Reflections on Rwanda and the Desire to Prevent further Atrocities

The genocide in Rwanda - image from nigertiaintel.com

Rwanda, the horrors of the genocide that took place two decades ago, is now at the forefront of the UN – an organization that barely mentioned the slaughter of three-quarters of a million people. (Time Magazine) The fact that so few of those outside of the media are only peripherally aware of this event, is a testament to the ages of mans lack of knowledge or avoidance of such, when horrific events spurred on by power, greed, and corruption take place. It was in correspondence with a friend that this subject came up, and understanding a lack of understanding was saddening. Those that look to cast blame, for example blaming the Catholic Church for its failure at the time (the Guardian), are seeking any and all who may have intervened, or even, in cases had employees or members who were complicit as they were in the country. When incomprehensible acts take place, there is a need to explain it away, by placing blame, rather than looking at the roots of all evil.

Suggesting that there are roots of evil, greed, power, corruption, lack of oil (the excuse as to why the U.S. did not intervene), apathy, lack of knowledge, and an aversion to looking at hard facts, is, unfortunately a constant in our world.



Armenian Genocide - Iraq - from helian.net

When Hitler murdered the Jews in the Holocaust, it was not so much that other governments were not aware, it was a similar situation, wars, internal, regardless of the type, are to be avoided. They simply make politicians look bad, or there is no taste for conflict in a nation’s people. It is man’s inhumanity to man, a trite phrase that is mostly true that allows such events to unfold and take place. Inhumanity, either through direct involvement or a lack of involvement, is the root cause, not a single organization or a single country is to blame – all are to blame.

In life’s lessons, God would suggest following a simple dictate (commandment) that would solve all problems, and lead to world peace – “love thy neighbor as thyself”. Perhaps loving one’s neighbor and thereby stopping horrific crimes against innocents is improbable given the nature of the beast, but not impossible given a root in faith, which, is sadly lacking in so many.