I have visited many schools around the USA to speak about the crime of genocide. The majority of teachers and student groups that organize the lecture often have some knowledge about the crime of genocide in general, and sometimes have heard of the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi in Rwanda.
Reacting to my lectures, letters that I have received from students often express sentiments of gratitude for having been offered the opportunity to learn more about the crime of genocide. Most of them suggested that the experience of listening to a speaker allowed them to reflect on their own personal lives as individuals, family and community members. While some talk about issues that concern them most such as family members hooked on drugs and alcohol, domestic violence, child abuse, school and community based violence ( i.e. gang violence), lack of opportunity to learn and discuss what is going on outside of their safe environment, lack of courses on global studies in schools, etc..., other students connected my lectures to community problems such as hate crimes, gang violence, and rising intolerant behaviors in some parts of the country.
Although students' reactions offer me comfort and extra energy to reach even more schools, I would really like to hear thoughts and ideas from students, teachers and community members about the idea of offering classes on genocide studies to High school students and what they should expect to learn / gain from these classes. If you happened to have a different view on this, I'd like to hear your opinions as well.
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ReplyDeleteDear Ms. Panayev's CGI Diplomatic Corps Students,
ReplyDeleteWelcome to Eugenie's blog. Please create a profile, and write one entry. You may reflect on the class discussions, post your questions, share interesting facts, or relay to us what you would like to hear more of in the third marking period. You are free to share anything you would like, the only request from me is to use diplomatic language and respect everyone's opinions. Thank you for being a wonderful group of students, and I REALLY look forward to seeing all of you very soon!!
I've found Eugenie's discussions in class very interesting and I've learned a lot about the genocide that I didn't know previously. I'd like to hear more about the situation in Rwanda today, especially in terms of relations between the Hutu and Tutsi. I'd also like to know more about how the situation in Rwanda is related to some of the fighting between Hutus and Tutsis in Congo.
ReplyDeleteHearing about rwanda the past few weeks has been highly, highly educational and i hope we keep doing things like it in the third quarter.
ReplyDeleteI found Eugenie's story very facinating. I enjoyed starting with the positves of Rwanda and what it meant to be a Rwandan when she was growing up. I was shocked by her tales of how propganda and an isolated incident erupted into a full scale mass murder. With her own friends and neighbors holding the machetes. I also think that is really important for Eugenie to keep telling her story to let stuents learn the reality that genocide is a contemporary issue and that we have a moral obligation to workkagainst it and to not let the memory of those murdered die.
ReplyDeleteHi All,
ReplyDeleteThis is a recent article on the Congo. Please read it if you can, may be we will have a chance to talk about it in the class.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/31/opinion/31kristof.html
See you all soon.
I am glad that we have Eugenie personally come to teach us about the genocide and her tell us her story. I think what we have is a great opportunity because Eugenie being a survivor of the genocide knows about it best. I had known that the genocide was bad but after hearing part of Eugenie's story I now realize I had no idea of the cruelty that had taken place in Rwanda during the genocide. I feel that if everyone could hear Eugenie's story of neighbors literally going door to door and killing long time friends there will never again be genocide.
ReplyDeleteI also really enjoyed having a survivor come and talk to us. I feel like i understand the conflict better now because Eugenie was able to stop and explain things. I thought that one of the best parts of the lecture was when we got to hear her experience durring the genocide. I still cannot believe that her friendly neighbor turned her away and was to irrational. I hope we can hear the rest of her experience on Friday and what happens to her family and friends. Also I would like to know if and with who she still keeps in touch with from Rwanda.
ReplyDeleteWhen Eugenie came into talk, i really knew nothing about the situation. Of course i knew that there was a problem, but I didn't know to what extent. After listening to Eugenie's story, (even if it hasn't finished) I really know so much more about the genocide. I want to know whether Eugenie's region was in worse shape or not than other parts.
ReplyDeleteLearning about past genocide is the only way to prevent future genocide. Though the story may be shocking and outside our comfort zone it is EXTREMELY important to know what happened in the world so that we, the future of the world, can stop it from ever happening again.
