Announcements/Business:
- The Rotary Conifer Foundation Grants Application for this fall is available in the Downloads section of our website, or just click HERE to download automatically. Grant Applications are due to the Foundation by Friday September 27th.
- Bring your own mugs for breakfast to curtail the use of throwaway cups. Lesley will make sure they are washed and stored.
- There is a Rotary Social and Workday at Beaver Ranch, September 14, 10am-12noon, after which we go for----you guessed it! Beer!!
- Next week, the Club will have a special meeting on Wednesday evening, September 11, 6pm for RYLA kids to share of their RYLA experiences. Pizza and soft drinks provided.
- On Sept 8, the in-coming exchange students will be climbing Rotary Peak at 9am. Rotarians are invited to participate.
- Vendor registration for the Foothills Home, Garden and Lifestyle Show is open. Interested businesses and not-for-profits can sign up at foothillshomeshow.com or contact Janine Payton at 408-799-9724 for more information.
- Next week’s Tuesday morning meeting will be a Club Assembly. We will be reviewing and discussing the Mission and Vision of the club.
- Sarah Kinzer, new CEO of MRC, will be our presenter in two weeks, September 17, 7am at the morning meeting.
- 6pm September 23 will be the next Board Meeting at President McCall’s home. All members are invited to participate.
Program: Rwanda : Yesterday and Today
Bill Graf, Littleton Rotary
Genocide in Rwanda ended 25 years ago, but as in many areas of the world, there continue to be problems. Rwanda is just West of Lake Victoria. It is a country of about 12 million population. The 1994 genocide resulted it the deaths of nearly 1 million ethnic Tutsi people by the hands of the majority Hutus. Not all Hutus were in favor of the genocide and those opposed to it were also slaughtered. The Tutsi have governed now for 20 years. Most of the Rwanda’s population is Catholic.
To explain why the genocide occurred it is important to understand some of their history. The Twa were the first to live there; they were farmers. Hutus arrived in the 5th through 11th centuries and were laborers. The Tutsi came later and were considered the rulers. Germany colonized the country in 1885. Belgium gained control after World War I by mandate of the League of Nations. In 1926 Belgium introduced ethnic identity cards, based on appearance. Up to this time, the three groups lived together peacefully, with each having a role in the country.
After World War II, the UN continued Belgian trusteeship of Rwanda. In 1952, a Development Plan solidified Tutsi political, economic and social domination of the Hutu majority. Civil unrest grew; Hutus rebelled and 150,000 Tutsis fled to Burundi. In 1960, Hutus won local elections and the Belgians withdrew in 1962. Tutsis further fled to Burundi and other neighboring countries, such as Uganda. Violence grew worse over the next 20 years. The Tutsi’s in Uganda started an invasion of Rwanda, but were turned away by French and Congo Troops.
In the 1990’s a militia of Rwanda Hutu were trained to massacre Tutsis. When a coalition government started, the Hutus arranged for the death of the presidents of the two groups. The Hutus blamed the Tutsis, which then led to the genocide of the Tutsis. In 1994, there were clashes all over Rwanda. The weapons of choice were machetes and clubs with nails. The US and UN would not use the the word “genocide”, because it would require a response by the UN. UN troops were pulled out, even though it is thought that only 2000 troops could have stopped the genocide. Tutsi exiles in Uganda returned to stop the genocide.
Finally in mid-1990’s accountability came through local court systems. The current President was the leader of the Tutsi’s who returned from Uganda to stop the genocide. He has declared his presidency to continue to 2034.
For more information, Bill recommends the film “Sometimes in April” as well as "Hotel Rwanda".
Guests: Roderick Macaulay, Rita Lenz, Clyde Sacks