Womens Work: In post-genocide Rwanda, women play an important role in development

I found a link to this video on my favorite blog, feministing.com. Check it out.

The Rwandan genocide took place in April 1994, when, famously, 800,000 people were massacred in 100 days. "Men were killed in greater numbers during the genocide...Out of necessity, women got more involved," the narrator of this documentary says. Women play an important role in the country now, as it develops post-genocide. This clip illustrates the long-term effect of the genocide on Rwandan society, which has in the past 14 years. It tells the story of a remarkable woman named Jeanette Nyirabaganwa, who lost her entire family in the genocide but who now runs a phenomenally productive coffee farm. It also discusses the importance of women in post-conflict development, something I am going to try to research more over the next few months (as time allows, since I'm finishing school). As Kai remarked on the blog Zuky, "There's some sort of strange, painful, twisted irony in Rwanda's rise from the horrors of post-colonial genocide to become one of the most visibly women-led countries in the world." (Emphasis mine).

I am not an expert on Rwanda nor on Darfur, but I think this model of women in post-genocide development will be central to rebuilding Darfur once the violence stops.

I've also posted this on Protect the Human and will continue to post my pieces about women in development on both blogs.

Be a voice for Darfur

President-elect Barack Obama will begin his term in the oval office in less than 15 days. Although we are seeing much less about Darfur in the news these days, the genocide is still going on and it is our responsibility to ensure that our new president makes good on his promise to end the violence. As senator from Illinois, Obama had an excellent record on anti-genocide legislation and if saving Darfur remains a priority, he'll be able to make a difference. He also spoke a great deal about Darfur during his presidential campaign, which you can read about here.

Be a voice for Darfur by filling out an online postcard that will be sent to the President-elect reminding him of his commitment to ending genocide in 2009.

A new year, a new president, a new chance for Darfur?

We’re looking toward a new year, a new president, and maybe an end to genocide in Darfur. In his Sunday New York Times column, “A New Chance for Darfur,” Nick Kristof summarized a memo Ambassador Richard Williamson, President Bush’s special envoy to Sudan, wrote to the president this fall. In brief, the steps Williamson outlined were 1) the United States could jam all communications—telephones, cell phones, Internet—in Khartoum for a period of time to demonstrate Sudan’s weakness; 2) the US could apply “progressive pressure” to Port Sudan by placing naval ships near the port, searching or turning back ships, and finally halting or quarantining oil exports from Sudan; and 3) the US could destroy Sudan’s military aircraft that flies on offensive missions in Darfur, in violation of the United Nation’s ban.

Kristof acknowledges that these actions are extreme but says “genocide is pretty serious, too.”

He also points out that if President-Elect Barack Obama has the political will—and given the size and intensity of the anti-genocide movement he has the popular support—we may be able to end the genocide. Bashir is afraid of the president-elect because he understands the gravity of genocide and the importance of international justice. Kristof writes, “If Mr. Obama and his aides can work with Europe, China and Qatar to keep the heat on—and to make clear that Sudan has no choice but to hand over President Bashir once the [International Criminal] court issues the arrest warrant—then we just might avert a new war and end the first genocide of the 21st century in the new year.”

Introducing A Matter of Conscience

As America votes, we inaugurate A Matter of Conscience, a blog devoted to identifying the precursors of genocide- and helping to ensure that it never happens again.

This blog originated with former members of the US Holocaust Memorial Museum's Student Genocide Prevention Board. But it is for all of us- all of us who believe that preventing the next genocide is simply A Matter of Conscience.

Whether it's to highlight ethic violence, express solidarity with its victims, or simply to follow along, we invite you to visit often.

--The founders.