ReplyDeletePeople like Eugenie opening up and sharing their stories is crucial to our learning about the past and how to react to the future. It has been hard to stop genocide even in Darfur, yet the more people become aware of the problem the more is gained. Awareness is the first step to solving this issue.
But in the end, I think we are biased. Living in such a liberal part of America makes us more in tune with international issues... Heartland America would not want this type of teachings. But still, I would love to have some more classes with this type of theme
I really like that we get to learn about the genocide from a survivor, it has a much deeper impact. Rather than the point of view of an article or a news report, Eugenie’s stories give us an opportunity to learn about how the people felt. The only previous knowledge I had about the genocide was that innocent people were being killed because of a conflict among two groups. The story about Eugenie’s neighbor was shocking, but it did a great job of giving an example of what this conflict was doing to Rwanda. I've learned a lot about the genocide that I had not previously known and I look forward to listening to more of Eugenie’s stories. I am curious as to what happened to the rest of her family, and what kinds of emotional scars her experiences have left her?
ReplyDeleteI am really glad that I was given an opportunity to hear Eugenie's story. I never really knew much about the genocide in Rwanda, only that it happened. I never knew about the groups involved or the events leading up to the genocide. I am really fascinated by Eugenie's story. Hearing about her neighbors and how they turned her away really opened my eyes to how bad things were. I feel that it is one thing to learn about a genocide from a textbook, but it something entirely different when you are learning about it from someone who was there, someone who survived. I am so grateful to be able to learn from Eugenie, and I am very anxious to learn more of her story and how she got through the genocide.
ReplyDeleteEugenie, I have truly enjoyed your childhood accounts about life in Rwanda, as well as your take on historical events that have shaped Rwanda, Africa, and the International community. As a student living in Montclair, it is extremely difficult to grapple with the concept of genocide. Images and stories have unfortunately become too common place and and more often then not, a news story covering enormous death leaves me incredibly sad, but unsure of what to do or how to react. Meeting you in person has had a completely different effect. Although you were unable to finish your stories, and although we have much more to learn, just listening and talking with you has been a very unique and great experience. Thank you for giving us your time. I am very interested in hearing more about your life in Rwanda, before and during the genocide, as well as your experiences since you moved to the United States (working as a spokesperson etc.)
ReplyDeleteIt is nice to hear about these events from one who was there. As someone said in the class discussions, the movies about the conflict were made more for the profits then they were to disseminate the right message. It is a shame that there is so much bureaucracy that makes it difficult to stop such things from happening. Armies, war fatigue, outside interests, sovereignty and other problems always have and seemingly always will stand in the way of relief for the oppressed. Throughout all these classes, I have sat and wondered if any country would ever go through all the risks to save a people, and I look through history to see that they don't, and I look to the future and feel that they won't. These classes just make me feel more and more unhappy with the level of international response to any mass killings.
ReplyDeleteI am deeply touched by your reactions so far to this lecture. I am happy to hear that you are interested and eager to learn even more. I know that it is hard to fully comprehend this genocide but will try my best to make it understandable. I am coming in on Friday morning, we will have a chance to discuss more about the actual genocide and what life was like in Rwanda during those 100 days both in the city and rural area.
ReplyDeleteFinally, I want you to know that the objective of this lecture is to help you learn about the nature of the crime of genocide and its impact on individuals, communities, and the entire nation. You should keep in mind that policies that fail to protect human lives are made by fellow human beings. Too often the debate tends to focus on the cost rather than the lives that could be saved, sounds familiar?
Therefore, as the lecture progresses, I d' like you to think of yourself as policy makers and potential problems you may have to solve in order to prevent or save lives. For instance, what if you were an aid worker in Rwanda, a journalist, a medical doctor, a diplomat, a lawmaker in US, a UN diplomat, etc...
Think of resources or lack of them, think of how much risk you may be willing to take to protect someone else, how far would you go to save a friend or even a stranger.
Many people had to make these choices and there was no school that could have prepared them to deal with a genocide. The only three choices were to join the killers, to go against them and try to save lives, or stand silent as if nothing was not happening.
