Bridging Empathy- Is it possible?

Four writers are going to present dissenting opinions regarding the Rwandan genocide at a conference in Montreal later this month.

The four individuals, French author-journalist Pierre Pean, Spanish lawyer Jordi Palou-Loverdos, Belgian journalist Peter Verlinden and Canadian author Robin Philpot, will discuss the topic “The Media and Rwanda: The Difficult Search for the Truth”.

Pierre Pan is the most controversial of the three, as his recent book argues that a counter-genocide occurred with Tutsi killing Hutu. This is what the majority of the world is getting upset about. People are claiming that this account fails to recognize the Tutsi as victim. While I have not read Pierre’s most recent book, I cannot help but wonder if we are failing to be critical observers of the genocide.

One of the most difficult things in researching genocide is to be neutral- being overly empathetic with one side or another violates our coda as academics. Yet, the most influential genocide researchers are those who have taken sides. Many modern genocide scholars are former concentration camp Jews or their children. Thus we are bound by and large to discuss genocide from the view point of victims.

However, in Rwanda, a genocide that was so familial and so close, both sides killed. They killed because they were in a position to kill. If some one rushes you with a machete, you want to lash out back. Our normal human instinct stops us from passively accepting slaughter. Therefore, violence is reciprocated as a natural by-product of human existence. Because of the close nature of killings, of villagers killing villagers, kin killing kin, its unnatural to assume that one party was unable to fight back.

There were no death camps, no gas chambers, no gas air campaigns- there were machetes and clubs. There was reciprocated violence.

I think it is important to look at this conference with an eye towards a fair understanding of the event. Only by studying genocide from a distance will we be able to actually learn what occurred, to really study human nature and to understand the root causes.

Tags: blog, genocide, Jordi Palou-Loverdos, Montreal conference, Peter Verlinden, Pierre Pean, Robin Philpot, rwanda