Rwanda - The country of 'thousand hills'!

Hello All,

Hello from Kigali! Our first day was in the city was beyond amazing: we spent and entire morning in Nyamirambo and at the Nyamirambo Women's Center. Please check it out if you can. It is managed by single mothers who empower other women - and teens - and, in addition, organized a community library in the suburb. Wow, what a place.

In the afternoon we visited the Kigali Genocide Memorial as well. Please check it out; it's an amazing and powerful site where we were taught by staff about the genocide in Rwanda. The memorial also contains murals about other known genocides committed mostly in the 20th century including those committed in the Balkans, Cambodia and during WWII. Once again, it is a very somber space, which further includes mass graves of identified and unidentified victims as well - including, and I am so sorry to say, children, and babies!

It is hard to say much more after those last sentences, but it is amazing to see that there is a spirit of progress here in Rwanda. To the question, 'what advice do you have for other societies which struggled with genocide and are attempting to move on?', the response was, among other advice, we were told 'people need to know that moving on is possible.' Rwanda is a testament to that - that moving on is possible, even after a horrible set of circumstances the local here were faced in the 1990s.

We have much to learn from Rwandans, and about Rwanda. Speak with you soon... :)

Peace!

Laszlo

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Day 2

Dear All,

Thank you for following this blog. We had a very intense and powerful day today. In the morning we started our day at the Rebero Genocide Memorial where Hutu and other politicians who opposed the genocide are buried. As you may know the Hutu 'ethnic' group committed genocide against the Tutsi group in the 1990s. However, not all Hutus were spared; members of the so-called 'caretaker' government were, in fact, killed just before the 'Arusha Accords' were signed by the Rwandan Patriotic Front - whose military leader Paul Kagame is the current President of the country - and the government of the Hutu Juwenal Habyarimana, whose plane was shot down on return from Arusha. The caretaker government contained Hutus who were also killed. Among those buried was the President of the Constitutional Court of the country, and other MPs, a hotel owner, and a journalist. They are considered national heroes, and are buried with a number of other Rwandan citizens at Rebero.

We also heard two incredibly important lectures at the University of Rwanda, by a representative of the Rwanda Institute for Sustainable Development (RISD) and a Professor specializing in reconciliation. It was great to hear the extent to which civil society is involved in SD.

In the afternoon, we had lunch at Lakeside Fish Farm which is a farm that is quite self-sufficient. It harvests tilapia and catfish to be sold in markets and stores. The farm contains other farm animals such as cow, goats, pigs, poultry, rabbits, guinea pigs, and a fly-hatching area as well! :)

Finally, we made our way to Ntarama Memorial. This experience was short and intense; the memorial houses a church - and associated mass graves - where a number of Tutsi individuals sought refuge before being killed by the genocidaires. The church contained the clothes of the victims, skulls, bones, shoes, other personal items the victims brought to them to the church. It also included 'sippy cups' - this was incredible difficult to see, and process! We also saw the mass graves of some of the victims...in the words of a colleague, it was a very powerful experience!

Thank you again for reading. The pictures will be available on my FB and Instagram pages.

Tomorrow, Wednesday, I will not be able to connect as we will be staying at an Eco-Lodge prior to visiting Akagera National Park.

See you soon again

Laszlo

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Days 3 and 4

Hi All,

There was such a contrast in our programming on Tuesday compared to Wednesday. On Tuesday, we met with staff at the Dutch Ambassador's residence where we were welcomed very, very warmly. Given that we arranged the visit with the embassy on a visit on a very, very short notice, our visit, the welcome and, of course, the discussion were all exceptional. The Ambassador welcomed us, and then we discussion a variety of topics, including the Dutch diaspora in Canada. Our visit was truly incredible! Dankje vel! :)

Following the high level visit, we continued on to COPORWA, and NGO which is engaged with the 'Twa' ethnic group - the indigenous group in Rwanda - in ensuring that their rights are voiced, and recognized.

