The Genocide in Rwanda - 1001 Words

Paul Kagame, the President of Rwanda, once quoted that, â€Å"When we are unified, working together, no challenge is insurmountable† (Arnlaugsdottir). His quote holds meaning and truth as within the past twenty years, Rwanda has worked miraculously to rebuild and reunite the country that was left disheveled by social conflict and genocide. There are many factors that have contributed to the reconstruction of Rwanda, including international assistance, gacaca courts and International Criminal Tribunal, annual commemoration ceremonies, and wellness and counseling efforts. However, the influence and role of women within Rwanda is considered one of the most significant forces and contributors to the unification and restoration of the country. The†¦show more content†¦The genocide greatly impacted women and their roles in society. After the conclusion of the genocide, women of all backgrounds and experiences came together to transform and rebuild Rwanda. After all, women d id make up a majority of the post-genocidal society. As a result, many women have been able to find roles in government and leadership that have enabled them to take a proactive stance to reforming and rebuilding the country. Rwanda could easily be considered one of the world’s leading examples of how empowering women can transform post-conflict societies. In 2003, the women of Rwanda gained a significant achievement in the means of being able to participate in government and reform efforts. A referendum was enacted in the country’s constitution that enforced that 30% representation of women in the levels of government (Powley). In the most recent 2013 election, in the lower house of the Rwandan parliament, women were elected to hold 64% of the seats while women were elected to hold 38.5% of the seats in the upper house (Republic of Rwanda). According to the Republic of Rwanda official website, these statistics rank Rwanda as #1 in the world for the highest number of w omen in parliament. These facts truly highlight the role of women today. As well, the influence of women go beyond political roles as they are also holding crucial positions of leadership in business, education, health, and other sectors affecting the lives of all Rwandans (Republic of Rwanda).Show MoreRelatedRwanda Genocide892 Words   |  4 Pages November 12, 2013 MAHG 5028 Religion and Genocide: Rittner Conversation Starter #12 Rwandan Genocide The Angels Have Left Us by Hugh McCullum, discusses the African tragedy that took place in Rwanda, which resulted in the murder of over one million victims. The Rwanda genocide was between two groups, the Hutu and the Tutsi. Hutu were considered to be the natives and indigenous to the land, where Tutsi were considered to be the non-native settlers who were non indigenous. ThroughRead MoreThe Genocide Of Rwanda Genocide2044 Words   |  9 Pages It is estimated and recorded that, the 1994 Rwanda genocide, resulted to over 800,000 to a million deaths of the Tutsis that where brutally eliminated and murdered. This figure includes men, women and children who constitute three-quarter of the entire Tutsi population and 20% of Rwanda population at large. Rwanda Genocide generated a lot of criticism especially the role of France, the lip service attitude that resulted to the late intervention of the international community after the endRead MoreThe Rwanda Genocide808 Words   |  3 PagesApril 7, 1994 marked the beginning of one hundred days of massacre that left over 800,000 thousand dead and Rwanda divided by a scare that to this day they are trying to heal. The source of this internal struggle can be traced back to the segregation and favoritism established by Belgium when they received Rwanda after the signing of the Treaty of Versailles in 1918. At the time the Rwandan population was 14% Tutsi, 1%Twa, and 85% Hutus; the Belgian’s showed preferential treatment to the Tutsi, whoRead MoreThe Genocide Of The Rwanda Essay2065 Words   |  9 Pages In 1994, Rwanda was a situation of hatred and revenge tailored by European influence that mixed together to form the recipe for Genocide. Classical control of third world nations and exploitation by the west is nothing new. In Africa, the direction of the government is often manipulated by countries that have had historical control over them. The Genocide of Rwanda was a transfer of position that placed the Hutu people in a seat of power over the former rulers, which were the Tutsis elite. ThisRead MoreThe Genocide Of Rwanda s Genocide1624 Words   |  7 PagesThe Genocide in Rwanda INTRODUCTION Genocides happen when ethnic divisions become apparent. Many times, these ethnic divisions were due to colonization from people of different race. These cases are especially true in Africa when Europeans colonized their territory, with clear racial divisions between them (Gavin). These genocides go on because of nations acting on ignorance and refusing to help out the nations in turmoil, allowing the genocides to continue, without wasting their own resources.Read MoreThe Rwanda Genocide Essay1113 Words   |  5 Pagesthe characteristics of the Rwanda Genocide and the Jewish Holocaust. The Rwanda Genocide targeted the Tutsis because of their ethnicity, while the Holocaust targeted the Jews because of their ethnicity and religion. To really understand the Rwandan Genocide and the Final Solution, one must understand the background of the two exterminated peoples. The Tutsis are an ethnic group that resides in the African Great Lakes region. During the Europeans settlements in Rwanda, the colonists need an identifierRead MoreThe Holocaust And The Rwanda Genocide1629 Words   |  7 PagesThe mind of a survivor of genocide can be various, violent, confused, or blank, it can scar the mind indefinitely or not. Not only are the conductors of the kill-spree are scary, but even the victims can be just as terrifying. Two examples of genocide are the Holocaust and the Rwanda Genocide, both of which gives off long ranges of psychological effects on the mind of those who survive. Survivors struggle through the tragic events with the hope they would soon find and be with their loved ones. SoRead MoreChristianity and Genocide in Rwanda800 Words   |  4 Pages Christianity and Genocide in Rwanda by Timothy Longman discusse s the roles of the churches in Rwanda and how their influence might have been able to alter the outcome of the genocide. He discusses the rise of Juvenal Habyarimana in politics with his Catholic background, church and state relations, and obedience to political authority. His slogan â€Å"Peace, Unity, and Development† were his political plans for Rwanda. On April 6, 1994, president Juvenal Habyarimana’s plane was shot down marking the beginningRead MoreHistory Of Rwanda And The Genocide1579 Words   |  7 PagesHISTORY OF RWANDA AND THE GENOCIDE It is believed that the Hutu and the Tutsi were originally one community who shared some value culture and even religion until the colonialist announced their arrival. Rwanda has experienced a disturbing and prolonged cycle of violent conflict since 1959. The conflict which has been characteristically political and socio-economic in nature has played out mainly on the basis of ethnicity and regionalism. It was first German and Belgium colonialism that createdRead MoreGenocide in Rwanda Essay1910 Words   |  8 PagesGenocide is â€Å"the deliberate and systematic destruction of a racial, ethnic, political, or cultural group†. In Rwanda for example, the Hutu-led government embraced a new program that called for the country’s Hutu people to murder anyone that was a Tutsi (Gourevitch, 6). This new policy of one ethnic group (Hutu) that was called upon to murder another ethnic group (Tutsi) occurred during April through June of 1994 and resulted in the genocide of approxi mately 800,000 innocent people that even included