Eugenie, it was definitely an insightful and wonderful experience to have you come in and share your story. Although the events in Rwanda were obviously not wonderful, it was a true pleasure to have someone who experienced them first hand explain to you what occurred. I think it also makes one more humble when you are in the midst of an actual survivor and the basic facts that you may find in a textbook or online somewhere become more of reality and give you an different perspective.
ReplyDeleteAdditionally, I really enjoyed how you explained how your life was besides the genocide. Usually, when you hear of Rwanda, it is only the genocide that you learn about. However, to hear how you played with your friends using tree branches as swings and had week-long sleepovers was great.
Again, it was an experience I definitely would not take for granted and I appreciate you coming in and taking out some of your time to give us another understanding like never before.
I have learned so much about the genocide in Rwanda by listening to your first-hand account. Your story of survival is very imspirational. It is a very unique and special opportunity to hear real stories about the genocide from someone who was really there. I am extremely grateful for this opportunity and I thank you very much for taking time to come and talk to us.
ReplyDeleteI think that a comparison of the Rwandan genocide to other genocides in history would be very informative. It would be helpful to learn the intensity of genocide across the board. It would also be interesting to learn the causes and effects of the different genocides and trying to find a common denominator toward how a genocide is generally started.
This, in turn, might give us a way to prevent future genocides from happening. High school students are the future leaders of our world, and educating young minds about horrific genocides (like you are doing) is a great way to stop history from repeating itself.
-Anna Mazarakis
Before Eugenie came into speak, I knew almost nothing about the Rwanda genocide. I had never learned about it in school and only heard tiny bits here and there. Having a survivor from the genocide come in to speak to us was a very educational and interesting experience. Hearing about the genocide from a first hand account is a great expereince and I hope we can do more things like it as the year goes on.
ReplyDelete-Jalil Alidoost
I feel as if Rwanda awareness is needed to be taught in every school, students and even adults have the tendency to forget about Rwanda because it happened such a long time ago. Rwanda awareness is both educational and inspirational to young children and gives them all an opportunity to be involved in an impacting event. Young educators such as Eugene should actually continue raising awareness about Rwanda and how its still affects human beings today.
ReplyDeleteI feel that although awareness does not do anything directly it is still very important. As other people have posted before me, the only way to help prevent similar crimes from happening again is by spreading the knowledge of what happened. The more people are educated on the subject of genocides, such as the one that occurred in Rwanda, the easier it becomes for the global community to take measures to help prevent them from happening again.
ReplyDeleteI have learned an incredible amount of information about the genocide in Rwanda from you coming in to speak to us. I like that you not only focus on what occurred during the genocide itself but also your life prior to it, what Rwanda is like typically, and the causes that led up to the conflict.
I feel that learning about prominent global issues, such as that of genocide, is as important as most of the things that are already taught in high schools. Everyone (especially in the United States) should educate themselves more on the issues that affect the well being of everyone else around the globe.
-Guillermo Avila
Truthfully, I've learned about the Rwanda Genocide and what happened. Still, the fact that there's a survivor of the genocide here at Montclair High School is something that I never would have thought possible. The fact that I was born as this immense killing was going on is insane and disheartening at the same time. Looking up a timeline online (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/3580247.stm) and I learned the ceasefire was called on July 18, 1994: just ten days after I was born. I think that's so crazy. Overall, as a diplomatic corps class, we should spread the awareness of this genocide and others, like the one in Darfur. This way, the cycle that history always seems to take will not include genocide. With the tables turning so quickly on society, like Eugenie has taught us thus far. Therefore, in the next marking period, we should talk about ways to raise awareness of these sorts of problems. This way, we raise advocacy as well awareness. Both are key tickets in this kind of effort.
ReplyDelete-Shaina Dorow
I really enjoy having Eugenie come and speak to us about the genocide. I think having her recount her firsthand experience in Rwanda is the best and most interesting way to learn about the terrible genocide. She has given us much more information than any news article could. I hope she will continue to speak to us about her experience and will be able to finish her story.
ReplyDeleteThere is no denying the fact that if students were to learn about genocide, it would undoubtedly be in schools, the real question is how should they go about learning more about the Rwandan genocide and the conflict between the Hutu's and the Tutsi's i.e whether or not the basic history classes should cover the genocide or if optional classes be formed to discuss such issues.
