By Simon Busse, FSWC Educator

April 7 marks the International Day of Reflection on the Rwandan Genocide. The mass murder of the Tutsi in 1994 is considered one of the most brutal genocides in recent history. In just 100 days during the Rwandan Civil War, Hutu militias murdered an estimated 500,000-1,000,000 people, in a wave of systematic violence which included hundreds of thousands of women raped.

At the time, Canadian Lt. Gen. Romeo Dallaire was the force commander of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda (UNAMIR). He had warned the UN about the impending violence, and had asked for more troops and support, but unfortunately his mandate and resources were severely limited. In the end, he felt devastated by his inability to prevent the slaughter. Dallaire publicly criticized the lack of international response and the failure of the UN to provide the necessary resources to stop the genocide. He felt personally responsible for not being able to protect the victims, despite his efforts to intervene. It left him with a sense of guilt, as he believed he and the peacekeepers under his command could have done more.

Discussing a sensitive and complex topic like the Rwandan genocide with your class requires a great deal of thoughtful planning to frame the learning in an age-appropriate way that encourages understanding while fostering empathy. Here are some questions that could help guide your planning:

1. What do you know about Rwanda and its people before the genocide happened?

2. What is a genocide, and why is it so important to remember?

3. How do you think the international community could have helped stop the genocide in Rwanda?

4. What can we learn from the Rwandan genocide to make sure something like it doesn’t happen again?

5. What are some ways people can promote peace and prevent violence in their own communities?

Additional Resources:

• National Geographic for Kids: Rwanda

• What led to the genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda?

• Rwanda: A Brief History of the Country