Some Troubling Thoughts

So I know I promised an update on my first week of model school, but I have decided to post about model school next week after I finish week two because I have had a few things come up that I think are more important to discuss. Before I start, I want to preface this post and say that I am in no way comparing the suffering of different peoples around the world, I am simply trying to express my thoughts on a few matters that keep reappearing in conversation.

In Rwanda, one of the first questions a person usually asks you is “what is your religion” and this is an honest question as religion is huge here in Rwanda. Today, a friend of my host mom asked me this question and I explained that I am Catholic like my family, however I do not practice regularly (I always get a funny look with this response but it is generally accepted without too much question). The man followed up my response by telling me that he was happy I am Christian because believing in Jesus is what matters most. I proceeded to explain that I respect the beliefs of every religion regardless of how different they might be from my own and I used the example of Muslim, stating that the beliefs of that religion may be different than those of Catholicism but that does not mean it is a bad religion. He continued to try to persuade me to think otherwise by claiming that most Muslims are terrorists. Pause. This statement alone is something that has always drove me crazy, to say that any one religion is exclusively terrorists and others do not have extremist factions is absurd. So after a deep breath, I calmly explained that there are plenty of terrorist groups and extremists who have a basis in Christianity and how that does not mean that ALL Christians are terrorists and that the same train of thought applies to almost all religions. Yes religions are different and sometimes we disagree on our beliefs, but it is not fair for any human being to say that another is bad strictly because of religion, race, political beliefs, sexual orientation, etc. Who are we to judge one another?

This brings me into another topic.. I am so sorry for the families and friends of those who have lost their lives in the senseless attacks that happened recently in Paris. I am deeply empathetic for your loss. However, it bothers me to see how billions of people around the world can come together to mourn the losses of those from a privileged country in the so-called western world literally overnight,  but close to no one is even discussing the atrocities that are occurring throughout the rest of the world in the so-called “underdeveloped third world” countries. Burundi is a tiny country to the south of Rwanda that has been in turmoil since April when their president decided to run for an extremely controversial third term in office despite the fact that the people he is supposed to represent and protect adamantly protested his decision. Did you know that since April over 240 people have been killed in political violence in this small country? Did you know that more than 230,000 people have fled the violence in Burundi since April? Or that the government in Burundi is using the same language that was used prior to the 1994 Genocide Against the Tutsi in Rwanda to describe their plan to stop their political opponents? When the international community stood by and watched the genocide progress in Rwanda, they waited until the RPF stopped it, then proceeded to apologize for their poor decisions to pull out peacekeeping forces and say “never again”. This term is frequently used when discussing mass atrocity and genocide; we say “never again” will we refuse to stop such horror when we have the capacity to do so. In 1994 the international community made the wrong decision, and now, here, in 2015 just 21 short years later, they are about to make the same mistake. Burundi is teetering on the edge of mass violence against civilians, more so than is already occurring, but we are only standing with France? 

Back to my conversation with the man I met today.. When I stated that there are extremist groups with bases in Christianity, he was shocked and I had to explain a short history of racism in the United States and what is STILL currently a very big problem. My Peace Corps group left the U.S. at a very volatile time, after a summer of peaceful protests, violent protests, and senseless acts of hate against minority communities throughout our country. And the tension continues to escalate. A few days ago I was reading some articles posted by friends on Facebook about the death threats being made to African American students at their universities, and today I read an article about a student at UCONN who was told he is to blame for the attacks in Paris, strictly because of his name. Being in Rwanda, we often have to explain that our own country still has soooo many problems with inequality and racism. When you tell people that poverty and homelessness are massive issues in the United States, they are shocked and sometimes they will tell you that you are lying to them. When you say that racism and discrimination against certain religions are currently affecting the daily lives of many Americans, they laugh and say “Is it so?” 

Our country is not perfect; we are not even remotely close to perfect. In my opinion, if we want to create a better world, we need to first accept the imperfections and differences within ourselves and within humanity as a whole. If we as individuals can do this, then, and only then, can we as individuals work to create a more cooperative and more peaceful world. We can’t say we want change and do nothing about it, we must actively become agents of positive change. So with that I apologize for the long rant, but I had to post something in regards to my thoughts about recent situations that have arose. Here is a great quote from Nelson Mandela, and a short video that a friend of mine found and posted on Facebook.

“It is in your hands to create a better world for all who live in it.” –Nelson Mandela