Posts
A week ago, the Academy had a presentation by Carl Wilkens, the only American to remain in Rwanda during the 1994-1995 genocide between the Hutus and the Tutsis. Wilkens is a humanitarian and worked throughout the genocide to provide aid to people all over Rwanda during this crisis. This day, the day that I heard Carl Wilkens speak for two and a half hours about his role as a humanitarian during the Rwandan genocide, was the most inspiring day in my academic career, as I saw that one person can truly make a difference and help people in an uncountable number of ways.Wilkens began just as a missionary in Rwanda, working to build schools and help all Rwandans. When the genocide broke out, Wilkens didn't fit in either of the two classes that were fighting, the Hutus and the Tutsis. Wilkens decided that instead of fleeing the country like all other Americans, he would use his resources and connections to attempt to bring some peace and stability to some Rwandans. Wilkens saw this class conflict and decided he needed to help, he needed to do something and not just stand by.
The genocide that took place in Rwanda is obviously a class conflict that occured very far from home for readers in the United States and western hemisphere. However, it shows that class conflicts don't necessarily need to be a matter of rich vs. poor in the United States. As I mentioned in my previous blog, All Around the World, class conflicts are prevalent in every country and culture, and come in all shapes and sizes. Although this class conflict was far away, Americans could still make a difference, just as Wilkens did. See Wilkens' video below to learn more about his time in Rwanda.
I blogged about the class conflict, Hutus vs. Tutsis, because of the recent presentation in Academy. However, there are many more class conflicts occuring not only domestically as I have blogged about, but also abroad. One major one is the Darfur conflict in Sudan (learn about it here!) This class conflict is also killing many people, with over 5,000 people murdered a month. Although the Rwandan conflict is over, class conflict certainly is not. Americans must work to stop these conflicts from killing thousands, if not millions. As Wilkens suggested, Americans should write to their senators, asking them to move the Darfur genocide up on the agenda. Call the White House. Seriously, how cool is that? You get to call the White House and voice your request for the Darfur genocide to receive more attention. Call 202-456-1111 (the White House comment line!) to make a comment about Obama's agenda and mention the Darfur conflict. This is just one way for Americans to help. We can stop class conflict and the violence that accompanies it. The United States did not pay enough attention to the Rwandan genocide, so the world and Rwandans payed the price. We can change our ways and policies for the conflict in Darfur. I encourage all readers to expand their views and begin to consider class conflict on a larger scale than what is just happening in your city. Sometimes the conflicts abroad can be even more detrimental to our world as a whole. Let's all try to do our part to help solve conflict around the globe and save lives.
If you're interested in learning more about Carl Wilkens, his experiences and his foundation, please see http://worldoutsidemyshoes.org/
Loved this post, Emily! I also had the honor of seeing Carl Wilkens give a presentation, and it was really inspirational to me as well. I really like the idea that you espouse of calling your senator and getting in touch with the white house. It's something that everyone should do more of, whether its for the genocide in Darfur or another issue near someone's heart.
ReplyDeleteGreat post, Em! Like Kyle, I commend you for encouraging readers to call the White House. I think you did an excellent job in this post of connecting to your audience. By suggesting readers voice their views and including a link about the incomparable Carl Wilkens, you successfully engage your readers and carry the ideas you express beyond the confines of your post. I really enjoyed hearing what you had to say!
ReplyDeleteHey Emily! I loved comparing what I took away from the presentation to what you took away. I remembered mostly personal accounts he made, like the women who defended his house or the soldiers who helped him carry supplies into a truck. You thought on a broader level, and connected the genocide as a whole to current genocide in Sudan, and it really opened my eyes to the relevance of the past Rwandan genocide to current events. I agree that we can all learn from Wilkens, and we can all do our part to help. I very much agree with your last two sentences, and I appreciated a different outlook on Wilkens' visit.
ReplyDeleteCarl Wilkens was certainly a very brave man and performed many courages acts. So, referring back to your first blog, what was his motivation? Did his family worry about him being in such danger and, perhaps, being killed? What was his responsibility to them?
ReplyDeleteOn another course, class; how will we ever eliminate class distinctions? In China, a supposedly classless society, the airplanes have a first class section. GBN has AP class, regular class and, I think, basic class. Are these class distinctions?
Is the CEO of a company in a class above managers who are in a class above workers? In our "classless" society, do we really have no class distinctions?
Mustn't we, then, eliminate our own class distinctions before we can lecture the rest of the world?