ReplyDeleteI believe that the Rwandan genocide should definitely be taught in the curriculum of all high schools in America as it is just as significant of an event as any other that students learn about in their history classes.
After Eugenie talked to our class on life in Rwanda and how the conflict began, I've been able to better understand the hardships of people in Rwanda and what they had to go through before the war even started. After realizing the sheer tyranny that oppressed millions of people in the Rwandan genocide, not only do I question how someone could do this to millions of people but also why the rest of the world would let them get away with the murder of millions of innocent people.
- John Lee
Eugenie, before you came to speak with us, I felt as if I knew the basics of the Genocide in Rwanda, when and why it happened as well as how. Yet, when you began speaking it was as if all of the facts and statistics I had learned melted away and became nothing more than prattle. I commend you for sharing your story and providing us all with a face and an intimate connection to the effects of Genocide. I think every student should learn about Genocide that we all need to stop brushing it off as an event of the past and pay attention to the voices of those affected and harmed.
ReplyDelete-Yvanna Saint-Fort
I am very interested in the topics brought up recently and am looking foward to more classes with similar topics.
ReplyDeleteEugenie, learning about your life growing up in Rwanda was very interesting. It fascinating learning about how your childhood was different than ours and about the role a culture plays. The one topic you brought up that I found compelling was the pre genocide information. When I first learned about the genocide, we were taught that Hutus and Tutsis were always enemies, so thats what I thought the case was. It was interesting to discover that the Hutus and Tutsis were often unified and worked together. The other interesting topic was the role of media and propaganda in inciting genocide. It was shocking that radio stations were broadcasting programs encouraging violence.
ReplyDeleteWhen the convention on genocide was passed by the UN in 1948, the world cried "never again". Yet when one looks back on the twentieth century, "never again" is better defined as "again and again". It repulses me to think that the UN are so naive in their assumptions on genocide. They feel that just because they said "genocide is over" the world would follow. I beleive that the only true way to prevent genocide is through education. We must first understand genocide to conquer it. By examining passed genocides, there is the chance that a common indicator can be found in each instance of annihilation. By exploiting these "common indicators of genocide", a "genocidal formula" can be fabricated, allowing analysts to pick up on sighs of genocide early, and stop it before it commences. Now, i do understand that this idea is highly improbable, yet my general sentiment in conceivable. We must educate people about genocide.
ReplyDeleteLove, Mary Kate Connors
Hearing Eugenie's story is extremely moving for me. We are blessed to hear the story of an actual genocide survivor. Hearing this makes you take a step back, and feel extremely humbled. We must realize how lucky we are to live in a country where, most likely, we will never have a genocide of that nature. Before Eugenie came into speak I knew very little about Rwanda and what exactly happened during the genocide and how it even began. And although I will never truly understand the emotion Eugenie speaks of, I now know more than I did and, most likely, more than I will ever know. For this I thank you Eugenie and hope that you keep informing kids like me all over.
ReplyDeleteLike many of the students who had the benefit of listening to Ms. Mukeshimana speak, I had only ever known about the Rwandan genocide thru the excerpts I had seen of the film "Hotel Rwanda" and from my own research. Needless to say, the parts of her story we heard were captivating. Hearing a genocide survivor speak, and her surprising comparisons of Rwanda to our home made the story something connectible, rather than just an alien account of some far off catastrophe.
ReplyDeleteI am happy to have heard the stories that I did, and I feel that I have gained real insight into the mentality of the heinous acts committed, and even more so into the the minds of those who lived thru the horror. while it was only mentioned briefly, I wish I had learned how Ms. Mukeshimana lost her husband, and how she managed to survive. It was certainly one part of the story not touched upon in great detail, and could possibly have been the most interesting.
Perhaps that shall be saved for a later day.
The idea that ethnic tensions could result in something as horrendous as genocide is inconceivable to many Americans, though clearly it has and does occur in other regions of the world. What I’ve found most interesting about Ms. Mukeshimana’s presentation is her description of the climate before the genocide and people’s perceptions and disbelief at what was happening. I’m also very interested to hear about the situation following the genocide, I cannot fathom the feelings I would have should I such an act of occurred before me.
