Reply #63: Jordan Denari in the Indianapolis Star, 5/22/05

[savannahana]

Note that these comments appeared in the "Indiana Living" section.
It would seem that the writer's byline indicates his age as 14.
I could be mis-reading this, but if correct -- wow.

May 22, 2005

Can we really say 'never again' to genocide?

By Jordan Denari, 14


According to Paul Rusesabagina, the two most abused words in the world are "never" and "again." In 1993, the Holocaust Museum opened in Washington, D.C.

At the dedication, people spoke of the atrocities and how the world would never again tolerate genocide. A year later, halfway around the world, at least 800,000 men, women and children were systematically killed while the international community turned its back.

After the Rwandan genocide, many world leaders apologized for not stepping in. In an address marking the 10th anniversary of the disaster, U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan admitted his own shortcomings.

"Neither the Security Council, the U.N. Secretariat, governments in general nor the international media paid enough attention to the gather signs of disaster," he said. "There was more that I could and should have done to sound the alarm and rally support."

The United Nations is helping Rwanda now with aid and justice. In November 1994, the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda was formed to prosecute persons responsible for the genocide. But as of March, only 20 convictions had been obtained.

Rusesabagina says few leaders are willing to stand up to a nation that fails to come to the aid of its people. "There are many superpowers which will always say 'no' because of political strategies and economic interests."

Even after the numerous apologies, the world has again failed to keep its promise of "never again." Since 1993, genocide has occurred in Cambodia and Kosovo, in addition to Rwanda, and it is still taking place in Sudan, Burundi and the Congo. Since 1996, 4 million people have been killed in the Congo alone, and hundreds of thousands have died in Darfur, Sudan, along with the 2 million who have been displaced from their villages.

Rusesabagina says it is up to today's generation to prevent mass murder from continuing. Will we be able to say "never again" and actually mean it?

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050522/LIVING/505220387

on edit: added link