The other day, having found myself with some time to kill in a big city, I wandered into a little secondhand bookstore. Browsing aimlessly for quite a while, I was pleasantly surprised to stumble upon a small section dedicated to African history.  Picking up one of the books, I was shocked and very happy to be holding a copy of We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed with Our Families: Stories from Rwanda, by Philip Gourevitch.

I had the sudden urge to run over and push it into the hands of the woman lingering over by the window and tell her that she had to read it. Instead I got a little crafty. I built a pyramid of books and placed it at the very top, hoping that it would grab people’s attention. It was an inukshuk of sorts, something to try and guide readers in the right direction.

Realistically the guy working the cash probably walked by my sculptural creation shortly after I left, rolled his eyes and dismantled the whole thing. I wonder if the book is still there, waiting to be read. All is not lost though. Thanks to the internet I can continue here what I started in that bookstore with the peace of mind that my post won’t be taken down within the hour.

We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed with our Families is one of many book I wish I’d read before I went to Rwanda but that I only cracked open a few months after.  There was something special and haunting about reading of villages and hills on paper and being able to close your eyes and be transported back, knowing that you’d stood in that very spot. I felt very privileged. I’ve recommended this book to countless people. I won’t lie… it’s a hard sell; mostly because of the subject matter and the shocking title.

Phillip Gourevitch, a staff writer for the New Yorker went to Rwanda in 1995, eventually publishing this book in 1998. It is well written, raw, riveting and as hard as some parts are to read… it is just as hard to put down.  I’ve spoken to a few of the ROR-ers from last year and we were all equally passionate about this book. One person even said it was one of the best books they’d “ever read”. There’s no denying that it is an intense read but fear not, this is not another textbook! Check out some reviews and read the first few pages on Amazon.

We can’t state it enough here at ROR, there are many narratives and many points of view and they are all worth exploring. Whether We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed with our Families is the first thing you read on the Rwandan genocide, or the last, give it a try. Help put a stop to my bookstore shenanigans! Shopkeepers everywhere send their thanks.

Oh, and PS, don’t forget to apply to Reflections on Rwanda 2011. The deadline is January 4th 2011… time is running out!

Because at ROR our objective is to act as best we are able to prevent genocide, one issue that has regularly surfaced in discussion is whether an act of violence can be incomprehensible. And if not, what value is there in trying to comprehend “monstrous acts?” Some of the realities of Rwanda’s past are persisting still today in neighbouring Congo.

The Harvard Humanitarian Initiative is one group that obviously believes there is value in analyzing such acts from different sides of the equation. The following radio bit courtesy of PRI’s The World, right or wrong, certainly presents some thoughtful points:

Anchor Lisa Mullins speaks with Jocelyn Kelly, a research coordinator for the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative. Kelly travelled to Congo to speak with perpetrators of sexual violence. She tells anchor Lisa Mullins that many of the rapists have been soldiers since boyhood and aren’t able to question orders from superior officers. The interview talks about the Mai Mai. Here is a 2008 New York Times piece that briefly discusses their involvement in the war in the Congo.

Try to think of what would make the mindset of the perpetrators in the Congo the same as those that perpetrated the genocide in Rwanda. What would make them different? Trying to comprehend “monstrous acts” is no easy feat, but it is an important exercise.

…and as you’re pondering all that, here’s a picture of Bisesero, the Hill of Resistance and the Congo way off in the distance. It was taken in May 2010, during Reflections on Rwanda.

Sometimes it feels like understanding the 1994 Rwandan Genocide is an uphill battle. The history is complex, people’s accounts can differ and even when you think you’ve figured something out… you realize you’ve left something else out of the equation. Then there’s that essay you have due on Monday, your grandma’s 90th birthday next weekend and the nap you’re going to take this afternoon.

Life is busy.

This is why it’s important to look for opportunities to keep learning, keep talking and keep thinking about what happened in Rwanda. With this in mind, you can imagine that I was delighted to find the HBO movie Sometimes in April was on YouTube. Yes, you’ll have to watch it in many parts, but that’s okay – it’s easy and won’t cost you a thing! So take a break from that busy life of yours and check it out.

Here’s a little background on Sometimes in April (HBO, 2005) courtesy of PBS:

“SOMETIMES IN APRIL stars Idris Elba (HBO’s “The Wire”) and Debra Winger (Oscar nominee for Shadowlands, Terms of Endearment and An Officer and a Gentleman) as former U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Prudence Bushnell. Other cast members include Pamela Nomvete, Carole Karemera, Oris Erhuero, Fraser James and Noah Emmerich.

As it follows a Hutu family torn apart by the genocide, the film also explores the world’s response to the atrocities and the Rwandan struggle to find justice and accountability 10 years later.”

Sometimes in April (Part 1)

Every day brings us closer to the January 4th 2011 deadline to apply for the 2011 Reflections on Rwanda program. The  application form for Reflections on Rwanda is  now available. Don’t let procrastination win – apply now!!

There are new and exciting things to come on the SHOUT Canada website. We will be bringing you links to relevant news, pictures, videos and all sorts of Rwanda-related information to process and ponder. We invite you to share your thoughts and comment on anything that strikes you.