Overview
Payam Akhavan's third Massey Lecture examines the causes, events, and aftermath of the 1994 Rwandan genocide, the international community’s failure to intervene, and the ongoing challenge of preventing such atrocities in the future.
The Rwandan Genocide: Facts and Causes
- Between 800,000 and one million Rwandans, mostly Tutsis, were killed in 100 days in 1994.
- The genocide involved neighbors turning against one another, driven by hate propaganda.
- The dehumanization of victims was a critical precondition for the scale of violence.
- Hate and violence were deliberately constructed through organized propaganda, not spontaneous or impulsive acts.
International Response and the ICTR
- The world witnessed the genocide as it happened but failed to intervene effectively.
- Payam Akhavan helped establish the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) in 1995.
- The ICTR indicted 93 individuals and sentenced 62, including top organizers of the genocide.
- Justice after the fact cannot undo the loss but aims to hold perpetrators accountable.
Lessons Learned and Preventative Insights
- Radical evil and mass atrocities are political choices, not inevitable outcomes.
- Early intervention is possible because such violence is predictable and preventable with sufficient will.
- Indifference and lack of empathy allow atrocities to continue when society does not feel directly threatened.
Key Dates in the Rwandan Genocide and Response
- April 6, 1994: President Habyarimana's plane shot down, triggering genocide.
- April–July 1994: Main period of killings.
- July 19, 1994: Genocide ends following military victories by the Rwandan Patriotic Front.
- 1995: ICTR established in Arusha, Tanzania.
- July 9, 1997: First ICTR trial.
- December 31, 2015: ICTR officially closes.
Notable Quotes from the Lecture
- "Dehumanization of others is always a precondition for their destruction. We cannot harm those for whom we have empathy."
- "Extreme violence is impossible without hate propaganda... requires careful premeditation and planning."
Recommendations / Advice
- Promote empathy and challenge hate propaganda to prevent mass violence.
- Prioritize early intervention and international commitment against politically constructed hatred.
- Recognize the warning signs of dehumanization and organized incitement as triggers for potential atrocities.