A Plan for Peace in Sudan
Today the world may have witnessed a breakthrough that could finally lead to an end to the genocide in Darfur. It has been widely reported that the Sudanese government reached a cease-fire deal with a leading rebel group fighting to stop the government's genocidal mission. While the deal is not comprehensive and leaves much room for a return to a violent cycle a chief negoatiator of the deal Prime Minister of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani told Reuters, "This process should also involve an agreement between Chad and Sudan as this will help a great deal to resolve the issue. [and] ... make it not just a peace among Sudanese but also with its neighbors." The Prime Minister recognizes the importance of making peace a community wide effort, whether that community is a village, a city, a country or an entire region. This message of a broad coalition to sustain peace is also emphasized by an organization known as REACH in Rwanda.
By the hundreds of thousands, neighbors killed neighbors. Now the killers share dinner with survivors. The documentary film Reconciliation's Reach, will show how Rwandan women have become pioneers of reconciliation after genocide. An organization dedicated to rebuilding Rwanda is turning hated neighbors into friends, creating lasting peace in villages around the country. Survivors and perpetrators come together to learn about their past, apologize for their mistakes, and build a future together. This method of reconciliation has the potential to be used around the world.
These are the preliminary results of an investigation into their model. Check back here often as we update you on the status of the documentary film Reconciliation's Reach.
Announcing: Rock Out for "Reconciliation's Reach"
We are happy to announce the opportunity for those of you in the Boston area to Rock Out for Reconciliation's Reach. Making a documentary film overseas is an expensive venture and we need your support to make it happen. So we have put together a night full of fun complete with a great lineup of bands at a great downtown venue. The night will include live music, a raffle with dozens of prizes, all sorts of Reconciliation's Reach swag and, a preview of the film. Everyone 21+ is invited to eat, drink and enjoy! Donations will be accepted at the door. Can't make it? Please click here to donate. (Be sure to select "Reconciliation's Reach" on the drop down menu.) ----
Rock Out for "Reconciliation's Reach" Thursday, March 26th Hennessy's of Boston 25 Union St. Boston, MA 02108 6 p.m. - 1:30 a.m.
You can get all the details and RSVP via facebook. Not a facebook member? Email us!
President Obama's First Action
President Barack Obama's first official act was to sign a presidential proclamation declaring Tuesday, January 20th a "National Day of Renewal and Reconciliation." With this proclamation the President recognizes the value of reconciliation in healing a country:
We are in the midst of a season of trial. Our Nation is being tested, and our people know great uncertainty. Yet the story of America is one of renewal in the face of adversity, reconciliation in a time of discord, and we know that there is a purpose for everything under heaven.
The same can be said for what is happening in Rwanda right now. Rwandans have been facing seasons of trials for decades.
By the hundreds of thousands, neighbors killed neighbors. Now the killers share dinner with survivors. The documentary film Reconciliation's Reach, will show how Rwandan women have become pioneers of reconciliation after genocide. An organization dedicated to rebuilding Rwanda is turning hated neighbors into friends, creating lasting peace in villages around the country. Survivors and perpetrators come together to learn about their past, apologize for their mistakes, and build a future together. This method of reconciliation has the potential to be used around the world.
As President Obama said in his inaugural address:
To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it.
Take action today to join the effort to make this film.
Genocide Orchestrator Sentenced
A United Nations tribunal sent the chief orchestrator of the Rwandan genocide to prison for the rest of his life for crimes against humanity on December 18th, 2008. Colonel Theoneste Bagosora was involed in peace talks outside Rwanda in the early 1990s but grew tired of the process. The indictment against him said he was returning to Rwanda following those efforts to "'prepare the apocalypse." In 100 days 10% of the population was murdered in a genocide. A specialist in international justice for Human Rights Watch said the sentences of Bagosora and two other military commanders send a message to other world leaders accused of war crimes, like Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir, "It says watch out. Justice can catch up with you," as the Associated Press quoted Reed Brody.
Since the killing stopped, one group has been working for more than 10 years trying to achieve a common goal: reconciliation, healing and peace-building in Rwanda. Many groups are trying, but one organization's plan seems to be unique. These are the preliminary results of an investigation into their model. Check back here often as we update you on the status of the documentary film Reconciliation's Reach.