG, where he worked for two years en project bidding and budgeting. Both when he was hired and when HG became involved in the Ugandan project, Martin made sure his superiors knew he wanted the African assignment.

Genocide is defined by the United Nations as "...acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group..." (UN, 1) While there are many sovereign nations engaged in international politics, only a few engaged (or disengaged) in African politics during the Cold War era. Through realism and liberalism the actions of global leaders and members of the United Nations will be explained and their actions defined that led to the crisis of Central Africa from 1960 through 1994 and ending in Rwanda. These global state actors have an obligation to protect human rights throughout the world, but in 1994 allowed 800,000 ethnic Tutsi to be brutally murdered in their homes and in the streets of a place that once used to be safe. This all occurred because a global power struggle was top priority.

When studying international relations there are six main theories to look at: realism, liberalism, Marxism, social constructivism, poststructuralism, and postcolonialism. These six theories take different approaches to explain various regimes, actions, and events that have occurred around the world throughout time. Not only do these six theories vary by regimes, but also by individuals. For instance, looking at the Rwandan genocide of 1994, it can be argued that the overarching theory to explain it is realism, but notions of liberalism, constructivism, and postcolonialism can also be seen from individuals experiencing it. These four theories are represented in the movie, “Hotel Rwanda.” “Hotel Rwanda” is based off of a true story of a man named Paul Rusesbagina and the hotel he manages, Hotel de Mille Collines. Although not everything depicted in the movie is a real-life event, one is still able to understand how world views can differ from person to person depending on what they were going through during that time. Concepts presented in the movie are concepts that tried to stick to the real events as much as they could. The movie clearly distinguishes the feud between the Tutsi tribe and the Hutu tribe within Kigali. Furthermore, characters Paul Rusebagina, Colonel Oliver, Georges Rutaganda, depict motivating world views. When viewing these three characters and Kigali as a whole, it is evident that not everyone experiencing the same event will view it in the same way.