BeINspired

Dutch court gives Rwandan man life for genocide-era crimes

2011-07-07T18:56:00.000-07:00

THE HAGUE — A Dutch appeals court on Thursday sentenced a Rwandan citizen living in The Netherlands to life in prison for war crimes committed during the Rwandan genocide in 1994.

Joseph Mpambara, 43, was found guilty of having carried out an attack on a Protestant church where Tutsis had fled. The lower court, which sentenced him to 20 years in prison, had previously acquitted him on this charge.

"Hundreds of persons were literally slaughtered or hurt," with guns or machetes, Judge Raoul Dekkers said, who added Mpambara "encouraged others to commit (these crimes)."

Because he was now convicted of the attack, Mpambara's crimes have been qualified as war crimes, which was not upheld by a lower court.

Mpambara was also convicted by the appeals court of torture causing the deaths of two Tutsi mothers and their four children on April 13, 1994, upholding a previous lower court conviction.

"The appeals court... sentences the suspect to life in prison," said judge Dekkers, the head of the appeals chamber, during a public session in The Hague.

"The appeals court is of the opinion that you have made yourself guilty of war crimes," the judge told Mpambara, qualifying his crimes as "extremely serious".

Mpambara was also found guilty of detaining a German-Rwandan couple and their baby on April 27, 1994, for several hours. The court ordered Mpambara to pay the couple 1,360 euros in damages.

Added the judge: "You showed no compassion for the Tutsis" while testimony was being heard during the appeal.

Worse, the judge added, the Rwandan has "stuck to your opinion that the victims deserved their fate."

Both the prosecution, which asked for life in jail, and Mpambara, who pleaded not guilty, appealed the lower court's decision.

"It was a very convincing judgment," one of the complainant's lawyers Liesbeth Zegveld told AFP afterwards.

"The crimes are very serious. It cannot be compared to anything we know in The Netherlands. A strong signal is being sent today across our borders," she said.

Mpambara was tried in The Netherlands as part of an agreement between several European countries and the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) under which they try genocide suspects in their national courts.

The country also has a law which allows it to try people for suspected war crimes if the person lived in The Netherlands.

The son of a wealthy family, Mpambara had been living in The Netherlands since 1998 although his request for asylum was refused. The Dutch authorities detained him in 2006.

He was the first Rwandan to be condemned in The Netherlands for crimes during the genocide in which 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus died, according to United Nations estimates.

South Sudan Vote looms

2010-09-13T02:42:00.000-07:00

There's a few months until the crucial referendum that will determine whether south Sudan will become independent. A result of a peace deal brokered with the help of the Bush administration in 2005 the referendum is causing tensions as conflicts over border lines rise. Why? Oil. Sudan is according to BP Africa's 3rd largest oil producer. Some of the oil lies on disputed land, which is a potential cause of conflict if the issue is not resolved. The referendum is likely to result in a vote for independence. The biggest issue remains the borders and what will happen after the vote. For more detail check out this report from the International Crisis Group and a Washington Post article.

One Tribe: Black Eyed Peas song

2010-03-07T21:44:00.000-08:00

This song captures the basic concept that we are all one people at the end of the day. Very uplifting, worth a listen! Video courtesy if no2hate

2009-08-15T10:40:00.001-07:00

I remember celebrating VJ day this year. Only because I live in the stated of RI and this tiny stated is able to recognize this day as a holiday. One of the few holidays recognized by the good state of RI and HA. I laughed that one of histories greatest tragedy and highest achievement was gained by the deaths over 90,000 people. I say achievement not to be sadistic but to mention that the awesome power of 2 bomb was able to end a years long war that claimed the lives of millions. In a utilitarian standpoint eradicating 90,000 to save millions is a better alternative than continuing years worth of unnecessary bloodshed. I say tragedy because presently a country's claim to global power and recognition is decided but owning at least one of those bombs.

No more nukes?

2009-08-06T10:44:00.000-07:00

Today marks the 64th anniversary of one of the great travesties in modern history. Harnessing the powers of science, mankind developed the atomic bomb. On August 6th 1945, with the Japanese on the ropes, the order came from Washington to drop the uranium 235 gun-type bomb, named Little Boy on the city of Hiroshima.

On August 9th, 1945 a second bomb was dropped on the Japanese. This time a plutonium implosion bomb named Fat man was dropped on the city of Nagasaki.

As many as 140,000 were killed in Hiroshima, and up to 80,000 in Hiroshima. On August 15th, the Japanese surrendered and peace finally came. But was it really peace? The bombings were the ultimate show of force by the United States, but was it an act of defense or simply a warning to their new rival, the Soviet Union (Russia). History shows a story that led to the ultimate show down with the Soviet Union and United States shaping world history for the next 50 odd years through the cold war. The race to accumulate nuclear warheads almost brought the world to Armageddon. Fortunately that did not happen, but the effects of this rivalry are evident.

Nuclear weapons are a menace to our existence. Several, but not many possess them. Rogue nations like Iran and North Korea have been in the news for attempting to join the "club" posing a threat to world "peace" due to their unpredictable leadership. The United States and Russia still have nuclear war heads, and talks to reduce them are ongoing. It seems the elimination of nukes is our best chance to a future without the threat of extinction. But how realistic is their elimination?

Refugees around the world reaching 45 million mark

2009-06-16T09:10:00.000-07:00

As the world focuses on North Korean nuclear ambitions, Iranian election irregularities and Israeli PM,the global recession Benjamin Netanyahu's first utterances of a two state solution a nation of refugees fights to survive another day. It is always a futile exercise to attempt convince the world that the issue of displaced people deserves more media coverage, but the importance of it cannot be understated and I wish to add my voice to that fact. According to Reuters, over 42 million people are either refugees in designated camps (+16 million) or internally displaced. Most recently clashes between the Pakistani government and elements of the Taliban have resulted in massive displacement in North West Pakistan. This adds to the already displaced, Congolese, Rwandans, Darfuris, Sri Lankan, Zimbabwean, Burmese and Somali people, to name a few groups. Conflict abounds, the world over and the dislpaced seem to be an after thought at times. Humanitarian organizations, fight to make a difference, but without the political will of nation states then these precarious conditions are likely to get worse.

