Tamara Banks's Blogs
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Rwanda: From Nightmare Past to Hopeful Future
“Forgive but don’t forget,” were a last few words from President Paul Kagame, President of Rwanda. My colleagues from the International Reporting Project (IRP) and I met with President Kagame toward the end of our two-week visit to the small African country. In two hours (I don’t remember any time in my 20-plus years as a journalist that I have ever had two hours with any president of any country) we covered population growth, the 1994 genocide, rumors of his running for a third term, his thoughts about the Arab Spring and much more. I think he would have let us discuss much more with him if he had time… and if his staff would have let him. Perhaps the most poignant answer from Rwanda’s leader was his response to the question from one of my colleagues, Mary Rose Madden from WYPR, about...
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Arriving in a New Rwanda
Finally, after two marathon flights from Washington, D.C. we have arrived in Kigali, Rwanda. It’s night and the air is cool and fresh, a welcome breath of African air. Our guides, three to four young journalists lead by Fred Mwasa, greet us with smiles. We load the bus in near zombie-like fashion and begin our journey to Serena Hotel. Our “fixer” Fred is full of energy and enthusiasm. He not only is passionate about his country but he’s also passionate about journalism. As he introduces his colleagues, Casey Jean, he emphasis they are all young because Rwanda is a country of young people. We “seasoned” reporters sort of giggle, but by the third time he mentions how young the people of Rwanda are it occurs to me that the reason they are all so young is because so many were killed during...
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Reporting from Rwanda
In April of 1994 the assassination of Rwanda’s president triggered the Rwandan Genocide. About 800,000 Tutsi’s and moderate Hutu’s were methodically slaughtered. For 100 days men, women and children were killed while the world stood by. It was the Holocaust all over again. Today, the Clinton Foundation and other organizations and countries call Rwanda a role model for how a country can rebuild and move forward with a bright future after such horrific past. I am traveling to Rwanda to meet with and interview genocide survivors, rape victims and their children, as well as the new leadership including President Paul Kagame. I am traveling on an IRP Gatekeeper Editors trip organized by the International Reporting Project (IRP). Throughout the month of November I will share stories of the courageous people who are now political leaders, developers, coffee farmers, entrepreneurs, Hutu’s and Tutsis working and...
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