Today is Genocide Memorial Day and marks the beginning of a week of national mourning and a month of commemorations in Rwanda. There is a long and complicated history with horrific and crippling outcomes.
Rwanda is the size of Vermont but in the beginning of 1994 there were approximately 5 million people. Starting on April 7th, in the span of 100 days almost a million people were murdered at a rate of one murder every 10 seconds.
The BBC has an interesting website dedicated to the topic with articles and links to videographic histories, all of which have helped our education: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-13431486. There are also many books written.
From reading, observing, and listening to people from all walks of life and perspectives, there remains exceeding complexity. Trauma and healing. Hatred and forgiveness. Communication and control. Fear and hope.
Our perspective after albeit just a short time here is that the genocide is regularly recognized and discussed. While it colors daily life, it certainly does not dominate it. There is certainly no discussion of Tutsi or Hutu. It is not discussed or asked, and people do not identify that way. According to one of the military officers with whom I (now Campbell writing) spoke, many are careful not to say anything that might even be misconstrued as sympathetic to the genocide or discriminatory. On the one hand, this may be important for reconciliation, but, on the other, it seems to raise questions of the freedom of speech, and I wonder about how free people are to heal and try to reconcile this atrocity in a way that bests suits them as individuals.
As previously posted, we took the opportunity to take one of our weeks of travel during genocide week. So, as outsiders out of the country this week, we don’t have much to report, and our opinions are admittedly superficial. However, last week at the hospital, genocide week was definitely a topic of conversation. I sat in with Vincent during a mid clerkship feedback session with about 35 4th and 5th yr students. (Med school combined with university is a 6yr program here.) As an aside, I learned a lot from listening to Vincent. He solicited feedback so directly, while admonitioning the students to take advantage of every opportunity to learn. “This is not time to zig zag but only move straight ahead.” Anyway, I bring up this session as it relates to genocide week because the last item on the agenda was a reminder to care for one another and to be supportive. “Some will be weak during these two weeks because they have to. It is upon us to support them and help them through so they are not left behind,” he told them. There was genuine concern, experience, and wisdom in Vincent’s words and tone. I was left with two thoughts. First, the palpable, very real impact of the genocide that persists. Most of the students were quite young in 1994 (probably 5 yo or so). Second, Vincent continues to impress me with the genuine concern for his students, his dedication the the academic mission (unfortunately, as time passes here, I think he stands in contrast to a lot of his colleagues in this regard), and generally his kindness and sense of purpose.
This continues to be a wonderful experience for us all. Learning about the genocide, as outsiders, of course generates more questions than answers. While we in the US have our own issues, genocide is gratefully not one. Considering the genocide affirms how lucky we are to have, just by happenstance, been born into circumstances where we have not had to deal with these same atrocities.
The rest of the world did a terrible thing by doing nothing during the 100 days of the genocide. There is shame there.
We know we will never understand what this nation went through and continues to struggle with. We have deep respect and awe for the healing process the nation of Rwanda is undergoing. There is hope there.
Jenny and Campbell
P.s. We leave you with an pictorial summary:
https://www.behance.net/gallery/19704467/Rwandan-Infographic
levys in rwanda 
These are shocking historical facts of the worst atrocities man can commit. We must recognize that in our country the covert (and not so covert!) racism and xenophobia is on the same spectrum of evil.
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