Ghosts of the Past

I realized I haven’t really spoken about the genocide yet so I’m going to detail you in a little bit. Actually first let me give you a little background for those unaware. In April 1994 Rwanda erupted into genocide as one made up ethnic group the Hutus attempted to execute the Tutsis. This resulted in a month long blood bath of over 1 million deaths. This was a tough 1 million lives too. Many people turned on their neighbors killing their entire family with machetes or blunt objects. For a country with a population of just over 9 million people, this was devastating. Rwanda now has the highest percentage of orphans in the world. They have been at peace for 15 years though. The recovery effort has been phenomenal and in this short amount of time, small land locked Rwanda has become quite an economic powerhouse in east Africa. It pays to be at peace.

People’s feelings and perspectives are all across the board. You have some folks who casually bring it up in conversation and others that are surprised that you are aware that it even happened. On the other hand it is not uncommon while walking down the street to see someone with deep scars or worse as a clear sign of a traumatic past. When speaking to folks the range of discussion is huge. Some people are eager to tell you their story. They know it like a clear picture in their head. They can describe the worse details with vivid imagery that make you want vomit and cry at the same time. I have found this to be true for both sides, not just perpetrators or victims. Some people are fine talking about it but they speak as though it is a distant passing of time with little to no significance even though they acknowledge the severe trauma all around. Some people choose not to speak and I don’t blame them. There is a certain nationalistic pride that is a good shield from the truth. I believe this to be true not only for Rwandese but for Americans too. How often do Americans fully acknowledge the genocide against the Native Americans or the years of slavery fallowing it? Or the existence of secret and not so secret government torture prisons. Evil inhabits all parts of the earth.

Today Rwanda is legally under the phase “we are all Rwandese”. Nobody is allowed to associate with an ethnic group or create divisive behavior. This too has caused mixed feelings. Ethnic tensions can still be felt today as some politely call the all Rwandan policy “bullshit”. Regardless of the mixed feelings, I believe ethnic tensions are down, especially among children. You frequently see children playing with whoever they want without regard to difference. I think the whispers of divided ethnicity have been drowned out by playful laughter. I can only hope that Rwanda continues in this direction.