Index Investing News
Friday, May 30, 2025
No Result
View All Result
  • Login
  • Home
  • World
  • Investing
  • Financial
  • Economy
  • Markets
  • Stocks
  • Crypto
  • Property
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Opinion
  • Home
  • World
  • Investing
  • Financial
  • Economy
  • Markets
  • Stocks
  • Crypto
  • Property
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Opinion
No Result
View All Result
Index Investing News
No Result
View All Result

A Ravaged Country That Bounced Back — Global Issues

by Index Investing News
April 11, 2024
in World
Reading Time: 5 mins read
A A
0
Home World
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter


  • Opinion by Margee Ensign (blagoevgrad, bulgaria)
  • Thursday, April 11, 2024
  • Inter Press Service

BLAGOEVGRAD, Bulgaria, Apr 11 (IPS) – As we contemplate the clouded futures of Gaza, Ukraine, and other dire conflict zones that get far less coverage, it may be instructive to recall the surprising success story of a ravaged country that bounced back: Rwanda.

Rwanda’s Genocide Against the Tutsi began 30 years ago this week, and a week of national mourning is underway. The death toll was an order of magnitude worse than in Gaza today: between 500,00 and a million Rwandans were slaughtered in less than three months, and mass graves are still being uncovered.

The U.S saw the victims as “casualties of war” and refused to use the word “genocide.” It stood by as the death toll mounted, an unsettling parallel with U.S. statements and actions on Gaza today. In fact, the US blocked efforts to stop the killing. It led a successful bid to remove UN peacekeepers and stopped UN authorization of reinforcements. It seemed to have made a decision to leave Rwandans to their fate.

No one could have predicted what happened in the wake of the genocide. Since 1994, survivors and attackers reconciled. Life expectancy more than doubled. In fact, 98% of Rwanda’s population now has health insurance.

A million Rwandans have been lifted out of poverty. Rwanda now leads the world’s second largest continent in socio-economic development. It ranks highest for ease of doing business and investment.

It also leads Africa in modelling home-grown solutions for seeking justice, fighting poverty, and promoting gender equity and civic participation. Women are now the majority in Parliament.

All this was unimaginable 30 years ago. How did it happen?

Once the killing had stopped, Rwanda found a creative vision and new ways to seek justice and hold its new leaders accountable for post-genocidal progress. The restorative justice approach of Rwanda’s Gacaca courts was one of the world’s most ambitious post-conflict justice and reconciliation programs.

Over a ten-year period, a million suspects were tried in community-based courts. They confronted war crimes while fostering forgiveness and inclusiveness, allowing communities to heal.

Rwanda’s homegrown Imihigo system, based on pre-colonial cultural practices, reformed the formerly highly centralized government using a decentralized, performance-based governance model that delivered services the traumatized population needed.

Local and national leaders are periodically required to demonstrate the progress and the impact of policies. That contributed to verifiable improvements in access to services, human development indicators, and local political participation.

Since the genocide, gender equity has been embedded in Rwanda’s constitution and its education system, transforming politics, economics, and family life. Today Rwandan women are visionary leaders. Half of the President’s cabinet and 61% of Members of Parliament are female. Rwanda has near-universal primary school enrollment – girls included. With its innovative IT education and nationwide digital network coverage, Rwanda has become a model of educational progress.

So, what lessons can we learn from Rwanda about resilience and reconstruction after the convulsions of war and genocide and how they apply to war-ravaged countries today?

First, we can’t repeat the mistakes of 1994. The U.S. and the international community must stand up to stop the slaughter, and make sure food and access to health care are assured.

Once the killing stops, reconciliation is the way to start rebuilding. If reconciling the antagonists in the Middle East seems hopeless or impossible, just look at Rwanda. In 100 days, over a million members of the Tutsi minority group, as well as Twa and Hutu who and stood up against the genocide, were murdered by Hutu militias.

“The dead of Rwanda accumulated at nearly three times the rate of Jewish dead during the Holocaust,” Philip Gourevitch wrote. “It was the most efficient mass killing since the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.”

Yet even so, the antagonists eventually came together. It required extraordinary political will, and belief in the impossible. But it happened. Together Rwandans were able to fashion and implement home-grown solutions to their shared problems.

The emphasis on gender equity, on women as visionary leaders, not victims, is also key. Research shows that countries that promote women’s rights and increase their access to education and economic opportunity grow faster, are more peaceful, and have less inequality and less corruption compared to countries that don’t.

Rwanda has many remaining challenges, but it staged one of the most impressive comebacks of modern times. Its leaders, led by President Kagame, rejected the policies of hate and division and retribution, and rebuilt the country from the ashes.

That provides some hope and evidence that Gaza, Ukraine, and other conflict-ravaged countries can too. Thirty years after the genocide, Rwanda is living proof that it is possible.

Professor Margee Ensign is the President of the American University in Bulgaria and author of Rwanda: History and Hope and co-editor of Confronting Genocide in Rwanda.

IPS UN Bureau

Follow @IPSNewsUNBureau
Follow IPS News UN Bureau on Instagram

© Inter Press Service (2024) — All Rights ReservedOriginal source: Inter Press Service

Where next?

