Reaction to Rwanda Project Exhibit's Website

At the request of Abou, who was the first to react, I sent an E-mail to the Holocaust Museum of Houston about the announcement on their website of the current exhibition "Through the Eyes of Children: the Rwanda Project". The exhibit itself looks really interesting, but the phrasiology used on the website seems rather ill-suited... Please read my message to the museum below. Dan "Dear Sir or Madam, This is a little note concerning some phrases used on the webpage (and maybe other communication collaterals?) announcing the exhibit of pictures from child orphans of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsis in Rwanda. As a professional in the field of Holocaust education, and a member of a delegation that visited Rwanda in the context of the official 12th commemoration of the Tutsi genocide, I am very sensitive to the importance of the exactitude of language, when speaking about such dramatic events. In our field of work, misformulations can be and are sometimes used as justifications of genocide denial propaganda. And to survivors of both genocides alike, words are not inconsequential. Therefore, I would like to react to the following paragraph: "As a result of ethnic clashes between the Hutu and Tutsi populations, the 1994 genocide left nearly 1 million people dead in approximately 100 days and caused the flight of 2 million internally displaced persons and 2 million refugees." The 1994 genocide in Rwanda was perpetrated by Hutus against Tutsis, and cannot be bluntly considered to be the result of clashes between two ethnic groups. In contrast, it is the result of ideological brainwashing and progressive, systematic governmental measures meant to destroy the entire Tutsi population of Rwanda with the help of the army, the Hutu militias, and the population's entire Hutu majority. It is true that there were clashes between rebel factions of Tutsi refugees from bordering countries and the National Rwandan Army. But these clashes only served as a partial pretext, and not as a cause, to commit the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi inhabitants (men, women, babies, and elderly people alike) of Rwanda. The phrasing used on the website blurs this distinction between victims and perpetrators; between civilian targets and rebel fighters. It might even seem to support a popular genocide denial theory, according to which the 1994 genocide against the Tutsis happened simultaneously with a genocide by Tutsis against the Hutus - the two elegantly balancing each other off. Therefore, I encourage you to reformulate the phrase used on the webpage of the exhibit, and maybe in other material used to promote it. I stay at your disposal for any reaction."

Darfur

More on the situation in Darfur (from various sources, compiled by Zola, 9 years old. For more information on Zola's Darfur action, contact Adam Mouchtar at EUJS):

“DO NOT WAIT! The people of Darfur need YOU now! They need food, and help to stop the violence, so they will not die! Please help them, by signing a postcard asking our government to do more to help stop the crisis!”

Zola, 3^rd Grader

DARFUR FACTS

1. 400,000 people in Darfur have died since February, 2003 because of a war.

2. More than 2 million people in Darfur have been forced to leave their homes, and they are hungry and homeless.

3. 10,000 – 15,000 people in Darfur are passing away every month from violence and starvation.

STORY OF DARFUR

There has been a war in Darfur, which is part of Sudan. People have been, and are still poisoning the Sudanese people of Darfur’s water and are killing and hurting them. The Sudanese people of Darfur have been forced to leave their towns and villages.

These people who have been killing, hurting and poisoning the Sudanese people of Darfur’s water, and much more, are called the “JANJAWEED.”

A peace agreement was made in early May, 2006, but the war is still going on, and the people of Darfur still need protection to stay safe. They need water, they need food, and, when the “Janjaweed” leave, they need help to rebuild their villages.

President Bush has asked Congress and the United Nations to help.

YOU can help too, by signing one or more postcards. We will send the postcards to important people in the U.S. government. The postcards are to try to persuade the U.S. government to continue efforts and increase support to help save the people of Darfur.

Zola, 3^rd Grader. Story based on various sources

“They always say peace is coming. But we are still waiting.”

Comment of Aisha Adam Moussa, Darfur (source: NY Times 5/14/06)

The janjaweed told us, “You are slaves, we will finish you.”

Comment of Hussein Ahmed Abdulla, Darfur (source: NY Times 5/14/06)

Darfur Action 29/06/06

Retiens ton souffle pour Darfour

Un événement simultané à New York, Kigali et Bruxelles

Pendant qu'un peuple est en train de mourir dans la région de Darfour au Soudan, le monde se tient prêt et retiens son souffle.

Diverses ONGs et politiciens retiendront leur souffle en même temps à New York, Bruxelles et Kigali comme un symbole contre la passivité de la communauté internationale et pour rappeler la lutte pour la vie qui est en train de se dérouler actuellement au Darfour.

A Bruxelles, nous nous réunirons en face du Palais de Justice à 18h00 le 29 Juin 2006

A voir SVP : www.holdyourbreathfordarfur.com

L'événement à Bruxelles est initié par l'Union Européenne des Etudiants Juifs (EUJS) et le Cercle des Etudiants Rwandais de Belgique

Hold your breath for Darfur

A simultaneous event in New York, Kigali and Brussels

While people are dying on a daily basis in the Darfur region of Sudan, the world is standing by and holding its breath.