Having so many people displaced is not good and it is an issue that begs to be addressed. In Lebanon Palestinian refugee camps have been up since the conflict with Israel in the 60s. They have been breeding ground for obviously unhappy individuals eager to avenge their misfortune. This situation makes the region less safe. In Somalia people are forced to crime for a living. On top of this children suffer for a lack of facilities while disease and hunger take their toll on the population.

According to the UNHCR, 80% of refugees live in the poorest countries of the world. This has been an issue that has led to several problems that worsen the refugee situation in whatever area it may be. Refugees are resettled to more developed countries by the thousands, while millions remain. The situation is a ticking time bomb, that constantly needs addressing, window dressing will not quite do the job.

The world is better off dealing with these refugee situations than not.

The opposite of faith is not heresy, it is indifference...

2009-06-15T20:51:00.000-07:00

A poigant statement, made by Elie Weisel. I just watched the movie, Beyond the Gates. A film featuring two Europeans caught up in the Rwandan genocide. One was a priest, the other a teacher. The priest is older, and his understanding of life is shaken to its very core by the sheer level of evil that they witnesses as Rwandans kill Rwandans over divisions based on vaguely defined tribes. The teacher struggles to understand the subtleties of Rwandan politics and the paralysis that is international law. Frankly he highlights the difference between words and actions, by the international community. Instead of sending more reinforcements, the UN is ordered to withdraw. Instead of protecting civilians the Europeans save themselves and leave Rwandans to their fate. The news cameras depart as the worst of the genocide begins and the world debates over the merits of using the term genocide (which would oblige action)

This film is one of several based on the sad story of genocide in Rwanda as early as 1994. Yes it makes great cinema but the problem remains. What is the world doing about Darfur, Burma, Zimbabwe? Civilians suffer the most in internal and international conflicts alike. A principle known as The Responsibility to Protect has emerged and could potentially provide hope to many civilians who would normally lose their lives in the face of conflict.

2009-06-11T01:30:00.001-07:00

2009-05-05T00:23:00.000-07:00

2009-04-19T22:43:00.000-07:00

We had our first masterpeace event this evening. A holocaust survivor spoke of his experiences during the rise and fall of the Nazi regime and the impact it had on the Jewish people and eventually the all of Europe. The speaker's name was Albert, a professor at the University of Rhode Island, who escaped the prosecution of Jews in Austria.

Albert led his discussion on a hill in the Feinstein Courtyard with an audience of approximately 30 people who were eager to hear him speak. The event was later followed by a powerful candlelit march to the McVinney Courtyard where the audience members placed 900 names of children (written on popsicle sticks) as a memorial for children who died because of the Nazi's Regime.

Million voices - Song dedicated to Rwanda: by Wyclef Jean and the African Children's choir

2009-04-16T21:48:00.000-07:00

A Glimpse at Why I joined the Team...

2009-04-15T18:00:00.000-07:00

Sorry this took so long to put together T... there is more, but this is a part of why.... Thanks for letting me share.

Four years ago this week I stood in a damp barn like structure. Fenced off in front of me were thousands upon thousands of shoes, representing the lives abruptly taken by the Nazi party. I can still remember the thick leather smell, and see the dark blues, blacks and brown shoes that lay in front of me, toppling over one another. I had seen an exhibit similar to this at the Holocaust Museum in Washington DC a month previous, but this was the real thing. These shoes were not dusted. This was not an exhibit. This was Madjanek, one of several extermination camps.

The other forty six students walked slowly in and out of these barn like structures, trying to understand how anything like this could happen in history. Some of my fellow classmates held each others hands, in comfort; but there was no comfort here. Sixty one years later, the same evil cold was cast over the camp, and there was no peace.

I stayed for a long time in this cabin. Among the thousands of shoes, one caught my eye. It was crippling. A beautiful red high heal shoe. A red dress shoe. Still, four years later the image is burned into my mind, and I try to imagine what this woman might have been doing the day the Nazis came for her.

Was she sitting on the wrong bench? Was she on a date with her boyfriend or husband? Was she enjoying a night out dancing, when she was noticed without her star of David patched on her dress? I can not believe that this woman believed that she was walking to her death in these exquisite red shoes, that sixty one years after liberation still stood bright against all the other shoes.

It was this shoe that made the Holocaust so much more real to me. Behind every shoe in front of me, there was a story. There was a friend, a mother, a father, a sister, aunt, uncle, brother. These shoes walked miles in the cold. These shoes walked into a gas chamber, and never walked again. These shoes were salvaged, but the people who stood in them were not.

At that moment, in front of the pit of shoes I made a promise to myself. A promise that at each concentration camp that I visited for those ten days, I seemed to restate in my mind. I promised that I would work toward never allowing such an atrocity like this to happen again. I would get my education. I would work toward social change, and social justice.

When I came to PC, I buried myself in work. I majored in Social Work in hopes of helping the underprivileged and undeserved. In high school, I posted the picture of the red shoe on my door, and every morning when I left my room, I was reminded of my mission. To be completely honest, int he past two years, I feel that I have drifted off my path. My studies overwhelmed me, and I did not remain globally conscious. When I heard about the opportunity to join this group, in planning a week about genocide awareness, I knew it would be a challenge for myself. I joined for the purpose of educating myself, along with my peers. I am happy to say that the members of xthirty6 have taught me so much; not only about the world, but about myself and my limits. They have encouraged me to push myself, and demanded more of me. They have inspired me by proving that there truly are people on this campus, and in this world that have the will to change, and the talent to do so.

So thank you Xthirty6 for letting me join your team, and here's to mastering peace! I hope that our hard work and determination will reach the student body and beyond. But please know before we start this week, even if we have zero attendance at any of our events, you have reached me.

April 15th 1994: Slaughter at Nyarubuye Church

2009-04-15T09:12:00.000-07:00

On this day thousands of Tutsi gathered at Nyarubuye Church seeking protection. A refuge for the faithful and now for the ferful became a slaughterhouse for the faithless killers who showed no remorse in this and other killings. Between 5 and 10,000 were murdered at Nyarubuye.

An article by Fergal Keane of the BBC describes the unthinkable crimes that were committed at Nyarubuye.

