The human capacity to heal and move on amazes me. Every culture deals with things in a
different way. So far we have
overloaded our schedule with lectures and site visits that have left us upset,
confused, frustrated… but the
support of our group is so strong, and we are all really appreciative of that. Visiting so many memorials is
emotionally exhausting. They are
extremely powerful, but something that is still hard to think back on. I find myself sometimes feeling guilty
because if its hard for me to
think about this, I can’t even imagine what it is like to actually go through
the genocide (a word that gets more and more difficult to say or write).
Basket weaving with women who participated in and were victims of the 1994 Genocide
But Rwanda is taking some positive steps forward for
reconciliation for the atrocities commited in ’94. Another site we visited was the Millennium Village. It’s an interesting concept. We drove a ways out of town to a UN
constructed village where survivors and genocidairs come together to live and
work. At first I couldn’t
comprehend how this could be possible, how someone could live alongside someone
who participated in their suffering, but after spending some time there, I was
amazed to see that it’s actually working.
We heard testimonies of two neighbors, one a perpetrator, the other a victim. One has accepted his actions and asked
for forgiveness, the other has accepted her history and chosen to forgive. It is so powerful to see this extreme
concept because it is hard to comprehend it. After such a horrible time though, Rwanda is making positive
steps to achieving peace and nationalism.
The concept of Hutu and Tutsi is no longer accepted; now it is simply Rwandan.
Traditional dancing done by Hutu AND Tutsi children in Millennium Village
We have been here for about a week. A lot of group members are getting sick
or down, so on Saturday we took a spontaneous trip to Lake Kivu. Probably a very good decision. We got to meet with some Peace Corps
volunteers and here their stories, and enjoy boat rides and swimming for a day
of relaxation. We found a cool
island that I would picture to be somewhere in the Bahamas; complete with
volleyball net, lounge chairs, and hammocks. The water was also luxurious and SO CLEAR!
We are all learning so much important information here, and
wonder why we don’t already know it.
Even in the memorial, we were shocked in the exhibit about other
genocides. We didn’t even know
about some of them. I suppose it
connects to the saying “ignorance is bliss” because it’s easy to be happy when
you choose not to look into the issues of the world. However, I would rather be informed than left in the
dark. I think peace is more likely
to be attained when everyone is on board and ready to work for it. But if we don’t know about whats going
on with our fellow human beings in another part of the world, how can we take
any positive steps forward?
It's interesting thinking about the Rwandan Genocide and the conflict(s) in Uganda. I can't help but to wonder how people who experience such horror can move on in their lives. But they do. It is such an inspiring thing. We can learn a lot from them.
ps: Sorry for blog post overload, not having internet, I write them not knowing when they'll get posted... I'm all caught up now though!
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