ReplyDeleteI think it is amazing that we have the opportunity to hear the story of a survivor of the Rwandan Genocide. Often, when one hears of terrible human rights violations such as genocide, it is made impersonal. We often hear of the huge death toll, or other facts. When I hear numbers like this, I am stricken by the amount of people who died, but it is easy to move on from it, after all, it is just a number. What Eugenie shows us is that each one of these people had a story, had hopes and dreams and people who cared about them. By hearing Eugenie's personal story, it makes these horrors seem more real. In the future, I would like to hear about the lasting effects of the genocide, such as the quality of life of survivors.
ReplyDeleteWow. Eugenie's story is like a movie. All these events are happening yet it seems so unreal as if it was all a horrible dream. To be eight months pregnant and instead of eating for two Eugenie was hiding under a bed and forced to make the choice of starving over using the bathroom. As if that wasn't bad enough Eugenie is now discovered and needs to pay enough money to allow two to survive when she has not a penny on her. I can't wait until next class. I am anxious to find out what happens next... at least I'm comforted with the fact that Eugenie survived.
ReplyDeleteThe next time Eugenie speaks to us, I would like to hear about what happened with her baby and her husband.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what Jin said, hearing Eugenie's story is as vivid as a movie. The things we've been hearing in class the past few weeks are unbelievable, as it is hard enough to believe that there is an actual survivor standing in front of us. I realize that before you came and spoke to us, i had already learned much about the Rwanda Genocide. Yet, hearing it from your mouth put it into a different perspective, that before was untouchable.
ReplyDeleteThe one thing that has affected me most this course is Eugenie's ability to tell her story to us so straight faced, as if she's describing her hometown and not her experience of living through one of the worst genocides in human history. If I had to ask one question to Eugenie I'd ask how you are able to do this again and again and again?
ReplyDeleteI think if one thing can be taken from Ms. Mukeshimana's lecture and group discussions, it is the importance of taking the step from international awareness to international action. Although the Rwanda genocide was not as heavily publicized as other, more recent genocides, it was known within the U.N. and within national governments that people in Rwanda were dieing by the hundreds of thousands. We must learn from the mistakes of the outside world and adapt. Today, just as many have and are dieing in Darfur and many who continue to chant "not on our watch" are helpless and action-less. Mass awareness is still an issue, but is less then it has been in the past and we must now focus on not only spreading awareness, but allowing that awareness to manifest into tangible action. Thank you Ms. Mukeshimana for your extremely informative, interesting, and powerful story and i look forward to learning more from you in the future.
ReplyDelete-Noam Sandweiss-Back
This is a slightly random question, but did you have your baby when you were living under the bed? I was wondering because you said that you were eight months pregnant, but then you said that you were hiding for about one and a half months.
ReplyDeleteI personally found Eugenie's story very interesting because my father has been to the neighboring country of Burundi three times and always came back with many stories to tell. At the same time, I knew that he was in a way protecting my mother and I by shielding us from the ugly side of the Burundi culture, and it was only after my relentless insistence that he told us more, though he was even holding back then. It was nice to hear and be able to contrast Eugenie's stories, especially those prior to the genocide, with those of my father in order to get a better understanding of the region as a whole. If possible I would love to hear more stories about regular life in Rwanda after Eugenie finishes telling her story regarding the genocide.
ReplyDeleteHi everyone and thanks for your posts. I haven't seen you in a while but hope you're all doing well.
ReplyDeleteJames, thanks for sharing about your experience with your dad. I think it's important for everyone to know his/her family history. You may be surprised about funny stories passed down in your family from generation to generation. You could for instance ask about the first experience with having a TV in the house, owning a car, flying in an airplane or just even taking the subway. You could also ask about the atmosphere in the neighborhood or at the school in their time. Who were the were "the others" meaning those who didn't fit in with everybody else. What was going on in the world in their lifetime. If you still have grand parents I suggest you directly ask them these questions.
As for Ali's question about the baby, I didn't have her underneath the bed but she was born in the middle of the genocide. Please remind me to elaborate on this when I come in on Thursday. The class will cover the resistance, survivor mechanisms and the up-standers that saved few lives during the genocide.