"Who after all speaks today of the annihilation of the Armenians?"

2009-04-15T09:05:00.000-07:00

Chilling words used by Adolf Hitler to justify the unspeakable crimes committed under his command. The following is a documentary from the British Broadcasting Corporation on the Armenian genocide:

April 14th 1994

2009-04-14T23:02:00.000-07:00

On this day, Belgium removed all its United Nations troops from the UNAMIR (United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda) mission in Rwanda. Lt. Gen. Romeo Dallaire saw his best equpped forces leave, as pressure mount ed fpr a complete UN evacuation.

Ghosts of Rwanda Part 2: Politiking at the UN..

2009-04-13T23:11:00.001-07:00

Cambodia: What happened?

2009-04-12T23:12:00.000-07:00

April 12 1994: Rwanda: complicity in massacre

2009-04-12T23:00:00.000-07:00

Excerpt Courtesy of Wikipedia..

" On April 12, 1994, more than 1,500 Tutsis sought refuge in a Catholic church in Nyange, in then Kivumu commune. Local Interahamwe acting in concert with the priest and other local authorities then used bulldozers to knock down the church building. People who tried to escape were hacked down with machetes or shot. Local priest Athanase Seromba was later found guilty and sentenced to life in prison by the ICTR for his role in the demolition of his church and convicted of the crime of genocide and crimes against humanity."

Obama comments on Armenian genocide

2009-04-12T00:31:00.000-07:00

Rwanda April 11, 1994: 5 days in, tens of thousands slaughtered

2009-04-11T22:37:00.000-07:00

5 days after the death of President Habyatimana the International Red Cross estimated that tens of thousands had lost their lives, slaughtered in what was surely a pre-planned massacre. On this day United Nations troops guarding 2,000 Tutsis at a school were ordered to withdraw to Kigali airport. It was an order from New York (U.N HQ)where there were concerns over a repetition of the Somalian crisis. It is reported that the Tutsis were subsequently killed after this. And so the killers saw the immunity of the "international community." They had further confidence to commit unspeakable crimes. The Red cross has an extensive report on their work and occurences in Rwanda.

2009-04-11T19:00:00.000-07:00

The president of Rwanda made a statement this Tuesday to comment on the silence of several world powers during the genocide in April of '94. He was greeted by 20,000 eager Rwandans to commemorate the 15 year anniversary of the mass killings that took place that April. The day also involved the burial of of those massacred in Nyanza.

2009-04-11T18:56:00.001-07:00

Rwanda,April 10th: eyes and ears gone

2009-04-10T23:15:00.000-07:00

"Embassies, depending on the importance of the mission, are comprised of officers from the Department of State and other U.S. Departments and agencies with essentially two-fold responsibility: representing U.S. interests abroad and reporting back to Washington on events in the 'host country'.

Given the minor U.S. stake in Rwanda, U.S. Embassy Kigali in 1993-1994 was a small mission, lacking a separate political officer, its own CIA representative or its own defense attaché. However, due to Rwanda's sizable humanitarian needs, it did have a US Agency for International Development (USAID) representative. Consequently, two people-U.S. Ambassador David Rawson and Deputy Chief of Mission Joyce Leader-were the primary 'eyes and ears' for policymakers on Rwanda. When U.S. officials locked the Embassy and evacuated from Rwanda on April 10th as ordered by Department of State officials, Washington policymakers lost both this ground-level view and the capacity to influence events in Rwanda."

Taken from "The U.S. and the Genocide in Rwanda 1994: Information, Intelligence and the U.S. Response" by William Ferroggiaro, March 24, 2004

On Our Watch!

2009-04-09T23:05:00.000-07:00

Left Behind: Rwandan Genocide April 9 to 10th 1994

2009-04-09T21:47:00.000-07:00

Between April 9th and 10th foreign nationals were evacuated from Rwanda. It was not in their best interests to stay in what was quickly descending into a war. Peace at Arusha now meant nothing, the world left the Rwandans to face the music. The picture above shows a scene in the movie "Hotel Rwanda" starring Don Cheadle as Paul Resesebagina, a hotel manager who manged to save lives by housing them in his hotel.

Here is an excerpt of the transcript from the documentary Ghosts of Rwanda produced by PBS:

"Overnight, 1,000 French and Belgian paratroopers had arrived without warning, seizing Kigali airport. These troops were not under U.N. command. Their mission was solely to get the expatriates out. Dozens of journalists had arrived with the new troops. They traveled with Belgian soldiers to Kigali's psychiatric hospital, where the Western staff was trapped. On the way in, they drove past the Interahamwe waiting outside.

Tutsis emerged from the hospital building, where they'd been hiding for three days. They said they were surrounded by the militias, that some of them had already been killed. When it was clear the soldiers weren't going to help, the refugees appealed to the journalists.

KATELIJNE HERMANS, Belgian Television: There was a whole group of people, but in the whole group, one woman started to speak and started to explain why they were afraid and what was happening to them. And she started begging us to take her and the others with us. She was speaking to me, a woman to a woman, saying, "I'm afraid. Please help me!" And we were just listening to her, and we couldn't do anything. At that moment, we thought we couldn't do anything, just listen and say "Yes."

So we left. For the white people, it's over, but we knew the hundreds that stayed. And we heard the shooting at the moment we left. So it was clear for me that hell starts for them.

NARRATOR: All Western troops and U.N. peacekeepers were under orders not to evacuate ordinary Rwandans."

So seizing the airport was easy enough. There was a chance that these paratroopers could have played a part in stopping the crimes that would follow. The murderers saw the last hope for their targets abandon them, and so they were further emboldened.

Arrest yourself for Burma!

2009-04-08T17:52:00.000-07:00

Rwanda: April 8th 1994

2009-04-08T16:45:00.000-07:00

The killing began to spread outward from the capital Kigali. Militia set up roadblocks and slaughter men, women and children on the basis of their ethnicity. Egged on by the radio, ordinary Hutus take up machetes and join in the massacre. The RPF launched a major offensive to end the killings.

