Rwandan Genocide Memorial

Yesterday I had the privilege of attending a special event coordinated by one of my classmates. Herself a survivor of the 1994 Rwandan Genocide, she wanted to create a venue for other survivors to come and mourn and express themselves to help one another heal. This period of time 14 years ago was when the violence and systematic killing of the Tutsi population of Rwanda began.

The entire commemoration was a surreal experience. Several survivors gave testimonies of their ordeal and it was absolutely heart wrenching. Songs were sung in the remembrance of friends and family lost, poems were read which were a reaction to the world and its failure, and silence was given to all those who are no longer with us. Through it all there were prayers of hope.

The Rwandan Ambassador to Canada was in attendance and gave a brief speech about the importance of remembering and about healing. The Communications and PR advisor to the President Of Rwanda was also in attendance and he spoke about some of the controversy that surrounds some of the more Hollywood aspects of the genocide. It was a welcome show of support for both my classmate and the rest of the Rwandan community in attendance that they were able to join us.

After having attended I am more confused than ever about how we remain so distant from the front lines. The face of genocide is an ugly one, and I realize it is far easier to turn away then to stand up and look it in the eyes. However, we can't. We may have the ability but we should not have the option. "Never Again" are words that have been associated with the end of the Rwandan Genocide. What I didn't know until last night was that those same words were the spokes-words for after the Holocaust. They are also the words we are trying to inject into the Darfur dialogue. These words are only words until we give them meaning. They represent our inaction until we choose to make them about action.

The memorial was about never forgetting Rwanda and its lost mothers, fathers, children, grandchildren, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins. Never Forget. Never Again. That is a conscious decision you have to make. I hope you make it because the stories I heard are not stories you would wish to hear from your friends or family. It hasn't been on your front lines, but it doesn't mean it won't be. If we fail to stand up for others they either wont be there to stand up for you or they will turn away just as you did. Never Forget.

Al Gores New Presentation

Al Gore recently updated his climate change presentation on TED.com. It lasts about a half hour and is viewable through this link. New Thinking on Climate Crisis or you can view it in its entirety below.

Alicia in Africa

Alicia Keys recently made a small documentary about her trip to Africa. She is offering it free for download at Alicia In Africa. You can also view a preview of it below.

Clean Water Africa with Jennifer Connelly

This PSA aired tonight on Idol Gives Back.

Zimbabwe Election

As some of you may already know there was a recent Presidential election in Zimbabwe that has led to a lot of controversy. The embattled President, Robert Mugabe, has been at the helm of a once promising state, which now has the highest rate of inflation from all over the world at 100 000%. Unemployment is at an estimated 80%, and at current the country sees very little hope of things getting better. It would be unfair of me to presume I know that President Mugabe is to blame for the mess - there is just too much political joisting and rhetoric involved, for someone with no practical knowledge of the area or its people. However, change for the sake of change would appear to be the best course of action.

Mugabe has had a long run of leading the country, seeing it through both good times (independence from white rule) to the bad times they currently sit. For nearly 30 years now he has been the voice of the country - bad or not is not my call. Take the opportunity to read some of the very many news reports available, in lieu of the election, and you can see that the country is at a crossroads. What could swiftly turn into an all out violent civil conflict, could even more easily be diverted if the chance is given for a new voice. It is at a point where the country needs to pull together not separate further.

I don't care much for who runs the country, I only care that whoever does does so to help save and provide better lives for his fellow countrymen/women. Positions of power, such as being a President, are too often seen as being a leader. Position does not equal leader. In times such as these true leaders rise to the occasion to help others, not themselves. Zimbabwe clearly needs leadership to step forward - leadership FOR the people not OF the people.

Timeraiser - after thoughts

I attend the 5th annual Timeraiser here in Toronto last night. If you are wondering what the Timeraiser is, refer to a couple of posts ago. Basically, the evening is an art auction where people use their volunteer hours as currency to bid on the art. About 40 organizations from across the city who are in need of help in various capacities set up booths and help volunteers understand what it is they can help with. At the end of a couple of hours of meeting and speaking with the organizations the auction begins. You put your bid of a certain amount of hours on any of the art and the individual that bids the most hours is promised the painting. If you win with say 150 hours then you are committed to fulfilling that over the next year. If you don't live up to your commitment then the next person in line gets the art.

It was reported that Timeraiser has generated over 35000 hour of volunteer work, and $160 000 towards 120 local artists over the past 5 years. Those are some major numbers, obviously showing that the concept is a good one. I enjoyed the night, got to meet a few interesting organizations and get some leads on some interesting things I would like to help out with (in small part), and I got an inside look at a successful event. All in all I would highly recommend it in the future for anyone, whether you have a 150 hours to give, or just 20. There is clearly a need for more possibilities like this to show what is available out there for people to become involved in. The volunteer world is very fractured and if you can find ways to connect the dots then you will clearly have a success on your hands.

Carbon Footprint

There was a great article in the New Yorker online magazine (not sure if it was also in print) about the complications of reducing our carbon footprint. It lays out the most basic parts of our reliance on carbon, and some of what businesses are doing (or at least saying) to reduce their carbon footprint and make it easier for individuals to do the same. Check out the the article: Big Foot