I studied economic and social history at university. You know, that boring subject that has no relevance to our lives now. That's what we used to hear from snipers in the midst. Except of course history in general is probably the most relevant subject being taught in our schools and colleges. It may be pat to say "if we don't learn from our past, we are doomed to repeat our mistakes in the future", but the frequency with which we continue to repeat our mistakes is appalling, and this particular 'pat' has its basis in fact. So why aren't we ashamed when genocide occurs on the planet? It seems to happen once a decade or so. More to the point, why do we let it happen again and again? Lieutenant-General Romeo Dallaire, Commander of the United Nations peacekeeping force in Rwanda in 1994, has written a book, called 'Shake Hands with the Devil', about the genoice that occurred there. A genocide he was powerless to stop.
The habitual cry of politicians after genocides - be they in Germany, Cambodia or Rwanda - has been to shout from the rooftops "Never Again".
Bill Clinton used these very words when he visited Kigali in March 1998. But saying "Never Again" is rather meaningless unless the reasons the genocide occurred are analysed and addressed.
As the BBC Article the quote above is taken from points out, this is a book about failiure. Not just of politicians or countries, but of humanity. You and I are complicit.
Posted by Joe at November 21, 2003 11:01 AM