Rwanda marks the 20th anniversary of the genocide this week. The ethnically driven killings led to hundreds of thousands of deaths, as the majority Hutu faction targeted ethnic Tutsis. Today, as people remember their loved ones, many feel traumatized by the horrible events of the past. Some feel that the country has become much more progressive since the genocide, but others argue that there is still a long way to go. Listen to the story to hear more about how Rwanda’s past still affects its present.
Story Length: 3:00
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August 22, 2017
4:36
Paul Kagame has been in power in Rwanda for nearly two decades. Kagame is a national hero, leading a rebel army that ousted the government and put an end to the Rwandan genocide in 1994. While Rwanda boasts a healthy democracy and strong support for Kagame, opposing candidates claim that Rwandans are simply scared of their government. Citing examples of rhetoric used against his political opponents, critics hope to bring light to his authoritarianism. Listen to this story to hear about Kagame’s rise to power, his rival candidates, and the future of Rwanda.
Note: Soon after this story originally aired, Kagame won the presidential election
Read MoreOctober 12, 2015
4:58
Columbus Day celebrates an event from 1492, but it didn’t become a U.S. Federal holiday until over 400 years later. Some people think it shouldn’t be a holiday at all. To some, Columbus did not “discover” America. Instead he represents the beginning of European colonization of America. Some states and cities across the United States are renaming Columbus Day to Indigenous Peoples Day and celebrating Native American tradition and culture. Listen to this interview with advocates who pushed Minneapolis to rename this holiday.
Read MoreApril 19, 2015
7:00
In the wake of the Holocaust during World War II, the word “genocide” was coined, accepted and recognized as a crime. However, the Holocaust may not have been the first modern genocide. Looking back to the World War I, it seems clear that the Ottoman Empire perpetrated a form of genocide against the Armenian population through mass relocation and massacres 100 years ago. Listen to learn more about the Turkish Ottoman Empire during WWI and this dark period of Armenian history.
Read MoreOctober 24, 2014
5:56
Although the concept of genocide has been around for a long time, the word “genocide” is relatively new. A new documentary tells the story of a Polish man who coined the term in 1943, and then advocated for its widespread adoption and recognition. He possessed a strong sense of justice, and he felt determined that crimes related to genocide should be prosecuted. Listen to hear more about this inspirational man and the powerful documentary that tells his story.
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