Led by Paul Kagame, the RPF was the Tutsi dominated "rebel" group that was resisting the Hutu encited killings. On 1 October 1990, the Rwandan Patriotic Army(RPA), the armed wing of the RPF, deserted their posts in the Ugandan army and invaded northern Rwanda. After being turned back by Zairean and French troops backing the On 1 October 1990, the Rwandan Patriotic Army(RPA), the armed wing of the RPF, deserted their posts in the Ugandan army and invaded northern Rwanda. After initial gains in threatening Kigali, the offensive was turned back by Zairean and French troops sent to reinforce the Habariyamana regime a stalement insued. Talks between the two sides resulted in the signing of the Arusha Accords in 1993 to create a power-sharing government. This agreement went up in flames when Habariyamana was assassinated. Under Kagamne the RPF began an insurgency against the Hutu dominated Rwandan leadership.

There have been accusations of war crimes against Kagame's forces, but the world has focused mainly on the "bad guys" in the war, the Hutus. There are always two sides to a story and it is my belief that the current regime in Rwanda (led by Kagame) is touchy about their role in the war simply because they were caught up in the vices of war. Will the world ever fully know what happened?

April 7th 1994: Rwanda

2009-04-07T22:07:00.000-07:00

the FAR and the interahamwe set up roadblocks. They round up thousands of Tutsis and moderate Hutu politicians, including women and children; most are massacred using ‘pangas’ – machete-like weapons. U.N. forces are forbidden to intervene, being only allowed to ‘monitor’ the situation.

The U.S. decides to evacuate all Americans.

Canadian General Romeo Dallaire, head of the U.N. peacekeeping force in Rwanda, was told by headquarters not to intervene and to avoid armed conflict.

The Rwandan Genocide:Looking back #3

2009-04-07T21:30:00.000-07:00

April 7th is a poigant day in Rwandan minds. The wieght of history is somehow tackled on this day which commemorates (if that is the word) the beginning of genocide in the small Central African country. How could such a thing happen so quickly. How could people commit such crimes against people who basically look like them. It is on this day that Rwandans look back on this historic explosion of murder.

Today marks 15 years to the day when evil reigned in Rwanda. Today we dedicate to those lost. Let us respect their memories by taking a moment, saying a prayer or somehow acknowledging their lives lost in vain.

"THE TALE of what happened during those dark days in Rwanda must be told again and again and again, not out of a morbid desire for gruesome tales, but out of concern that the innoocent dead should continuously sear the memories of the living. Only then can "never again" cease to be an empty cry....It is important that we remember, for not only does collective memory contribute to the healing that comes with shared pain, but it also gives hope that the world will remember and avoisd the pitfalls of yesteryear." Dr. Richard Sezibera, Rwandan ambassador to the United States.

Lest we forget Rwanda, here is a humble dedication to the dead:

The dust settled,
The sun has set, Oh Rwanda what a day it was.
Men killed men, neighbor betrayed neighbors, colleagues stabbed each other in the back,
All for a hate, constructed by few.
The devil had his way,
Our senses impaired, for the cries of the children the world did not hear:
Lost husbands,
Lost uncles,
Lost mothers and lost children,
The world stood by, as the killers went nuts.
A genocide they now call it, but what of then?
The orphans are teens and young adults now,
the adults are older, burdened by a history of bloodshed and hate,
Rwanda how could we ever forget.
Today we mourn the dead, for the indignity of their fate,
The devil had his way but we refuse to forget.
Rest in peace.

The Rwandan Genocide: Looking back Post #2

2009-04-06T19:22:00.000-07:00

On this day, 15 years ago President Habyarimana and Burundian President Cyprien Ntaryamira were killed when the Rwanda President's plane was shot down as it was about to land at Kigali airport. The Arusha peace accords were undermined by Hutu extremists who disagreed with their signing. Crisis was the name of the game as military leaders sought to restore order in the country. Where was the international community? 3 months earlier UN mission leader Lt. General Romeo Dallaire received information of an arms cache being held by Rwandan extremists. Dallaire sought permission from New York for him to take preventive measures. He was strongly urged not to violate his mandate. And so the world waited on a flimsy peace that buckled under the pressure of a power hungry and ethnically motivated Hutu power movement. And so began the 100 days, a nightmare like no other...

The Rwandan Genocide: Looking back post #1

2009-04-05T12:54:00.000-07:00

Rwanda is a snall landlocked country in centrl-east Africa that is known as Pays des Milles Collines in French, a term that translates, the Land of a Thousand Hills. With a population of 10 million and the land are Rwanda supports the densest population in all of Africa.

Rwanda is also known for one of the great atrocities. Exactly 15 years ago Hutu extremists were on the verge of executing a Masterplan to eliminate Tutsis and moderate Hutus. It was a plan that was ambitious in its goal and undetected as far as its potential. April 5th 1994 was the eve of a great tragedy. One that still reverberates today although an international community that has a short attention span may be forgetting.

For the next 100 or so days I will be chronicalling the Rwndan genocide that occured in this exact time period back then. Why did it happen? How did it happen? How did the world react? Who is to blame? Anyone? Where does this leave us?
Many a questions, but how many answers will I get? I am not lost in the fact that I may not get answers but this series will be a form of rememberence and dedication to those who lost their lives for obscure reasons. These people had faces, hopes, dreams, families and futures. But these were denied them by their countrymen, a true tragedy. Atragedy that is not lost in the numbers, but one that must be highlighted. If anything to respect the lives of the dead...

2009-03-31T23:39:00.000-07:00

As global citizens, it is imperative to recognize and understand that genocide continues to occur in the twenty-first century. To fully understand what this means, it is important to become educated on the frightening scope of genocide and its implications. One can not just simply learn that millions of Jews were killed during World War II. Rather, we need to know that during the Holocaust, specific minority groups were intentionally targeted to be destroyed due to ethnic hatred.

2009-03-31T16:48:00.000-07:00

MasterPeace: how dare I?

The whole scenario seems beyond my ability to grasp--

A cold LCD monitor emits a hardly audible buzz. Its glow is safe. Comforting.
We've known each other for quite some time now: we are good friends.
It shows me many things:
Wondrous things.
Scary things.
Heartwrenching things.
I shift my weight as I resettle myself on my padded leather computer chair.
I hate how it creaks.

