Another Step in the Right Direction

As you may or may not be aware, the 1994 Rwandan Genocide is a topic about which many of us in the FSWE Group are quite passionate. Today, two more individuals have been found guilty of war crimes. There still is a long way to go, but progress is being made, and that is encouraging.

"Rwandans convicted for war crimes"

If you don't know much about this tragedy, educating yourself will put you on the right path toward becoming a more understanding and effective citizen and FSO.

The quickest introductions:

Hotel Rwanda DVD (movie)
Sometime In April (DVD) (movie)
Ghosts of Rwanda (DVD) (documentary)

Each film has a different perspective on the events that happened, and complement each other beautifully (as if such a word could be used under such circumstances). 'Hotel Rwanda' has a perspective from a popint of safety and security - inside the Hotel Mille Coline; whereas 'Sometimes in April' is the perspective from the outside, a Tutsi sympathizer is ostracized by the army and pursued by Hutu extremists, whose brother is one of the announcers on the 'hate radio'. Lastly, the documentary 'Ghosts of Rwanda' is a view from above - observations from the international community, the observers on the ground in Rwanda (UN, aid workers, NGOs, Red Cross, American Diplomats, etc.), the players who effected policy and the individuals who tried to make a difference in their own small ways.

For more in-depth information:

The Triumph of Evil
Ghosts of Rwanda
Leave None to Tell the Story: Genocide in Rwanda
Other Genocide Links

Recommended Reading:

• Linda Melvern, A People Betrayed: The Role of the West in Rwanda’s Genocide
• Samantha Power, A Problem from Hell: America and the Age of Genocide
• Linda Kirschke, Broadcasting Genocide: Censorship, Propaganda & State-Sponsored Violence in Rwanda
• Philip Gourevitch, We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed With Our Families
• James Waller, Becoming Evil: How Ordinary People Commit Genocide and Mass Killing