After lunch we proceeded to Kayonza, and the reconciliation village, where we met, spoke with, and encouraged former survivors AND perpetrators, who now live side-by-side. This experience was very moving and powerful. More on this below...

Following the visit to the village, we all got a COVID-19 test - which we all passed - and then travelled to Discover Rwanda Kayonza Eco-Lodge/Women’s Opportunity Centre (WOC) where we had an amazing dinner, a few drinks (!), and chatted about the day's events, but also about comparative political theory: institutions, ideas and interests. If things progress this way, this visit to Rwanda is turning into a sort of professional development for the three leaders.

Today, Wednesday, we 'took the day off' and spent the day in Agakera National Park! The visit included a safari-type ride - about 3 or so hours long - during which we saw incredible wildlife: giraffes, water buffalos, African fishing eagles, zebras, buffalos, a leopard and baboons! Please see the pictures on my FB page. We also saw a demonstration or two by the K9 unit of the park rangers whose task is to protect the wildlife in the 1000+ square kilometer park bordering Tanzania. Poaching is now reduced to minimum numbers due to the security measures implemented by the Park.

So, how to make sense of all of this? As I mentioned earlier, the programs we took part in on Tuesday versus those we participated in on Wednesday were very contrasting, and for good reasons. On Tuesday, we spoke with foreign government officials who are very engaged - and in tune - with what is taking place in Rwanda, and who have a vested interest in ensuring that Rwanda is encouraged to continue on this nearly unbelieve path to progress, given that the genocide took place mere 29 years ago. It is difficult to meet individuals here who have not been impacted by the genocide. Our guide today at the National Park was a survivor! The effects of the genocide - the personal and the social effects - can certainly be felt. However, Rwanda is developing - more so in Kigali than in the country side, but even in the country side, there are signs of economic, but most certainly, social progress. Reconciliation is perhaps winning the proverbial 'race' here - if we can call it as such, and we really should not. Economic development and reconciliation are on a parallel track here. It is truly empowering to see how the country has progressed economically, but it is very inspiring to see how individuals have moved on personally. As we found out at the Reconciliation Village, survivors and perpetrators had to make extremely difficult choices, and their lived continue to be impacted by the past - emotionally, mentally and physically. But they are trying to move on, and in fact have moved on - as much as it seems possible. It seems to be the case that the choice to move on - to talk about what happened, even if someone was raped, was impregnated, left for a refugee camp in the Congo, returned, to find out that she was HIV positive, or to confess that someone killed an elderly man, three families and was responsible for the death of the parents of the very person who is providing opportunities for healing to this perpetrator - was a personal decision. As we found out from the individuals we met here, in some cases it had to be a personal decision because otherwise the anger, and the hate would destroy the person who felt those feelings, or perhaps it was to raise a child, or to reunite with family; the choice was personal, and the social structures encouraged - and continue to encourage - reconciliation, forgiveness, and moving on.

Rwanda is a complex mosaic of economic progress given what took place 29 years ago, reconciliation, remembrance, personal struggles to live with the past but in the present, but also hope, kindness and hospitality. Rwanda's brand - if we can call it that - of dealing with a mass atrocity, and genocide in particular, is an extremely complex and interesting puzzle which we will not solve by Sunday, but will most certainly uncover a number of additional pieces to it.

Wishing you a wonderful evening as we are certainly having one here in Kigali!

Laszlo :)

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Days 5, 6 and 7

Hello All,

Thanks for your patience; we were in quite weak wifi zones and so I was not able to update the blog. Lots has happened since day 4 so let's get to it. What you will see below is first a quick summary of where we were, and what we did. The second part of this blog then will contain my - and some of our collective - impressions of Rwanda, the people, the reconciliation process, and of course a few-things-Rwandan that we have seen and experienced in short 7 days.

