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MCC Daily Tribune

Video on Rwandan Genocide 25th Anniversary

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Rwandan genocide. Over the course of 100 days in 1994, an estimated 500,000 to 1 million Tutsis were slaughtered, destroying an estimated 70% of the Tutsi population. Murdered largely by neighbors in extremely close proximity, most of the victims were killed by machetes in their own villages and towns. The intimacy involved, the speed with which the killings were conducted, and the world's refusal to stop them distinguish this genocide.

MCC's Holocaust, Genocide, and Human Rights Project will host its annual Voices of Vigilance program at 7pm on Wednesday, March 9th, at which it will remember the victims and honor the survivors of the Rwandan genocide. As spring classes begin, we invite you to view and share a video currently available on the Shared Drive (M/Offices/Shared/HGHRP Rwanda Video), "The Rwandan Genocide." In just over 6 minutes, it provides a brief introduction to the genocide and its continuing impact. It can be easily included in classrooms with minimal effort.

Additionally, this video demonstrates the kind of quality productions that students can produce via the free multimedia educational website IWitness. Offered through the USC Shoah Foundation, this site provides access to more than 1,500 full life histories, testimonies of survivors and witnesses to the Holocaust and other genocides for guided exploration. Users can combine video clips, music, static images, and graphics to create unique films emphasizing a variety of themes. This creation process grows students' research and analysis skills, teaches ethical usage of historical content, highlights the power of narrative, and allows students to learn video editing skills that can be applied in broader contexts. IWitness is a free customizable service that is designed to be participatory, academic, and student-driven. For more information on accessing and utilizing this site, contact Regina Fabbro (rfabbro@monroecc.edu, x3464).

Wednesday, March 6, 2019 • 7pm
Theatre, Robin and Tim Wentworth Arts Building (Bldg 4)
Public parking in lot F
Tickets available via www.monroecctickets.com; $5 with MCC ID, $10 general public

This event's keynote speaker will be Paul Rusesabagina. Rusesabagina provided shelter for 1,268 people at the establishment he managed, the Hôtel des Mille Collines, which was the only public place where people were safe during the genocide. Rwandans were killed and beaten in stadiums, schools, and churches, but no one under Rusesabagina's shelter was harmed or killed. Soldiers came to threaten him, slaughters happened outside the gates, but the people at the Hôtel des Mille Collines were safe. The 2004 film Hotel Rwanda, starring Don Cheadle, chronicles Rusesabagina's harrowing experience. He has received numerous awards and honors, including the Immortal Chaplains Prize for Humanity, the National Civil Rights Museum Freedom Award, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Rescuer of Humanity Award and the The Tom Lantos Human Rights Prize. Rusesabagina formed the Hotel Rwanda Rusesabagina Foundation to give voice to victims of genocide and support peace efforts in Rwanda and throughout the world. The Foundation raises public awareness about the need for an internationally administered Truth and Reconciliation process for Rwanda and the Great Lakes Region of Africa. The Foundation also works on issues related to the ongoing conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where more than 7 million have died. The Foundation is campaigning for an end to Rwandan military intervention in the Congo and against the deadly exploitation of conflict minerals in the region.

Regina Fabbro
Holocaust, Genocide, and Human Rights Project
01/18/2019