| STORY OPTIONS |
 |
| READ STORY IN |
|
|
| PRINT |
|
| SAVE TO YOUR SAVED STORIES |
|
| SEND THIS STORY TO A FRIEND |
|
| ADD YOUR STORY |
| TAKE ACTION |
|
|
|
| STATISTICS: |
|
| | • | Genocide is defined as a list of prohibited acts, such as killing or causing serious harm, committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial or religious group. | | | • | Crimes against humanity include crimes such as the extermination of civilians, enslavement, torture, rape, forced pregnancy, persecution on political, racial, national, ethnic, cultural, religious or gender grounds, and enforced disappearances - but only when they are part of a widespread or systematic attack directed against a civilian population. | |
|
|
|
|
|
EDITOR'S NOTE
To buy the book Left To Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust by Immaculée Ilibagiza cut and paste this url: http://www.amazon.com/
Left-Tell-Discovering-Rwandan-Holocaust/
dp/1401908969/sr=1-1/qid=1164913075/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/
002-4424542-0137636?ie=UTF8&s=books
|
|
I think the key to overcoming cycles of hatred and violence is simple : it is to decide to love.
My country is a country that has been destroyed by hatred. Genocide really is the highest form of hatred. So for me, the reverse of that is to try to love with all your heart and in the simplest ways. I mean everyday life. People you live with, people you work with, just to think with positive words, loving thoughts, actions of loving charity from all extremities. Even just in our prayers, to send love to people; to bless them.
I think that is such a powerful thing and yet people think it is so simple. But that’s the only way I think we can really reverse what is going on in the world
I also completely believe in the power of the prayer; that if we really pray for peace and if we then pray for those who are doing wrong, something will happen. This is not to say that you go and hug them or do anything like that. But if you pray for them to change, for this evil to leave their hearts, to let them go, I believe this can bring about a change.
And now is the time for our generation of women to show the world that we can really create peace. This is our opportunity as a generation. It is the chance the world has given us to save the world from so much hatred. It has been going on for so long. But women are able to care for children even when they don’t have anything. We are able to care for people, for instance sometimes a husband, who don’t treat us well or who don’t love us. I think we have so much love because women have this sensitivity that you can see beyond. And I don’t see a woman taking a decision to destroy modern negotiating.
I think our generation is more awake. You know, I think we have been waiting for somebody to do something different. Now women are strong; waking up to do something different. I think of course our mothers and our grandmothers have worked with that just by giving us little ideas slowly to reach where we are. Because never before in the history of the world have women been so strong or have been voicing their role in building a world of peace. For instance in Rwanda this is the first time in history where we have 60 percent of the Parliament are women. Because many men have killed and elders have been killed. So you can feel, now, that women are really striving to make the country better. And it’s so amazing how great they are doing.
This is not to say that women did not participate in the war in Rwanda. They did collaborate. I know some of them did but not as many. Very few. And you just wonder because the power is given to everybody to kill; to do wrong. But only a few did and of course, of those who did, they did wrong.
One thing I would like for young women is for them just to believe that there is hope no matter what they might be going through. To know that there is hope, no matter what. I would love for them to know that they are strong. It is not about being strong physically. It is in their spirit they are very strong. To know that you are here for a reason. You are put in this area of the world for a reason. And that good can come up from a simple woman. It’s all about how we think. I just want them to know that they have that power, it is in them. When we want to do anything to help somebody, it doesn’t take a man to help you. It doesn’t take anything to remind you that you are a weak person you are a weak creature. It’s about how you think and you can make it. You can change the world. To believe in themselves – not to see themselves as any weaker.
Study if you want to study; speak in public; write if you can. If you have an idea, do not undermine yourself.
When I started to write my book, I didn’t even know how to write a book. I knew I had a story and I thought that if I can tell my friend, I can tell the whole world. And when I was ready, somebody showed up to help me. There is good above. So many things can happen if we do not undermine our strength and just keep dreaming and do what we think we want to do. | |  | FLAG THIS STORY FOR REVIEW | | | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Hello everyone,
The story that I chose to read was titled "When Their Eyes Cry for You", by Chelan M. Pedrow. In her story she describes how her desire to help the victims...
|
|
|
|
|