a shout out for peace

Well, it came and went, barely a ripple in the media. Did you know that Sept. 21 was International Day of Peace?

A lot of change has been going on, but it seems to remain a whisper in the grassroots. Mostly things you’ll never hear about unless it all goes wrong, erupts into conflict and violence. How insane is that? Maybe it’s this frustration that drives our media initiative. We need better storytelling. To really hear each other. Imagine if our souls were touched, our minds opened, even inspired…

Like what’s happening at one school (pictured). Students said that they’re determined to work together, to not repeat the mistakes of the past. They have a powerful reminder. In their midst, nearly 2/3 of them are orphans. Most as a result of the genocide, but also increasingly from AIDS. Education and development can be powerful tools for change.

Yet there’s a lingering fear. I’m haunted by the observation of a friend, someone who lost all the family (except one sibling) in the genocide. “Rwanda cannot achieve its development without peace and reconciliation among its people…it involves truth telling and truth seeking.”

Is truth possible? We truly hope so. We’re building a peace camp around the possibility. Yes, truth is difficult to hear. To find, layered behind perspectives, experiences and history. But better to try and fail. The alternative we’ve already seen. Doing nothing. Saying nothing. Pretending not to know. Refusing to get involved in some way, no matter how small that one thing might be.

All it takes for evil to thrive is for a good person to do nothing. A truth for all, compliments of Rwanda. And Sudan. And…

Speaking of which, see this article

p.s. Here’s a song of peace, just some of the young talent coming out of Rwanda. It’s his first single in English. Enjoy!