News: lines and lines of text about places with hard to pronounce names.
About people with harder to pronounce experiences.
Apostrophes interject syllables, consonants and vowels waltz carefree as my tongue struggles to keep with their pace.
I try to spread a message I can barely articulate.
Journalists or reporters? Who's there and who's not? When can I go?
I: read.
My imagination conjures imagery, not empathy.
They're good, these writers. They should get awards for their ability.
Maybe they are all English teachers: I never paid attention in creative writing class.

MasterPeace.
A single life is impossible to comprehend. Too straining. Let's make concepts.
Concepts, we trim into categories. Categories we plug into stereotypes.
It's cozy here.
We champion vanity: egos fund Charity's selective caress.
A dollar for a soapbox, not a bad deal. Get off mine. Here, I'll lend you a buck: buy your own.
It's cozy here.
Apathy champions lives: news stations fund Ignorance.
Still cozy.
Wait.
No: I do care.
I focus my attention on the atrocities, but its span gives way to a grumbling belly.
I walk to my fridge. 3/4 of a steak and cheese sub, loaded. Got it the night before last. A microwave beep and its sizzly. I eye it: change my mind. I feed the trash can in the corner. On the phone in 3 seconds. 35 more minutes and my teeth sink into fresh made cheesy Italian goodness.
Life: is good.
I return to the glow. It tells me 6 died. Am I sad? Too hard to tell. No. I'm angry. Motivated. I want to do something.
MasterPeace: I am ready.
I look over to the TV: time for Family Guy. The glow waits patiently for my return.
I fall asleep on the couch.

Morning.
Is that heartburn? What did I do last night? I'm behind. Why do I let myself get so distracted?
Time: work.
I turn the shower on, water shoots out from some magic portal to Infinity.
I let it run: it has to be the right temperature.
I return to the glow. E-mails. 6 of them.
I have to respond.
I work through them: 20 minutes of pure focus. I am accomplished.
I am a professional: I put out fires, big ones, little ones, all kinds. Keep the parents happy
Been doin it for 4 years now.
I'm the best at what I do(n't) do.

A child crying. Her belly 4 times the size of her head. Flies traverse her flesh,
Crawling.
What a picture.
I put it in my encyclopedia. Alphabetically, of course.
Convenient how it fits so perfectly.
Love it.
Then again, maybe I shouldn't.
Shower's still running: forgot to send out an e-mail. Let me do that first.
Flourish: Done. Water pressure's horrific. Too hard.
Have to remember to tell maintenance to fix that.

Let's MasterPeace: I'm inspired. Great ideas flow from an uncaged, but highly categorized mind.
I abide by the rules, but get by on delivery.
I'm an 8-ball at a cue ball factory.
I shine.
What do you expect?
Good boy. Praise me. What are you doing?
Don't follow me please:
I'm sleepwalking.
I am the product of my own encyclopedia:
And a little bit of yours, too. Just for taste, of course.
I haven't read through all the sections yet though but you can borrow it when I'm done.
Actually, we can share.

What is Masterpeace

2009-03-30T12:21:00.001-07:00

MasterPeace is a one-week series of interactive events, lectures, open forums, and simulations devoted to raising awareness regarding global genocide in its historical and present context with a specific focus on the region of Darfur and the country of Burma. The week is deliberately designed to challenge Providence College students to engage in their role as global citizens through the creation of, and exposure to, opportunities that directly effect change.

The title is meant to inspire students on campus to strive toward eliminating global violence and human rights violations through peaceful activism. The word is an intentional play on the word masterpiece, and hence bears a double meaning. We endeavor the totality of this week’s campus-wide efforts to metaphorically represent the College’s contribution of its own personal masterpiece to the international human museum that is the history of global conflict.

What is a junta

2009-03-30T12:15:00.000-07:00

"A military junta is a government ruled by a committee of military leaders. The term derives from the Spanish junta meaning committee, specifically a board of directors. It originally referred to an executive body that came to power after a military coup in 20th century Latin America. Often it becomes a military dictatorship, though the terms are not necessarily synonymous." *

Famous junta include:

Nigerian Military Juntas (1966–1979 and 1983–1998)
Greek Military Junta (1967–1974), also called "The Regime of the Colonels"
Peruvian Military Junta (1968-1980)
Government Junta of Chile (1973–1990)
Derg in Ethiopia (1974–1987)
Junta of National Reconstruction in Nicaragua (1979–1985)
Revolutionary Government Junta of El Salvador (1979–1982)
Haitian Military Junta (1991–1994)
State Peace and Development Council in Myanmar (formerly known as Burma) (1988–present), known as the State Law and Order Restoration Council from 1988 to 1997.
Council for National Security in Thailand (2006–2008)
National Reorganization Process in Argentina (1976-1983)

*Definition courtesy of Wikipedia.org

Crisis in Burma

2009-03-30T12:12:00.000-07:00

Located in Southeast Asia, Burma is a country currently experiencing the horrors of genocide. The Burmese people, led by 1991 Noble Peace Price winner Aung San Suu Kyi, who is presently under house arrest by the Burmese Government, are fighting for democracy. The military regime in Burma is forcing the people’s voice to be silenced as they are practicing ethnic cleansing. The situation in Burma is the world’s longest current conflict. Approximately 70,000 child soldiers have been taken from their families and forced to fight for the military regime. Young children between the ages of eleven and twelve are swept off the streets, never to see their families again. Rape, a consistent theme of genocide is also occurring in Burma. 25% of the rape victims in Burma are mutilated, and later murdered after being sexually assaulted and raped. Over 3,300 villages have been pillaged, forcing the Burmese people to hide in the jungle for months at a time, unable to tend to their crops, and forcing them into starvation.
Why is this happening? The military regime currently in power of Burma fears the rising power of minority populations. “It is important to understand that the areas under attack by the ruling military junta have been controlled by ethnic groups in Burma for many years. The present military junta has never controlled these areas. The junta began carrying out a war in order to take over these areas from the ethnic minorities, which had their own government, security apparatus and commerce. The junta wants complete, totalitarian control of the entire region” (US Campaign For Burma). Burma is highly underrepresented in the media. Not enough people know about the tragic happenings.
The United States Campaign for Burma according to their website “is a U.S.-based membership organization dedicated to empowering grassroots activists around the world to bring about an end to the military dictatorship in Burma. Through public education, leadership development initiatives, conferences, and advocacy campaigns at local, national and international levels, USCB works to empower Americans and Burmese dissidents-in-exile to promote freedom, democracy, and human rights in Burma and raise awareness about the egregious human rights violations committed by Burma’s military regime.”
Join the cause at: uscampaignforburma.org/

Masters of Peace

2009-03-30T11:42:00.000-07:00

Lets make Never AGAIN a reality!

