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How to use Media to promote justice and reconciliation.

The Media is a tool that was once used for very bad reasons. It spread hate, raw messages, and discrimination. In the western world, many were misinformed from their own media. The Rwandan Genocide was shut out from the world where no one knew about it. Assumptions were made. The world unknowingly turned its back on Rwanda and this action can never be taken back.

Now, there is a way to help bring attention to the topic. Many movies such as Hotel Rwanda are informing and spreading the news of the Rwandan Genocide. Songs, class projects, charities, donations. With so many options to help promote justice and reconciliation, the media is an important tool to be used.

In order for an issue like this to never happen again the world needs to know that people care. Help prevent the next genocide by paying attention to this genocide.

Spread the word.

The Aftermath of the Genocide

By the end of the Rwandan Genocide, over 800,000 estimated people had been killed (mainly men). Today, adult males make up about 20% of the population. Many families' adult figures are women.

Nearly 100,000 estimated children were left orphaned after the genocide. Most of them are scattered throughout 42,000 households where the head of the house could be 9-10 years old.

The U.N. established the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. Nearly 120,000 Rwandan people were jailed due to suspicions of participation in the genocide.

The Rwandan Patriotic Front

The Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) was a Tutsi-led militia. Their leader was Paul Kagame. Their goal was to overthrow President Habyarimana so they could return to their homeland.

This threat was exploited by the Hutus to recruit more followers and to punish Tutsis.

After the threats from the RPF, Habyarimana's plane was shot down. The group who did this was not comfirmed but it was one of the first stepping stones to the genocide.

The Interahamwe

The Interahamwe is a word meaning "those who attack together". It is a civilian militia, including youths. They were very organized and supported the Hutu regime. A typical weapon wielded by the Interahamwe was the Machete, a long cleaver-like knife measuring over 20 inches in length. This weapon was so intimidating that victims that had money would often pay to die from a bullet.

The Interahamwe murdered not only Tutsis but moderate Hutus as well. An example of a moderate Hutu was prime minister Agathe Uwilingiyimana who was murdered. The U.N. troops used to guard her were killed, prompting Belgium to withdraw remaining troops from Rwanda.

Background Information on the Rwandan Genocide

In 1884, leaders from 14 colonial powers held the Berlin Conference, where they divided Africa into 50 countries and claimed them for themselves. The divisions were very crude and with little to no consideration of the common culture, history, and language shared by the African people.

The region that became Rwanda was given to Germany although after World War I, Belgium gained control of Rwanda. The Belgians wanted great control of Rwanda so in order to get it, they divided the unified Rwandan population into three groups: the Tutsi, Hutu, and Twa. In order to classify who was who, the Belgians had very strict regulations as to certain physical features. The Tutsi were thought to be a superior group by the Belgians as the Tutsi were more physically "white" looking than the other groups.

Since the Tutsis were thought to be more superior, the Belgians put the Tutsis in power over the other groups. They encouraged differences by discriminating against the Hutus and Twa. The Hutus, who made up 85% of the Rwandan population, were denied higher education, ownership of land, and political positions. Their resentment was ever-growing.

Tutsis wanted to have independence and were becoming more aggressive to overthrow Belgian rule totally.

In 1959, violence erupted between the Tutsi and Hutu. The Hutus overthrew Tutsi rule, declared an independent republic, and elected Greg wa Kayabanda as President. Tutsis were killed in the masses during the transition of Tutsi to Hutu rule. Hutus were very mad and seeking vengeance from the unfair treatment that the Tutsis had shown them.

The Hutus readied an army to carry out a massive genocide and while doing so, used the media to portray the Tutsi very poorly. They distributed lists of people to be killed, used the radio to broadcast messages of hate, and encouraged the killing of Tutsis and anyone opposing the Hutu regime.

The killings began the night that the Rwandan President Habyarimana was killed. His plane was shot down near Kigali Airport. The Hutu extremists that supported the President are believed to have commited the crime in order to prevet the President from signing peace agreements although it is not known for sure.

Some tools of Genocide were:
-Assassinations
-Death lists
-Hate Propaganda
-Demonizing
-Civilian Militias
-Rape