A variety of NGOs and politicians will hold their breath simultaneously in New York, Brussels and Kigali as a symbol against the passivity of the world community and to remind of the struggle for life itself in Darfur.

Brussels will meet in front of the Palais de Justice at 18:00 on June the 29^th

Please also check: www.holdyourbreathfordarfur.com

The event in Brussels is initiated by the European Union of Jewish Students and the Cercle des Etudiant Rwandais de Belgique

Poème: Ecris (Write)

(Poem by Synthia Sully – translation below)

De retour du Rwanda, l’écriture s’est s’imposée à moi de façon encore plus troublante que la simple rédaction du cahier de bord que je tenais pendant notre voyage. Puisque cette expérience vous l’avez partagé avec moi, à mon tour j’ai envie de partager avec vous ce que j’ai écrit, j’ai donc choisi arbitrairement un texte parmi les autres, car il y en a d’autres. Je vous embrasse tous très chaleureusement.

Synthia S.

ECRIS

Ecris-moi,

Je suis le Rwanda ! Ecris-moi

Ecris que je suis là, écris que je suis en toi !

Je suis le Rwanda, dis leur que je suis collines et lacs

Dis leur que je suis forêt et fleuves

Dis leur que je suis la source du Nil

Dis leur bien que je ne suis plus guerre et génocide

Dis leur bien que je ne suis guère fratricide

Même si j’étais naguère enfanticide

Je suis le Rwanda, dis leur que je suis Imidiho (danses) et Umuduri (art musical)

Dis leur que je suis Intore (danseur) et Ruharage (tambour)

Dis leur que je suis Inanga (cithare)

Ecris-moi,

Je suis le Rwanda ! Ecris-moi

Ecris que je suis là, écris que je suis en toi !

o

WRITE

Write me,

I’m Rwanda ! Write me

Write I’m here, write I’m in you

I’m Rwanda, tell them I’m hills and lakes

Tell them I’m woods and rivers

Tell them I’m the source of the Nile

Tell them again I’m not any more war and genocide

Tell them again I’m not any more fratricide

Even if i were in the past enfanticide

I’m Rwanda, tell them I’m Imidiho (dances) and Umuduri (music)

Tell them I’m Intore (dancer) et Ruharage (drum)

Tell them I’m Inanga (zither)

Write me,

I’m Rwanda ! Write me

Write I’m here, write I’m in you

o

Synthia Sully

Photo: Kimironko 2

(Picture and comments by Lily Igihozo, translated by Alex Singer)

Kedrup Gatete et les enfants Kimironko, 30 mars 2006

(Kedrup à droite, entouré d’enfants du village de Kimironko.)

Kimironko, un quartier dans la banlieue de Kigali, où habitent plus de 80 «familles recomposées», exclusivement constituée d’orphelins du génocide. Ils étaient pour la plus part mineurs en 1994. Le génocide a laissé plusieurs millions d’enfants orphelins au Rwanda. Ils jouent, ils dansent, ils chantent comme des enfants tout simplement!

Kedrup Gatete and the children Kimironko, March 30th, 2006

(Kedrup to the front right, surrounded by children of the Kimironko village.)

Kimironko is an area in a suburb of Kigali where more than 80 'reconstructed families' live, made up exclusively of orphans of the genocide. They were mostly very young children in 1994. The genocide left several thousand orphaned children in Rwanda. Today they play, they dance, and they sing, just like all children do!

Photo: Kimironko

Lily Igihozo, Regards des orphelins Kimironko, 2 avril 2006 (Orphelins chef de ménage de Kimironko)

Kimironko, un quartier dans la banlieue de Kigali, où habitent plus de 80 «familles recomposées», exclusivement constituées d’orphelins du génocide. Ils étaient pour la plupart mineurs en 1994. Le génocide a laissé plusieurs millions d’enfants orphelins au Rwanda.

Regards de Kimironko. La vie est un combat quotidien pour sortir de la misère, quel que soit l’âge, le sexe et même avec la présence providentielle d’une grand-mère.

Photo: Mémorial de Ntarama Memorial

(Picture by Dan; comments by Caroline) Le mémorial de l'église catholique de Ntarama 1er avril 2006 (à gauche: Géraldine du mémorial de Gisosi; à droite: Jean-Marie Muyango) Ntarama, aux portes du site dans la region du Bugesera. 5000 personnes ont été tuées dans les environs de cette église. The memorial of the Ntarama roman catholic church April 1st, 2006 (left: Géraldine of the Gisosi memorial site; right: Jean-Marie Muyango) Ntarama, standing at the gates of the site in the Bugesera region. 5000 persons were killed in the surroundings of this church.