Related news

Browse related news topics:

Latest news

Read the latest news stories:

  • Rwanda: A Ravaged Country That Bounced Back Thursday, April 11, 2024
  • Women Affected by Gender-Biased Climate Change Deserve Justice Thursday, April 11, 2024
  • The US Must Address More Than LNG To Mitigate Climate Change Wednesday, April 10, 2024
  • To Mitigate Climate Change Associated Disasters That Impact the Agricultural Sector – Launch Multipronged Efforts Wednesday, April 10, 2024
  • When the Man Who Built the Bombs Met the Man Who Dropped the Bombs Wednesday, April 10, 2024
  • IPCI 2024: Oslo Conference Focuses on Parliamentary Power over Reproductive Rights Wednesday, April 10, 2024
  • China, India & Sri Lanka Embroiled in the Geo-Politics of the Indian Ocean Wednesday, April 10, 2024
  • Carbon Markets Biased, Distorted, Undermined Tuesday, April 09, 2024
  • El Salvador’s Cycles of Violence Through a Teenager’s Eyes Tuesday, April 09, 2024
  • A Hamas-Israel Cease-Fire, Perhaps? Tuesday, April 09, 2024

In-depth

Learn more about the related issues:

Share this

Bookmark or share this with others using some popular social bookmarking web sites:

Link to this page from your site/blog

<p><a href="https://www.globalissues.org/news/2024/04/11/36442">Rwanda: A Ravaged Country That Bounced Back</a>, <cite>Inter Press Service</cite>, Thursday, April 11, 2024 (posted by Global Issues)</p>

… to produce this:

Rwanda: A Ravaged Country That Bounced Back, Inter Press Service, Thursday, April 11, 2024 (posted by Global Issues)





Source link

Tags: bouncedCountryglobalIssuesRavaged
ShareTweetShareShare
Previous Post

Virginia School Shooting Preceded by Series of Lapses, Grand Jury Report Finds

Next Post

FuelCell Energy’s tech to be used in Sacramento wastewater biofuel clean energy project

Related Posts

Elon Musk explains his black eye at Oval Workplace goodbye occasion with Trump

Elon Musk explains his black eye at Oval Workplace goodbye occasion with Trump

by Index Investing News
May 30, 2025
0

The tech billionaire stood within the Oval Workplace for greater than half-hour with a visual black eye earlier than a...

Location of latest Banksy paintings confirmed after elusive artists posts pic of lighthouse design – & locals give their view

Location of latest Banksy paintings confirmed after elusive artists posts pic of lighthouse design – & locals give their view

by Index Investing News
May 30, 2025
0

THE location of Banksy's newest paintings as been revealed after the mysterious avenue artist left a tough riddle for followers.The...

Hong Kong pro-democracy and homosexual rights activist Sham launched after 4 years in jail

Hong Kong pro-democracy and homosexual rights activist Sham launched after 4 years in jail

by Index Investing News
May 30, 2025
0

HONG KONG -- Hong Kong's outstanding pro-democracy and LGBTQ+ activist Jimmy Sham was launched from jail on Friday after serving...

Amid 51st state taunts, King’s recognition in Canada grows

Amid 51st state taunts, King’s recognition in Canada grows

by Index Investing News
May 30, 2025
0

King Charles is having fun with a recognition enhance and there's significantly extra help for sustaining Canada's ties to the...

Serbian corporations secretly delivering ammunition to Ukraine – Russian spy company — RT World Information

Serbian corporations secretly delivering ammunition to Ukraine – Russian spy company — RT World Information

by Index Investing News
May 30, 2025
0

The weapons producers are undermining Belgrade’s neutrality stance, the SVR stated The Russian International Intelligence Service (SVR) has accused Serbian...

Next Post
FuelCell Energy’s tech to be used in Sacramento wastewater biofuel clean energy project

FuelCell Energy's tech to be used in Sacramento wastewater biofuel clean energy project

Polkadot considers 0,000 bike branding proposal for Paris Olympics sponsorship

Polkadot considers $160,000 bike branding proposal for Paris Olympics sponsorship

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

RECOMMENDED

Tunisia reaches preliminary agreement on .9bn IMF loan

Tunisia reaches preliminary agreement on $1.9bn IMF loan

October 16, 2022
Mongolia reels from impact of Russian sanctions

Mongolia reels from impact of Russian sanctions

January 30, 2023
Raskin Teams Up with Democratic Colleagues to Address Insurrection Disqualification Process Moving Forward – FREEDOMBUNKER

Raskin Teams Up with Democratic Colleagues to Address Insurrection Disqualification Process Moving Forward – FREEDOMBUNKER

March 5, 2024
Can Deion Sanders mania last? Inside his response to back-to-back losses

Can Deion Sanders mania last? Inside his response to back-to-back losses

October 7, 2023
The approaching conflict between Trump and Wall Avenue

The approaching conflict between Trump and Wall Avenue

December 2, 2024
Sam Asghari Jokes About Paparazzi Disguise After Britney Spears Split – Hollywood Life

Sam Asghari Jokes About Paparazzi Disguise After Britney Spears Split – Hollywood Life

August 21, 2023
The First of Long Island Corporation (FLIC) Q4 2023 Earnings Call Transcript

The First of Long Island Corporation (FLIC) Q4 2023 Earnings Call Transcript

January 26, 2024
CF Montreal sign forward Matias Coccaro from Argentinian side Huracan

CF Montreal sign forward Matias Coccaro from Argentinian side Huracan

February 1, 2024
Index Investing News

Get the latest news and follow the coverage of Investing, World News, Stocks, Market Analysis, Business & Financial News, and more from the top trusted sources.

  • 1717575246.7
  • Browse the latest news about investing and more
  • Contact us
  • Cookie Privacy Policy
  • Disclaimer
  • DMCA
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
  • xtw18387b488

Copyright © 2022 - Index Investing News.
Index Investing News is not responsible for the content of external sites.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • World
  • Investing
  • Financial
  • Economy
  • Markets
  • Stocks
  • Crypto
  • Property
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Opinion

Copyright © 2022 - Index Investing News.
Index Investing News is not responsible for the content of external sites.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In