Video courtesy of Thomas Ongeri.,

NEVER AGAIN: An unfulfilled promise

2009-03-28T21:09:00.000-07:00

On January 30, 1939 Adolf Hitler made a chilling prediction on the 6th anniversary of his accession to power: “Today I will once more be a prophet: If the international Jewish financiers in and outside Europe should succeed in plunging the nations once more into a world war, then the result will not be the Bolshevization of the earth, and thus the victory of Jewry, but the annihilation of the Jewish race in Europe!" This is prior to what is still one of the darkest hours in human history. In addition to a war with the Allied forces the Nazis waged a domestic war against the Jews.
The magnitude of the atrocities committed by Hitler defies any logic and up to this day memories linger. Not only did the Nazis desire to exterminate Jews but they targeted Communists and “undesirables;” Hitler took his crusade against Jews to Europe and approximately 6 million Jews were murdered when it was all over. Add 5 million Poles killed during this war and you get a level of evil that is scarcely imaginable. In fact when discussing evil men of our time Hitler’s name is sure to top many a list.

Atrocities against a specific race of people were officially defined after the Holocaust. The term genocide came into existence with the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide(December 1948). Acts of genocide were outlawed: these include killing members of the group; causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group; deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part; imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group; and forcibly transferring children of the group to another group. World leaders agreed that they could not allow such a thing to ever occur, “Never Again” became the phrase of choice regarding such atrocities.

61 years have since passed since the Convention and “never again” has proved to be a misstatement:
# Cambodia: 2,000,000 deaths (1975–1978)
# Bosnia: 200,000 deaths (1992–1995)
# Rwanda: 800,000 deaths (April 6 through mid-July of 1994)
Is the international community culpable for these tragedies? According to the Convention acts of genocide occurred in Cambodia, Bosnia and Rwanda. How strongly did the signatories of the historic Convention signed in pursue peaceful outcomes? Looking at the examples above, possibly not very much happened to stop the killings as they happened. A lack of political will combined with Cold war politics have prevented any action in some instances of horrible warfare including some of the ones mentioned earlier.

A few years after the Rwandan genocide President Bill Clinton speaking at a genocide museum in that country stated, “It may seem strange to you here, especially the many of you who lost members of your family, but all over the world there were people like me sitting in offices, day after day, who did not fully appreciate the depth and speed with which you were being engulfed by this unimaginable terror.” A true confession or an excuse? The Rwandan genocide was well documented by the Red Cross who remained in the country even during the killings and the small United Nations mission led by L. Gen. Rome Dallaire. Hindsight is 20/20 but surely modern day genocides like Rwanda, and Darfur are more evident to the outside world than ever before.

Acts of genocide are not limited to the cases mentioned above. Brutal civil wars in places like Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sri Lanka and Liberia have seen civilians caught up in war, their lives the price they are forced to pay. Today Darfur, Sudan is one of the stages of the nightmarish scene of genocide. World leaders have been debating and discussing terminology as millions have been displaced and hundreds of thousands killed.

After Hitler the world said, “Never again,” but genocide is still a reality. Samantha Power, (Director of the Human Rights Initiative at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard Univeristy) describes all the instances of uncontested genocide in the last fifty years as, “Again and Again.” The latest installment in genocidal attacks being in Darfur Sudan where millions have been displaced and hundreds of thousands have lost their lives. We said Never again before, what will it take to fulfill the promise?

Scene of war?

2009-03-26T20:51:00.000-07:00

They say pictures can paint a thousand words. Well what words can be used to describe this scene? Fleeing,;running; struggling; hopeless; tragic? Who knows, in this moment of time, something was unfolding, the child in the foreground struck me the most. Why should a child have to go through this sort of thing?

Laments of a lost soul

2009-03-26T19:51:00.000-07:00

(inside the mind of a refugee)

What an existence,
forced out of my place of comfort,
Forced away from what i call home,
finding a new reality in a different world,
Uprooted from my foundation.
How could this be?

They say I must be the change I want to see in the world,
but what must I do when my world is stripped of all hope? How do I change what I cannot see? How do I see what I should change in a reality that is out of my hands?
Where must i look for hope?

My question answers itself when i turn and look at my little sister, a beacon of light in a dark world. She cannot get used to this (I think to myself).... this is not the way I envision her future,
I must do all in my power to change what she knows as reality (no child deserves this)...Surely that is worth living for.
I see the suffering of my people, they suffer for a living and live unremarkable lives. What potential do they possess? Plenty. Can they unleash it? Not like this....... can I stand by and watch this? NO...

And so here I am thousands of kilometers away from home, a refugee. Uprooted from my own home, adjusting to a strange land whose customs I am not privy to. What does this mean for me, the lost travellor? It means I have a chance to help alter the reality for my sister, family and people, surely something worth living for..... Yes, it is not ideal, being away has ripped out a piece of my soul, but my life will mean more if I fight for the cause of my own people. Maybe one day we can look back at the nastiness as a nightmare, the key being that it is all over...

Hope springs eternal, just because I'm losing doesn't mean I'm lost.....

What does it mean to YOU!!!

2009-03-25T19:32:00.000-07:00

Tinacho has kindly shed some light on the meaning and examples of genocide. I find it difficult to say the word (genocide) without feeling a little upset at myself. The fact that this word has existed and is allowed to prevail in all of our tongues is not only sicking but frightening.

To imagine that there is evil and destruction, yet I sit and do nothing is evil itself. I am evil. I cannot stand and allow such malicious acts to be carried on any longer. I wish that i can make a stand, but my voice , although it is a single voice, is POWERFUL when it is matched with yours. So I challenge you...I'm sorry.. I pray and ask of YOU!!! TO DO SOMETHING...To make your life equal to those in Burma, to those in Bosnia, to those in Darfur, and those in the Congo and say NEVER AGAIN!! and when you say it.. I want you to mean it.

