The Voice of God: Propaganda and the Rwandan Genocide

This video deals with the Rwandan genocide. As such, it contains graphic news footage. Viewer discretion is thus advised. I considered omitting these images, but I feel the genocide is too serious an issue to be addressed lightly, and as such, I used real footage.

This video was made for a Media and Communication discussion. It's an EXTREMELY condensed video on an EXTREMELY small factor in the Rwandan genocide. This video is by no means an attempt to explain the genocide, nor to fully explore the issue of propaganda used before and during (and after) the genocide. The point is to provide an extremely brief outline of the propaganda issue so people would have enough basic information to be a part of the discussion.

That being said, I believe in spreading awareness about the Rwandan genocide, as we continue to fail to not only admit our mistakes as an international community, but we continue to fail to do better.

As Philip Gourevitch wrote in 'We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will be Killed With Our Families: Stories from Rwanda':

"I presume that you are reading this because you desire a closer look, and that you too are properly disturbed by your curiosity. Perhaps, in examining this extremity with me, you hope for some understanding, some insight, some flicker of self knowledge—a moral or a lesson, or a clue about how to behave in this world: some such information. I don't discount the possibility, but when it comes to genocide, you already know right from wrong. The best reason I have come up with for looking closely into Rwanda's stories is that ignoring them makes me even more uncomfortable about existence and my place in it. The horror, as horror, interests me only insofar as a precise memory of the offense is necessary to understand its legacy."

I hope this video leads you to research the Rwandan genocide in much greater depth so that these lives are never forgotten.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• rwanda
• rwandan
• genocide
• voice
• of
• god
• propaganda
• documentary
• media
• and
• communication
• studies
• rpf
• rtlm
• hutu
• tutsi
• Romeo
• Dallaire
• Philip
• Gourevitch
• un
• united
• nations
• pentagon
• shake
• hands
• with
• the
• devil
• educational
• radio

[urban22s]

Have you seen the film shooting dogs, brilliant lesser known film on the genocide which really shows the frustration of the people there and the brutality of the whole genocide.

[KenazCreative]

@urban22s Yes, I have (though under the internation title "Beyond the Gates"). I believe that's the second best of the films about the Rwandan genocide (though I haven't been able to get a hold of the French one). The best one though is the Canadian film "Shake Hands With the Devil".

[urban22s]

Brilliant work here, I actually thought it was an excerpt from a tv doc, till I read your description.

[KenazCreative]

@urban22s Thank you, though, do note, all the video is collected from other documentaries - I've just compiled them into this short piece.

[matako07]

say what you want...but this could have been Stopped in its Tracks if PAUL KAGAME had been prevented from firing on the Rwanda One lear jet with a SAM16 Rocket Launcher supplied from the French. It would have taken only a small tactical team of under a few dozen...to disarm the interahamwe assholes.

[KenazCreative]

@matako07 Actually, France was supplying the government forces, not the RPF. France fought like hell to keep the RPF from winning the civil war - they did NOT want the English speaking RPF in charge of French speaking Rwanda. You should read "Silent Accomplice" by Andrew Wallis for a detailed look at France's role. As to the plane: it has never been proven who shot down the plane. There's strong arguements both for the RPF and Akazu - there remains no evidence to prove either.

[riquelmerock]

We humans are a totally fucked up species. i mean , any other species would do this to its own kind ? yeah , maybe chimps will , but chimps a re crazy fuckers and they do what they do to protect their own clan and their resources. its 100% instinct. But this?.. fuck!.. Hutus seem to love this oportunity and they sure took full adventage of it. Shame on the UN and shame on us the USA! We could've sent 10.000 marines with orders to shoot and this would've never happend.

[justinkicksass2]

Lt. Gen Romero Dallaire.

Saves many tutsi people later became a international hero.

Became a canadian hero

people like him keep the world from turning into shit

[Arc9er]

@matako07

Paul Kagame wasn't anywhere near Kigali when it happened and he wouldn't start a genocide of his own people. Get your shit straight. The Hutu extremists were ready to start the genocide the moment that plane was shot down. They planned it from the start. Also, the French were on the side of the government, not the rebels. And finally, there is no such thing as a "SAM16 Rocket Launcher". The weapon you mentioned doesn't even exist.

[Oddiist]

Unbelievable how powerful propaganda is.

[KenazCreative]

@riquelmerock The sad truth is, since this happened after the death of 18 US soldiers in Somalia, the USA would not send their troops, & they blocked all attempts by the UN to send troops. In addition, the USA said 80,000 Rwandans would have to die to justify the loss of even 1 US soldier. Dallaire only asked for 5,000 troops - most of who were in the country between UNAMIR forces, and western nation troops sent to pull out the white people only (regardless of citizenship). Sick indeed.