See you all on Thursday.
I really liked listening to Eugenie's story about how she had to live under a bed for a long period of time while she was very pregnant and how she had to give birth in a little shed (right?). Now I would like to know about what happened to her husband?
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI have really enjoyed listening to Ms. Mukeshimana's story from beginning to end. We, as students are incredibly privileged to have her speak in our class and hear her amazing story on her survival. Listening to her made me feel so privileged that I live in a place where I don't have to go to sleep every night worrying if I'm going to even wake up in the morning. I have no idea on what she has gone through and I hope that none of us have to experience anything that she has gone through, but my question to Ms. Mukeshimana is: do you think that this event changed the way you look at things in life?
ReplyDeleteI think how Eugenie has gone throughout her entire story with us, and it makes me feel privileged enough to be in program where we get to hear first hand accounts of all of this that is happening. I have a question that may be difficult to answer, and Eugenie, if you don't want to answer it, by all means don't. My question is: If you could go back in time and change one thing that happened, how would you change it and why?
ReplyDeleteTo have Eugenie come is an extraordinary experience. I want to thank you for taking time out of your schedule, and talking to us as often as you do. Listening to you is extremely rewarding, in that we are hearing a story with so many different experiences within each one. I hope to hear more in upcoming classes.
ReplyDeleteWhile I was researching the Second Congo War, there was a lot of discussion of the Rwandan region and the ethnicities of the belligerents. Are the Tutsis a majority in any of Rwanda's neighbors or do the Hutus constitute a majority throughout the region?
ReplyDeleteAfter today's lecture, and learning about post genocide Rwanda it solidifies to me that we must educate ourselves about genocide and act to prevent it.
ReplyDeleteGenocide is much more devastating that the initial actions of killing people. From what Eugenie said rebuilding the nation was extremely hard. Switching governments, and switching languages could not have been an easy task. The idea of "Justice on the grass" is quite unnerving. As Dennis mentioned today, it did at least slightly remind me of the Salem Witch Trials.
I would like to know what action could be or already has been taken to improve things within the country, if any at all.
Eugenie,
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for sharing your stories. It is really important for people to be educated about such conflicts. It is especially moving and powerful when it is told as a first- hand account. I recently heard an account by a holocaust survivor and I found some parallels between your stories. It truly makes me realize that being a suvivor is a unique and life- altering experience. I know that I personally can never fully grasp the significance of being a survivor, but by hearing your stories I can come closer to understanding.Thank you so much for taking the time to share these difficult stories with us. I am sad that tomorrow will be the last day of your lecture. Thank you for everything.
I think we can learn so much about genocide in general from Eugenie's accounts. I have looked forward to her story every class and it is so interesting yet so heart wrenching at the same time. I really liked todays discussion about the post genocide as well as our brief talk about what France and the US did and what they could have done differently. We can use that for the future and I would really like to talk about that a little more. Thank you so much Eugenie for sharing your story with us and I am very sad that tomorrow is our last day with you.
ReplyDeleteWhen one person wrongs another, the government is able to swoop in and revoke the rights of the criminal, and punish them. Why is it that another body does not exists over the world and why does each country find so heinous the idea of a powerful international organization. This is almost like the state of the US in its formative years, where there were debates regarding a strong or weak central government. We decided a stronger government worked more effectively, so why do we have such a weak UN? And in this case it is not the economic health of one country at stake, but the lives of millions in many countries. Because the countries of the world are reluctant to give up their own powers, it seems that genocide in one country will always be able to go unchecked.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for taking time out of your day for weeks to come and educate the class on the genocide in Rwanda. When I say I learned a lot I believe I'm speaking for many others as well. I understand that usually you only have an hour or so with a class to tell your story so I feel very fortunate to be able to hear about the history of Rwanda and ways to help the survivors. Thanks once again.
ReplyDeleteThanks again for taking the time out to come and talk to us. I definitely view the issue of Rwanda from a new perspective and I think the most important thing you noted was the fact that this dialogue must continue. As you said, once your physically not there in the various classrooms you speak at, will the conversation continue? I think it needs to and is essential to progressing further.
ReplyDelete