#genprev

[nelsongashagaza]

past and present- strong and hopeful

The last time i found myself in Kamembe, I was just passing thru destination to Kigali from Bukavu (RDC). Few years earlier I had stayed in Kamembe for a month during the genocide. I don’t talk much about my past- as I grow up I know it is important. And somehow Me being here (kamembe) it is feels good and different. Good in the sense- that now I can appreciate the beauty of this place and different because of circumstances. In ’94 I went to Kamembe with a Hutu family (originally from Kamembe but lived in Kigali) that had accepted to take me from my mom. I know for certain- my mom giving me up was the hardest and un-selfish decision she ever had to take but again she had no choice- Just few minutes after Interahamwe left our house in Kimihurura- only Me, My mom and my baby Uncle were the survivors in a house that had 17 people. A UN truck passed by my mom tried to ask them for help. The UN soldier put a gun on her instead of the Interahamwe who were still around. That’s when my mom got it- no UN was going to save Us. She decide to go to our 2 neighbors-Hutu families and asked them to take us. That’s how my uncle, me and my mom we separated. That same night, 2 people were killing in front of the gate of the family that had took me. And next day the father killed someone. Few days later, we went to Hotel Milles collines. We stayed there for few days. Before driving to Kamembe (in Peugeot 305). After arriving in Kamembe the father was active in mobilizing Interahamwe- even a road block was put few meters from the house we lived in. I could see the killing going on by just climbing the gate wall. However at home everything was smooth normal life. So, we ended up going to Bukavu part of Tigi Tigi- the family had connections- we only lived in the camp for only 3 days. And then moved into a house in Bukavu. That’s when I got reminded that I am a Tutsi. I had to suffer. So I started to do all house work, getting beaten and un-nourished. I even end up living in a tree. “You will die slowly”- the wife said. For the last 3 years, I have been trying to track down that family. Unfortunately he refused to meet me or be in contact. He was jailed and then did TIG. I wanted to tell him- that I had already forgiven them. Today, im happy that im here in Kamembe part of the team educating young people about peace, genocide and mass atrocities prevention. I can see a brighter future in young people here!

[rwanda20]

[hfinnie-blog]

Attending the End Genocide Action Summit in Washington, D.C.

Earlier this month, I was honored to attend the End Genocide Action Summit in Washington, D.C. as the Advocacy Training Coordinator for STAND, a student-led anti-genocide organization. The End Genocide Action Summit was the inaugural conference of United to End Genocide, and judging by its success, the conference will be the first of many to come. United to End Genocide is a new and flourishing organization that came to fruition upon the merger of the Save Darfur Coalition and Genocide-Intervention Network. STAND, which is the student-led division of United to End Genocide and boasts over 600 chapters worldwide, focuses not only on the wide array of current genocides, but also on genocide prevention. My involvement with STAND formally began in 2008, when I learnt of the chapter at my high school and joined. However, the mission and importance of STAND has been ingrained within me ever since seventh grade, when I decided to interview my Grandma for a history project. While I was aware that the many of my extended maternal relatives were holocaust survivors, I never really knew their stories and struggles. Interviewing my own Grandmother on such a sensitive subject matter was difficult, to say the least. Then, in my very last question, I asked my Grandma if she forgave the Nazis, the perpetrators of the atrocities she had suffered through for years on end and that continued to haunt her for years to come. Expecting her to immediately dismiss my question, I was astounded when my Grandma answered with a strong and definitive “yes.” My Grandmother’s innate strength to forgive the perpetrators of such heinous crimes serves as daily inspiration and is enough to convince me that, as a human race, we can come together to permanently end genocide. With that one interview, the spark within me had been ignited. Thus, when I stumbled across STAND a few years later, joining the organization was an easy and natural step. In high school, I dedicated much of my time and energy to STAND, bringing speakers to campus, organizing various fundraisers, and raising awareness of genocide on campus. Furthermore, when the opportunity to become more involved in STAND arose near the end of my high school career, I eagerly jumped at the chance. Today, as Advocacy Training Coordinator for the national STAND organization, I help coordinate and execute STAND’s many advocacy efforts. So, what about this conference? In short, it was inspiring. Meeting with activists around the world that share my passion for genocide prevention only built upon my own passion for the cause. Instead of my typical college weekend catching up on sleep, I stayed up until the wee hours of the morning discussing the current situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Burma. Instead of learning about advocacy in my political science class, I witnessed the true meaning of advocacy when STAND constituents met with over one third of the Senate on a single day to make their voices heard. Instead of learning about past genocides and the words of “Never again,” I learned about what anti-genocide activists are doing right now to make those words a reality.

Thus, I am forever grateful for the enduring and inspiring efforts of STAND in the crucial, and often frustrating, fight against genocide. Furthermore, I am indebted to the members of STAND, students from across the globe, who continually reignite the spark within me to carry on my own anti-genocide efforts as a student at Emory University. In the upcoming weeks and months, I hope to revitalize Emory University’s commitment to building a better world by introducing the Conflict Free Campus Initiative.

Originally posted November, 2011 here and here.

[mactoread]

@tedperl: RT @AIPRny: | The Power of Simplicity or the Perils of Oversimplification? - YouTube