A minute of silence for Rwanda

[vonork]

http://edition.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/africa/03/26/rwanda.un.reut/

Annan has designated April 7 the "International Day of Reflection on the Genocide of Rwanda" and supported a request from the Rwandan government that the world observe one minute of silence on that day at 12 noon in each time zone.

So did you know about it, and will you honour it?

 

[Aphex_Twin]

I knew about it but I was reminded by the news. A sad thing stuff like this happend so recently.

Civilization is indeed a very thin layer which peels off just like that.

 

[Double Barrel]

Man, so sad.

So many folks in our pampered societies take everything for granted, like life owes them something and they are entitled.

But, the reality is that we live in a very elite group of humans when taking human history as a whole. We live in the exception to the rule. And the rule is that mankind's history is barbaric and cruel, as evidenced by Rwanda.

Of course a moment of silence in observance is the least we can do, but I wish we could do so much more.

 

[Archer 007]

People can be so cruel.

 

[marioh]

Anyone catch the documentary on FrontLine on PBS regarding the genocide in Rwanda ? It was on last week IIRC.
They had a video of a church where a massacre took place in Rwanda. Very graphic and disturbing images, especially the ones of babies who had their heads bashed in.
Mass graves, bodies stacked on one another....very chilling to see that people are still capable of the most heinous crimes.

 

[amadeus]

This would be even more tragic if this was the exception and not the rule for African states.

 

[Bozo Erectus]

Theres a new African genocide going on at this moment. How can we shed tears for one 10 years ago and blithely ignore todays genocide?

http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=83934

 

[Archer 007]

We shouldn't.

 

[crystal]

I heard that people were slaughtered faster in Rwanda genocide than the Nazis did during WW II. It just demonstrates how thin those "never again" promises were after WW II.

 

[marioh]

It's estimated that over 1 million people were slaughtered in Rwanda.
The head of the UN peacekeeping force in Rwanda at the time says it's the West responsibility (specifically, the USA, UK, and France) for not intervening and trying to stop the massacre.
And quite frankly, I have to agree with him. Empty promises indeed crystal. Maybe the UN and the USA, UK, and France would have cared more if this was happening in an anglo-saxon country or if this was happening to the jews again...


http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/africa/04/06/rwanda.dallaire/index.html

 

[h4ppy]

I won't be, the reason is that being at school at the time would make my silence a detriment to my learning. (and class participation points)

 

[CurtSibling]

'Never Again' only counts when 'national interests' are on the line.

 

[crystal]

Maybe the promise should have been "never again genocides in an industrialized Western country at the heart of Europe if the national interests of US & co. are threatened."

 

[CurtSibling]

That's more like the real world.

 

[Mr Black]

NO WAR on Rwanda!!!

 

[CurtSibling]

A bit late for that...

 

[De Lorimier]

I'm remembered of the genocide every time I hear a comedian from Rwanda who moved in Québec City after the genocide.
His name is Michel Mpambara and he managed to make a comedy routine out of this atrocity and his life in Burundi and Rwanda.

It's sometime weird to listen too because you find yourself laughing at something and then you feel guily for it. But that's the greatest thing comedy can do: make you laugh and think at the same time.

Mpambara achieves both things and makes us realize how precious is free speech and non violence ways to resolve conflicts. We can never forget.

And we have to stop sitting on our asses saying stupid things like "we're used to hearing this kind of stuff coming out of Africa".
The UN, but most importantly its major members, have to do something to prevent future events like this one.

Either that or we'll have to hold more minutes of silence in the near future...

 

[Achinz]

It should remind us of the world's lack of interest and action when the massacres occurred. The mainstream media should really endeavour to be more broad in its focus, particularly on issues like this and particularly in Africa.

 

[Pontiuth Pilate]

The very LEAST we could have done is block the radios calling them to chop up their neighbors. I remember reading some primary sources on a SUNY or WashU site about this.

Basically, the USA and its allies:

1. Refused to acknowledge that genocide was taking place until afterwards.
2. Refused to send troops or reinforcements to aid refugees - although all the troops involved were African.
3. Refused to jam "hate-radio" signals, at a cost of just about zero.

Government documents and communications to prove these assertions.

 

[SeleucusNicator]

Originally posted by Achinz
It should remind us of the world's lack of interest and action when the massacres occurred. The mainstream media should really endeavour to be more broad in its focus, particularly on issues like this and particularly in Africa.

I don't mean to intrude on the love-fest for Rwanda in progress, but why? Events in Africa, by and large, have virtually little to no effect on the lives of the people watching mainstream media sources.