Today across Rwanda, survivors of the 1994 genocide begin a period of remembrance and mourning as they mark 30 years since one of the gravest, most brutal times humanity has witnessed. With over 800,000 killed in 100 days, this was a bloody stain on the conscience of humanity, and the aftermath saw world leaders say, ‘never again.’ Today, as we watch man-made, humanitarian catastrophes unfold across Gaza, Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and more, there must be a true reflection on what, if anything, we learned from Rwanda’s dark history and whether ‘never again’ will ever really be achieved.
Spending short periods in Rwanda myself and participating in kwbibuka (the annual commemoration of the genocide), taught me almost everything I know about our common humanity. Having witnessed survivors speak from the depths of their heart to the importance of peace and non-violence as Rwanda’s pathway forward, despite so much pain and grief, should be witnessed by everyone. “What is the point of a cycle of violence and revenge?” I have had survivors say to me having gone through Rwanda’s local grassroots justice process with their local community, perpetrators of their family members amongst them.
Today, world leaders will come together to commemorate this moment. President Biden has sent a delegation to kwibuka 30 in Kigali. But the same world leaders watch on as today, across the world, we watch replays of such reminiscent acts of violence. With the power and diplomatic tools to act, a lack of political will has meant no meaningful, concrete action to work for civilians and common humanity, just as it lacked in Rwanda. In ’94, leaders turned their back on advice from their own people on the ground, that a disproportionate amount of slaughter was occurring in front of them. The thousands and thousands of lives being lost were not significant enough to demand the action that the scenario so desperately required.
So why then, do we continue to let tragedy unfold, instability reign and political will decide the fate of fellow humans? Why are we experiencing atrocity after atrocity which we will one day look back on and think we could have done better? We have vision of the realities on the ground for civilians, live streamed across social media like never before, yet we are in a state of gridlock and compassion fatigue, failing to make a tangible difference in most contexts. We are saddened by more and more footage of children malnourished, overflowing refugee camps, hospitals torn to shreds, international humanitarian law brought to its knees, human rights experts loudly calling out crimes, but remain stagnant. Our leaders are making calls on their counterparts regarding their disappointment but fail to put forward any actions that will actually have an effect.
Rwandans were failed by the international community. Now, the international community is following the same trajectory with Gazans, Sudanese, Congolese, Rohingya, Yemeni’s, Syrians, West Papuans, and so many more. Surely, justice to the victims of Rwanda today should include commitment to act on ‘never again’ across the region and beyond.
To change the current trajectory, the humanitarian sector will continue to call on the Australian Government to:
- Play a leading role on the global stage in upholding commitment to the Geneva Conventions and human rights treaties and calling out where other states do not.
- Commit to the United Nations target of reaching 0.7% ODA/GNI, including through its fair share of humanitarian funding to meet growing need, through investments in food security, anticipatory action and protracted crises.
- Create an ambitious Humanitarian Strategy which has a global focus based on where the need occurs, rather than strategic interest.
Today, we remember 1994. We must also remember ‘never again’ and work towards its achievement.
Author : Naomi Brooks, Humanitarian Advisor, ACFID
