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MAY 2017
PRABUDDH JEEVAN
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peace keeping forces (UNAMIR) were deployed to bring or banana beer, to the survivour's home. The accord about implementation of the peace treaty. Family is sealed with song and dance. members of President Habyarimana setup a radio 22 years later, reconciliation still happens - one station and the President delayed implementation of encounter at a time..! the peace treaty.
If forgiveness is possible even after killing of 5 little On April 6,1994, President Habyarimana and girls in a school one afternoon, or pain and shame of President Ntaryamira of neighbouring Burundi were apartheid for a whole generation, or unthinkable evil of killed in a mysterious rocket attack on their plane while nearly a million deaths in just 100 days, then we must returning from Tanzania. No one knows who shot the conclude that there indeed is a betterway to end all plane down but the incident immediately provoked what conflicts. However long, whatever the hurt - forgiving has become known as Rwandan Genocide. Killings is the only path to solace or lasting peace. began that night as the Rwandan Armed Forces set Just like the above examples of forgiveness at a up roadblocks and militia went from door to door killing community and national level, history is also full of people. The presidential guard orchestrated a individuals who have chosen the path of forgiveness campaign of retribution against leaders of the political instead of animosity and revenge. opposition and slaughtering of Tutsis and moderate Hutus. Initially, only the military officials carried out the The 2014 Nobel Peace prize co-winner, Malala brutal campaign but soon many others joined the Yousafzai, lived in the Swat Valley, an area in Pakistan mayhem.UNAMIR forces were not permitted to where the Taliban had taken control and imposed its intervene. Neighbours killed members of Tutsi family strict ideology of no music, no visible women, and members they had known for years, done business especially no girls in school. On October 9, 2012, Malala with or gone to church with. When the dust settled, rode the bus to school just like any other child. Habyarimana's death triggered 100 day orgy of violence However, two men stopped and boarded the bus, resulting in brutal deaths of 800,000 people, some demanding Malala to identify herself. And right after that, 300,000 of them were thought to be children. The the men fired shots at Malala and three other girls on deaths were by machetes. UN peace keeping forces the bus. The reason for this violence was simply were withdrawn 15 days after the carnage began. By because she had defied their rules and refused to stay the time the Tutsi-led Rwandese Patriotic Front gained silent on the topic of education for girls. control of the country through a military offensive in Even though the Talibs tried to kill her, she did not early July, hundreds of thousands of Rwandans were want to retaliate against them. In her speech at the dead and many more displaced from their homes. The UN, she said "I do not even hate the Talib who shot me. RPF victory created 2 million more refugees (mainly Even if there is a gun in my hand and he stands in front Hutus) from Rwanda, exacerbating what had already of me, I would not shoot him. This is the compassion become a full-blown humanitarian crisis.
that I have learnt from Muhammad-the prophet of mercy, In April of 2000, Paul Kagame was elected as Jesus Christ and Lord Buddha. This is the legacy of Rwanda's first Tutsi President. To foster national change that I have inherited from Martin Luther King, reconciliation he issued a decree to release sixty Nelson Mandela and Muhammad Ali Jinnah. This is the thousand lower level killers and looters from the 1994 philosophy of non-violence that I have learnt from genocide that had owned up their crimes. When these Gandhiji, Bacha Khan and Mother Teresa. And this is criminals arrived back into their towns and villages, they the forgiveness that I have learnt from my mother and came face to face with the families of the persons they father. This is what my soul is telling me, be peaceful had killed. With heavy heart, they repented and and love everyone." confessed to the families of the victims. Small groups
* * * * * * * of Hutus and Tutsis are counseled over many months, Alice Herz-Sommer is another such role model of culminating in the perpetrator's formal request for today's time that we all should aspire to learn from. forgiveness. If forgiveness is granted by the survivour, She was an accomplished pianist and the longest lived then the perpetrator and his family and friends, typically survivor of the Holocaust. She started giving concerts bring a basket of offerings, usually food and sorghum across the Europe in her 20s and 30s. Her beautiful
