Honoring Life

Here at PeaceTalks we are committed to finding unique and creative ways that people are working towards reconciliation. The Book of Life, started by Odile Katese, is one example of the creative healing processes being taken up in Rwanda.

Although Ms. Katese was in exile at the time of the genocide, the pain and trauma from the genocide was still very evident upon her return. A truth commission had been established and a number of memorials to the victims had been erected, but it was clear that the survivors still needed a way to connect with their loved ones and honor their lives. The Book of Life was born out of this need. In 2009, she began a collection of letters written by orphans, widows, and perpetrators of the genocide to their loved ones who were killed. By remembering the lives of the victims and not just their deaths, this project seeks to help put a “human face” to the genocide anniversary commemorations each year.[1]

In addition to collecting letters from those within Rwanda, Ms. Katese plans to collect 100 letters from 100 countries around the world, each addressed to a victim of the genocide. These letters will be compiled into a book that is due to be released in 2014, which will mark the 20^th anniversary of the genocide. They will also be recorded and aired on local, national, and international radio broadcasts throughout the 100 days of the genocide in commemoration.

This project is truly a unique one that is seeking to help heal the deep wounds still present in Rwanda. We are so excited about the work Ms. Katese is doing and look forward to seeing how this project grows and impacts the people of Rwanda!

For more information about The Book of Life, visit Rwanda Professional Dreamers.

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[1] http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=41754&Cr=rwanda&Cr1=

In Their Own Words

“Reconciliation brings enemies together to confront the painful and ugly past, and to collectively devise a bright future. It brings together communities in conflict to tell the truth about all past human rights violations and to create a society where they can live in peace with one another. It requires coming together and listening with compassion to one another’s stories – something that is desperately needed in Rwanda, where the lives of Hutu and Tutsi are so intimately bound together.”

Joseph Sebarenzi

from God Sleeps in Rwanda

Rwanda Remembers

Today marks the 18^th anniversary of the beginning of the Rwandan genocide. For 100 days, Tutsis and moderate Hutus were systematically murdered, beginning in Kigali and spreading throughout the entire country. Despite nearly two decades of reconciliation work from the grassroots level and government statements that the nation is “reconciled,” there are still deep wounds from this atrocity. Our hearts are with the people of Rwanda today as they commemorate this important anniversary.

 Photo credit: BBC http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/1288230.stm

"History Highlight": Civil War, 1990-1994

We’ve had ongoing discussions here at Peacetalks over the past few weeks about the very complicated history of Rwanda. In trying to understand the genocide, it has become clear that there is a very long and complicated history involving the Hutus and Tutsis. At the risk of being too simplistic, we will begin a series in our blog called “History Highlights” in which we will dive a little deeper into the history of the conflict, not just during the genocide but also before and after 1994.

Although there is much history behind ethnic tensions in Rwanda, the most immediate cause of the genocide was the civil war in Rwanda that began in 1990. A group of Tutsis who had been exiled from Rwanda between the 1960s and 1980s formed the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) in 1986. In October 1990, the RPF invaded Rwanda to try to gain control from the Hutu government. Although ceasefires were signed several times, the Rwandan military continued to train troops, and in 1993 the RPF launched a new series of attacks.

Rwandan Patriotic Front

Photo credit: BBC (http://news.bbc.co.uk/olmedia/660000/images/_664863_rpf300.jpg)

In August 1993, President Juvenal Habyarimana and the RPF sign a peace accord that would allow for a power-sharing government model. However, by March 1994, the incumbent government had been stalling on the implementation of the agreement. In addition, the Rwandan radio station RTLM (Radio Television Libre des Mille Collines), which was established in July 1993, began broadcasting increasingly hateful propaganda against Tutsis and moderate Hutus.

On April 6, 1994, the plane carrying President Habyarimana and the president of Burundi was shot down over Kigali. Although it is not clear who is responsible for shooting down the plane, this is considered the start of the genocide. Once the death of the president was announced, the RPF launched new attacks and extremist Hutus began systematically killing Tutsis and moderate Hutus. 

President Juvenal Habyarimana

Photo credit: The Hague Justice Portal (http://www.haguejusticeportal.net/index.php?id=109220

In the coming weeks, we will have additional posts about Rwanda’s history, including more about the history of ethnic tensions, the RPF, and the role of the media in inciting the genocide. We will also explore efforts at reconciliation after the genocide, such as the International Criminal Tribunal and a number of other government initiatives. Stay tuned for more information, and feel free to contact us if there are any aspects of Rwanda’s history you’d like us to explore with you!