There are so many things that I could write about, but to be truly authentic, I feel I must discuss the elephant in the room. When I was younger, I watched a movie that touched me in a compelling way and left a mark on my heart and mind to this day. The film that I am talking about is called Hotel Rwanda. For those who have never seen this movie, it is based on a true story in 1994 in Rwanda. The film tells the story of a horrific civil war in a peaceful country. What makes this story so gripping yet heartbreaking is the hope & will to survive, the appalling acts against humanity and how the world turned its back on this beautiful nation and allowed these atrocities to occur. This lack of empathy led to the deaths of over 800,000 civilians in 100 days. This historical event is known as the “Rwandan Genocide.”
Today, there’s another genocide happening, and we are seeing the same narrative play out. Winston Churchill, one of our great leaders, once said, “Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” This statement applies to the war in Gaza and a broader world issue. Just because we close our eyes or turn the channel doesn’t mean the problem has disappeared. If we are to call ourselves a civilized society, there is no way that people should still be dying in such brutal ways. The sad reality of this matter is that when this genocide finally ceases, there will be many family trees that will be erased. In the first 100 days, 24,000 people have died in Palestine, with a majority of those being women & children & the death toll continues to rise daily. As devasting as that may sound, many of those who survive this war will have catastrophic burdens & trauma to live with forever.
After reading this article, I hope you take a stand for humanity & the safety of future generations to come. Please speak with others to find out what role you can play together & individually to bring about peace & creating a greater sense of community; there are people in need of our support.
By Christoff Kyere
