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On Genocide’s Tenth Anniversary, Reconciliation Programs Promise Recovery, Hope
On April 7, Rwandans observed the ten-year anniversary of the 100-day massacre in which an estimated 800,000 ethnic Tutsis and moderate Hutus were killed by Hutu extremists. Yet as the ceremonies ended, the country continued its collective process of reconciling, recovering and discovering hope.“The West allowed nearly a million people to die for the sake of heartless political expediencies only those in the inner circles of world power can comprehend,” said John Schenk, World Vision communications manager. “There’s nothing to indicate that those priorities are changing. Western leaders ignored Rwanda a decade ago, when they said they weren’t sure what was transpiring, despite obvious evidence to the contrary. And still today they remain largely disengaged from political and social problems that do not align with their own strategic interests.”
Schenk was among the first foreigners to enter Rwanda during the genocide. His original video footage helped break the news of the atrocities to the world. While the footage helped break the story, Schenk paid a personal price. So traumatized by what he witnessed and suffering from post-traumatic stress syndrome, he left Africa for counseling and a new assignment in the United States.
Peace and reconciliation programs like those run by World Vision serve as catalysts, not only for emotional healing, but sometimes, for physical recovery.
To handle the judicial caseload of more than 150,000 people who participated in the genocide, Rwanda re-instituted its traditional court system, called gacaca, to mete out judgments to those participants who were willing to confess their crimes, admit their guilt and attempt to atone for their actions.
For example, one group of 30 perpetrators decided, upon their release, to demonstrate remorse by rebuilding the homes of 50 Tutsi genocide survivors. In response, the survivors not only forgave the participants, but also suggested that the two groups form an association and work together to rebuilt their homes and lives. Both of these groups are graduates of World Vision’s Healing Workshops, and have so far constructed 50 homes.
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