I make this promise: I will become a peaceful civilian and fight against genocide. I will write to the congressman in RI and in my state of NJ and call for action.

Genocide, challenging the myths

2009-03-25T17:15:00.000-07:00

What is Genocide

The United Nations’ "Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide" which was "Adopted by Resolution 260 (III) A of the United Nations General Assembly on 9 December 1948." Article 2, “genocide means any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such:
(a) Killing members of the group;
(b) Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group;
(c) Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part;
(d) Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group;
(e) Forcibly transferring children of the group to another group.

Is genocide a crime of war?
Article 1 confirms that “genocide, whether committed in time of peace or in time of war, is a crime under international law which they undertake to prevent and to punish.”

Who is held responsible?
Article 4 states that, “persons committing genocide or any of the other acts enumerated in Article 3 shall be punished, whether they are constitutionally responsible rulers, public officials or private individuals.”

Who enforces the law
The United Nations is responsible for administering this law according to the Resolution adopted in 1948. In 1994 the United Nations established the International Criminal Tribunal of Rwanda (ICTR) to prosecute those most responsible for the 1994 genocide during which hundreds of thousands of Tutsis and moderate Hutus were murdered. Most recently the International Criminal Court (ICC) has indicted and issued an arrest warrant for President Omar Al-Bashir of Sudan for on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

How important is the International Criminal Court
Established in 2002, the ICC is “the first permanent, treaty based, international criminal court established to help end impunity for the perpetrators of the most serious crimes of concern to the international community.”
The ICC is the only international court there is and it is not part of the United Nations system. It was a result of the Rome Statute of 17 July 1998, when 120 States adopted the legal basis for establishing the permanent International Criminal Court.
Give me some examples of genocides in history..
# Armenians: 800,000–1,000,000 deaths (1915–1917)
# The Holocaust: 6,000,000 deaths of Jews; 5,000,000 deaths of Poles, Roma, Communists, and other "undesirables" (1938–1945)
# Cambodia: 2,000,000 deaths (1975–1978)
# Bosnia: 200,000 deaths (1992–1995)
# Rwanda: 800,000 deaths (April 6 through mid-July of 1994)

Does Genocide still occur?
In short yes. Because of the legal consequences and ramifications of committing such a grave crime, politicians and world leaders have been hesitant to use the term. The strongest case has been made in Darfur Sudan where upper estimates say 400,000 people have been murdered. Other regions of the world where atrocities against defenseless civilians are occurring include: Eastern Burma, The Democratic Republic of Congo, Eastern Chad, Iraq, Somalia and Sri Lanka.

How do I find out more about Genocide?
#Visit STAND, a Student Anti-Genocide Coalition is a network of student groups dedicated to putting an end to genocide in Darfur and elsewhere @ standnow.org/

2009-03-19T08:43:00.000-07:00

President Obama has decided act on the Sudanese crisis. He stated that it is a "priority for his administration" to create dialog on one of the worst humanitarian crisis that is present during his administration. Please read this article:

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/americas/2009/03/200931820478508698.html

It didn't make headlines but it is EXTREMELY IMPORTANT.

I am proud to see the American government move towards a positive step to improving an African nation amid their current economic crisis. I'm beginning to believe that Obama's administration is the first in half a century to see foreign nations not only for their market value but human value.

Increased hostility in Sudan: An expected outcome?

2009-03-11T09:20:00.000-07:00

The precarious situation Sudan has recently seen the expulsion of 16 aid agencies from Sudan. Clearly it is backlash towards the recent indictment and victimization of Sudanese leader Omar Al-Bashir. History has a strange way of repeating itself, and Sudan is no exception. He is a tyrant in a corner and his reaction typifies past men of his kind.

Al Bashir recently called for all aid agencies to leave Sudan within a year. Such an action would millions at risk of starvation nevermind the violence. How can this be? Is this the same Al-Bashir who signed a treaty with a rebel group? The same man who preaches love of his country and decries western influence. Sudan right no especially Darfur, is on a knife edge. With the expulsion of aid organizations catastrophe might be the new word we use for Sudan. A sobering reality.

Al Bashir indicted - Now what?

2009-03-04T15:33:00.000-08:00

Ok so today International Criminal Court issued a formal arrest warrant for the President of Sudan, Omar al-Bashir, alongside diplomatic giggles in the African country. Mr Al Bashir is charged with directing attacks against civilians; pillaging; murder; extermination; forcible transfer; torture and rape. A heavy burden especially considering there are hundreds of people willing to testify against him. It is the first time a sitting leader has been indicted and had an arrest warrant issued on them while they are still in power.

It is a drastic measure, brave too considering the timidness that has characterized International Relations since the post World War II days of "Never Again." Importantly the charges against Al Bashir have not been termed genocide, which is shocking when considering the definition of genocide and the charges against him.

But is this a good move by the international community? There is an argument that suggests that it is a window dressing measure. After all, how will peace be negotiated with Al Bashir if he is considered a criminal in the West. He also has reason to be unhappy about these allegations and this might make him stall in the peace talks. The indictnent might prove the most backward thing the International community has done of date. On another level one might strongly argue that negotiations have not worked, with a leader who has been in power on and off for 20 years. The time for talking has passed and it is time to act. The indictment might be the first of a more activist attitude by the international community to finally act decisively on a tragedy occuring under their watch. I would love to argue for the second point but the commitment of important players like China (trades exstensively with Sudan), France (Security Council member), Russia (S.C member), the US (the last superpower) and Britain (S.C member). African countries are also very important in this process. They have been critical of the ICC which they have accused of discriminating against Afican countries wich are easy targets.

There have loud pronouncements of ridicule from Khartoum as the Sudanese leadership has laughed of the "toothless" ICC whose role is largely diminished with no force to enforce its will. Expect to see Al-Bashir traveling to another country in Africa, and not get arrested! Yes he will flout the ruling of the ICC and challenge their credibility once again. Will we get closer to peace or will this be another diplomatic game whose end remains to be seen?

Here is something to think about...