On day Thursday, which was our day 5 here, we visited SURF, and NGO which provide - and provided - a multitude of health care services and training to Rwandans after the Genocide. They are still very active. In the afternoon we visited the Ministry of National Reconciliation and Civic Engagement (note the name), and 'Never Again Rwanda', a very well-organized and funded NGO which, among other initiatives, empowers youth in high school to voice their opinion and take part in leadership activities. Thursday was a very busy day given what entities we visited. Speaking with two NGOs, and then officials from the government was extremely informative. Government officials provided us with a very comprehensive and cohesive account of what has taken place in Rwanda not only during the genocide but before it, and since 1994 as well. The presentation was very clear and comprehensive. The two NGOs provided exceptional overviews of their work, and Never Again Rwanda acted quickly and linked up with us on LinkedIn and on Twitter as well. The ministry staff did the same and so we were very well received.

On Friday, we travelled to Bisesero which is near Lake Kivu. So, when it comes to the natural environment, Rwanda can be very easily called the 'Switzerland' of Africa. There really are a thousand and one hills, the lake is so beautiful - it borders the Democratic Republic of Congo, formerly Zaire. We could actually see the mountains on the other side of the lake. Our intention was the visit the mountain community of Bisesero, but we ended up going for a nice mountain walk, and then had some refreshments in Mugabo, and...yours truly sang the 'Moose Song' for the children of the town who were walking home from school. :) So, basically their image of Canadians might involve tall people singing songs to unsuspecting pupils - on the street. :) Sorry folks, never mind our humanitarian efforts across the globe, etc... :) In the evening we ended up in a lake-side town of Kibuye where we stay the night. The lake-side was amazing and it is most certainly worth to visit! (I also had a close encounter with a sort-of cat-like animal on the way from the restaurant to my room at the end of the night, but decided not to press the issue, nor did I investigate what it was, and kept casually walking to my room. :))

Yesterday, Saturday, we drove back from Kibuye, stopped at Nyamata Memorial, had an amazing lunch at a hotel, and then headed to the Joy Center, a vocational school, owned by our local contact Ben. Not even running out of gas, nor the fact that the vehicle broke down, could stop us from playing soccer with the high schoolers. (No, we did not win...at all! :)) We then headed for dinner with an entrepreneur, and about 3.5 hours later (!) we retired for the night.

Today, Sunday, we went to the parliament building which served as a base for the Patriotic Front of Rwanda (RPF) during the genocide. One of its generals, Paul Kagame, is the current President of the country.

So, how to make sense of all of this: well, it will take a long time. But there are a number of impressions that are left on me, and us - emotionally and mentally. Rwandans are very, very friendly and they are also very humble. It is very apparent that they went through something that evades humanity, something that escapes human comprehension and emotion. They know this, and they are living with this. It is hard to meet anyone who has not been impacted by the genocide. Most, if not all, our guides, contacts, etc. have been personally impacted by the Genocide (note the spelling) in horrendous ways. But they choose to move on; some of them consider forgiveness as a weapon - a sort of weapon against being completely drained of life because of anger, hatred and even suspicion. They have taken the high road, but they also know - at least some of them - that it was hardly humanly possible. Now, they embrace the perpetrators; the victims and the perpetrators marry each other, they live together, and they socialize together. This entire process is beyond remarkable; it's certainly beyond comprehension. Rwandans are not multi-ethnic - there is no emphasis on ethnicity - but they are quite multi-confessional. Christians and Muslims live side-by-side and consider themselves Rwandan. Seemingly, threats to society originate from outside the country, from those who have fled and have established Genocide-denier factions in the DRC, for example. And to note, denying the genocide is against the law here, and is punishable with - I believe - jail time.

Nature, as you might have seen, is incredibly beautiful; it is very hard to take a bad photo of in the country! Lush, rolling hills - and mountains - are everywhere, as far as the eye could see. There is a significant difference between the economic conditions of those who live in the country versus those who live in Kigali, or bigger towns. But there is tremendous progress here - especially if the 1990s are taken as the baseline. The country is very clean as well; they spend days every month cleaning up the entire country, and plastic bags are banned in the country.

It will be very difficult to leave tonight, but perhaps its just means that we need to come back! :)

Speak with you soon,

Laszlo