Human Rights and Development in Terrorism
I believe within the discussion of justice in the face of terror the example of Rwanda and Burundi’s journey from complete chaos, violence, and terror to its current quest to find justice for the brutality of civil war and genocide can provide compelling examples of the importance of justice – in the form of human rights and development work- and more nuanced rhetoric in the face of terror (as discussed in this week’s reading such as Hoffman, Kaplin, and Aeschylus) to end the cycle of violence.
Very Brief Historical Background
Rwanda and Burundi can trace the ideology that sparked their tragedies to an evolution overtime in the meaning of its geography and tribal classifications. Although there are no defined differences between tribes other than through bloodlines- meaning no differences in appearance, language, customs, or abilities- European colonists divided Hutu and Tutsis into separate kingdoms by enforcing stereotypes with policies such as instituting labeling identity cards with the tribal name. This may have been one factor that sparked rising levels of violence overtime between the tribes as well as competing for economic and political power. Jan Vanisa writes of the destructive force of such rhetoric saying, “The Europeans merely adopted a practice they found on the spot and the terminology they used to express it derived from the speech of the local elites.”[1] What an example of the power of rhetoric! The Europeans added fuel to the flame of racism in the region. This flame was fed and allowed to breathe and gain ground until it exploded in a rage in April 1994, when the Presidents of both Rwandan and Burundian were murdered sparking genocide when the Hutus began to kill Tutsis and Hutus that refused to kill Tutsis in Rwanda and a similar civil war in Burundi. These events led to the killing of several hundreds of thousands of men, women, and children with barbaric weapons such as machetes, knives, and rocks. Rwanda and Burundi’s violence is an example of a case where the absence of justice led to extreme terror. [2]
Why and how the example of Rwanda can advance our understanding?
The Fever of Terror
Recently, I finished a book entitled, “Strength in What Remains” by Tracy Kidder. Based on a true story, Kidder tells the tale of a Burundian refugee, Deo, who survived the genocide and civil war in Rwanda and Burundi in 1994 and becomes a doctor and working for Partners in Health's(PIH) Paul Farmer. (also a good book is Mountain beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder telling Paul Farmer's story! It is my favorite book!!!! ) Deo describes PIH’s mission to provide healthcare in third-world countries by stating, "By all means, let's do prevention! Prevent people from suffering! Don't wait for people to feel like their lives are not worth living. Once they feel that way, how are they going to feel about another person's life?"[3] Perhaps in the realm of justice and prevention of terrorism, it is important to view the basis for the political, social, and cultural issues at play such as a culture of poverty and violence due to a lack of education, healthcare, and equality in a society.
Within the book “Strength in what Remains”, Kidder describes the work of scholar Peter Ulvin who speaks to the political, social, and economic forces at work leading to violent genocide in Rwanda and Burundi as well as any act of "structural violence". Ulvin defines this idea of "structural violence" or "violence that is, of the quotidian kind, the physical and psychological violence of poverty."[4] The use of the radio, newspapers, and word of mouth between Hutus was integral in spreading the propaganda against Tutsi’s and in organizing the killings. Perhaps “Justice” could be a cure to such a fever or terrorism with a prescription of:
1. health ("hunger, disease and untimely death")
2. education (so much human potential lost without this element)
3. safety and security (rule of law)
4. fighting corruption (which in turn excludes poor villagers)
There are a few cultural paradigms of the “fever of terror” that jumped out at me from my experiences in Tanzania:
1) There lies a culture of group retaliation when a thief is caught in action. We were taught to avoid yelling, “Thief” at all costs with the warning that the criminal who steals your cell phone could be jumped and killed right in front of you. I have witnessed unsettling swift and brutal mob justice.
2) Foreign aid is often more productive and tailored than in surrounding countries due to its recent success with democratization, however, many countries foreign aid does not reach the villagers in need and instead lines the corrupt pockets of politicians and a small elite.
3) Courts, law enforcement, prisons and other important institutions to the rule of law and civil order are not easily accessible due to lack of infrastructure and personnel.
Without a strong presence of justice, peace in these African countries is fragile, as made evident during the Kenyan elections in 2008 that erupted in sudden tribal violence.
Does the example of Rwanda help advance the call for justice in the face of terror?
The International Criminal Courts and Democratization
Ulvin writes, "In societies where the rule of law is close to nonexistent and security forces are neither effective or trusted, small groups of people willing to use violence can create enough chaos and fear to force everyone into making violent choices." So, prejudice or fear or whatever driving factor is behind an initial "call to arms" for a small group of violent people, Ulvin says, "Social exclusion and the ethnicization of politics are the two central elements to violent conflict...that, like electrons, spin around a core of massive poverty and institutional weakness." Justice may be the only solid force that can bring stability to the cycle of terror.
Today, Rwanda and Burundi have begun to heal the deep wounds of April 1994. Through the international criminal courts and democratization, the victims have been given a voice and the cycle of violence has stopped. Even with this justice both Hutu and Tutsi refugees remain in the surrounding region and it will, perhaps, take several generations to calm the terror. Because of justice, memorials have been erected and relative peace has returned to the region.
Conclusion
The micro-politics of a region or culture may fuel a fever of the psychological and physical violence of poverty, a human condition that causes terrorism that may be cured when justice and political order are revived. At the end of “Strength in what Remains”, Deo is approached by a Hutu women who asks for forgiveness for her participation in the violence and Deo responds, “What happened happened. Let’s put the tragedy behind us, because remembering is not going to benefit anyone.” Perhaps that is true with any conflict where society has lost track of the “tit for tat” orgins of violence, that in order to find neutral ground for dialogue we must forgive and forget and let justice start anew.
Inspired by:
Kidder, Tracy. “Strength in What Remains -A Journey of Remembrance and Forgiveness”. Random House. New York. 2009.
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