2009-03-04T10:35:00.001-08:00

Young Yerkin, a good friend on mine and colleague, quoted Mark Twain the other night while we were on RA duty. He quoted Twain in the four simple lines below and my eyes immediately lit up:

Years from now

you will be more disappointed

by the things you did NOT do...

than by the ones you DID do.

With that said, I challenge all of you to EXPLORE, DREAM, AND DISCOVER. The challenges ahead of us may be tough. But I CHALLENGE you to BE part of something great, and join the cause and make a CHANGE.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25PdPkGzOxU

MasterPEACE

2009-03-04T07:08:00.000-08:00

An artist works to create a piece of work that can be called a masterpiece. Our movement seeks to make a difference in the lives of the voiceless, we call it Masterpeace. We are united by our desire to see real positive change in the lives of those stricken by violence and a loss of hope. Our task is not an easy one, but our conviction means we are willing to face up to the challenge with an insatiable desire to play a part in the fight for those whose voices, screams and moans have been drowned out by a world largely ignorant of their situations.

We aim to highlight the plight of those caught up in genocide, the systematic and deliberate destruction of all or part of a racial, religious or ethnic group. It is a crime that has been deplored by world leaders; with cries of "NEVER AGAIN" emerging in the aftermath of the Holocaust. There were meetings, pledges and statements against every form of genocide. Enough was enough! Roll on 60 years and NEVER AGAIN seems like a void statement. There have been incidents of genocides in places like Srebenica, Rwanda, Darfur and Burma. Instead of standing strongly against genocides international diplomats have wrangled over terminology. Millions have since died, in a world where information is meant to be easily disemminated. Our frustration with events has led us to form this movement aimed at not only raising awareness about genocide but finding the best possible action steps.

Standing by does nothing, are we going to be the generation that stood by when evil reigned free? What drives us to act like this? A desire to see a better world. An opportunity to help those who have no-one to stand for them. To help be part of a safer world, whose people's plights are intertwined in a web that makes complete isolation impossible. There is hope, why don't you join us, as we strive to Master Peace.......

How it all began: Darfur Edition

2009-03-03T13:33:00.001-08:00

I will try to the best of my ability to explain how the genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan began. This is a succinct history lesson on the subject but I hope you get the most of it. The Darfur region of Darfur is comprised of African and Arab Muslims. The current Sudanese government, led by President Omar Hassan Ahmad al-Bashi of the National Congress Party, has a majority of Arab Muslims thus it favors Arab interests.

For a number of years there has been tension erupting from the region of Darfur between Arab Muslims and African Muslims. A number of restrictions has been places on African Muslims which eventually caused the Africans to retaliate. Finally in 2003, a rebel group made up of African formed the Sudanese Liberation Movement (SLM). The SLM demanded a free, secular, democratic state which would be supported by equal rights throughout all of Sudan. They were met with an opposing force know as the Janjaweed militia which began prosecuting all ethnic Africans in Sudan. The Janjaweed began its reign of terror with the used of rape, torture, and murder.

Presently the current government, led by al-Bashir, has insisted that they are innocent and do not support the the Janjaweed, although it is evident that they are. On July 14, 2008, the International Criminal Court filed charges against President al-Bashir, accusing him of genocide, attempt to exterminate African tribes in the Darfur region by the use of murder, rape, torture and deportation by the Janjaweed.

What do you do now?

What I want you to do is to spread the word. I firmly believe that education is the cure to ignorance. So please, reach a hand out and teach somebody.

PLEASE!!!

2009-03-02T11:57:00.001-08:00

Genocide

The word "genocide" first appeared in print in 1944 in the book Axis Rule in Occupied Europe by Raphael Lemkin, a Jewish lawyer and political refugee from Nazi-occupied Poland. Lemkin's goal was to alert America as to what was happening to the Jewish population in areas of Europe that were under the occupation of Nazi Germany. He wrote that the Nazis had instituted a systematic program designed to eliminate the Jews as a group. To fully describe this type of organized killing, Lemkin coined a new word, genocide, by combining the Greek word genos (race or tribe) with the Latin suffix cide (to kill).

In 1946 the fledgling United Nations (U.N.) declared genocide---both in times of war and of peace---to be a crime against humanity. In 1948 the United Nations passed the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, which defined genocide as "acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group." These acts could encompass not only killing members of a targeted group, but also creating living conditions designed to bring about the destruction of a group, preventing births within a group, or forcibly removing children of the targeted group to be brought up by another ethnic or national group. Nations who signed the convention committed themselves under international law to prevent genocide from occurring and to punish perpetrators of genocide.

One obstacle to effective U.N. action stems from difficulties in determining whether genocide is taking place, and especially in distinguishing genocide from the violence endemic in warfare and civil conflict. Warfare within states that does not involve the targeted elimination of a specific ethnic group triggers no obligation under the 1948 Genocide Convention for foreign intervention. In both the former Yugoslavia and in Rwanda, genocidal acts took place within the context of civil war, making it difficult for outside observers to discern when the violence was genocidal in nature.

Another, perhaps more important, impediment against effective international action against genocide is the reluctance of the United States and other countries to place their own soldiers at risk in a military intervention. This hesitation was evident in the cases of both Yugoslavia and Rwanda. In Yugoslavia, U.S. officials limited direct intervention to air strikes as a way of minimizing American casualties. In Rwanda, a U.N. peacekeeping force stationed there was quickly withdrawn after some of its soldiers were killed by the Rwandan military; the United Nations and the United States subsequently did little to intervene in the genocide that followed. Both the United States and the United Nations have been criticized for not taking stronger measures to stop genocides in progress.

On September 2, 1998, Jean-Paul Akayesu, a former mayor in Rwanda, became the first individual to be convicted of genocide under the 1948 convention. In 1999, the Yugoslav tribunal indicted Milosevic and several other Yugoslav leaders. Some commentators have praised these tribunals, citing their actions as evidence that the international community is living up to its obligation to punish genocide. However, as of the end of 2000, Milsosevic and others indicted by the ICTY had yet to even be arrested. The tribunal in Rwanda has also been criticized for its slow pace and lack of resources. Whether the performance of these tribunals will improve with experience over time remains to be seen.