Romy Friedman

Archive for June, 2010

Sitting on the edge of Lake Kivu waiting for my breakfast to arrive, I am stunned by the natural beauty of Rwanda. Colorful flowers, lush green plants and the soothing sounds of the water surround me and provide a tranquil setting for breakfast. African music blares in the background though it is only 8:30, yet this still cannot detract from the peace I feel. Music is a constant in Africa. I came to Rwanda to get a feel (as much as possible in only four nights) for a country so visible in the media regarding one thing – the 1994 genocide.

I went to the Genocide Memorial and was rightfully horrified by the pictures, stories and evidence of this atrocity. Visiting Yad Vashem in Israel, and Auswitz in Poland, I had seen first hand evidence and testimonial for the Holocaust and was prepared for the emotional toll such a visit would entail. However, I don’t think one can ever be fully prepared for the horrors of war and mass killing. Yet as hard as this visit was, I think it necessary both from an educational viewpoint and as a tribute to those who lost their lives.

Choosing to live and work in Germany was a decision that was met with horror and skepticism by many Jewish friends and relatives as everyone had personally lost or known someone who had lost family in the Holocaust. Yet ironically living in Frankfurt allowed me to learn and feel more about this period in history than I ever had before despite my many years of Hebrew school and books read. I visited the Jewish museum in Berlin, one of the best museums I have been to. I also attended a synagogue in the West End which had miraculously survived the bombing of the city. Questions about this time in history were not asked, yet every so often I would hear stories about the war from the German perspective in the same way that occasionally people have talked to me about living in Uganda during the time of Amin. These confidences come after a long acquaintance and are not easily told. During my two years I found Germans much more aware of history and some of the most tolerant people I have met.

Rwanda is cleaner and has a much better infrastructure than Uganda. It is a strange juxtaposition traveling through Kigali today while reading of events in A Sunday by the Pool in Kigali on some of the very same places I stand in. However, I find the people in both Rwanda and Uganda equally helpful, honest and friendly. Uganda has even more in common with Rwanda as both countries still suffer from a terrible reputation based upon previous events. When informing people of my decision to take a job in Uganda, the only thing people knew or could refer to was the dictator Idi Amin.

The media seems to want to portray a picture of Africa as a tragedy-filled, dangerous place to be. Idi Amin lost power over 28 years ago yet Uganda cannot seem to shake this image, just as Rwanda will always be thought of in concert with  the genocide that happened 15 years ago. Yet remembering previous events is very important. I cannot believe the number of people who are ignorant of these events that happened in their lifetime. However, moving forward and not holding future generations responsible for actions they did not commit is equally important. Talking about forgiveness, aid to countries in need and tolerance is all very well and good, but how many of these people are willing to travel to these places and put their money and bodies where their mouths are?