A form of “don’t ask, don’t tell” is taking hold in Rwanda. It’s not about gays in the military, but healing the wounds of a terrible genocide. World travelers, take note.
According to a recent story from the Australian newspaper The Age:
”In Rwanda, it’s considered impolite to inquire about someone’s tribal heritage, to ask whether a person is a Hutu or Tutsi.”
Understandable. This is the same Rwanda where in 1994, Hutus slaughtered 800,000 of their Tutsi countrymen in the space of 100 days, and maybe 2 million Hutus fled the country in fear of payback.
For a concise explanation of how and why it all happened, check out this BBC article.
The Age reporter, Gabrielle Costa, goes on to describe scenes that would’ve been unthinkable only a few years ago:
“The welcoming greetings of the Rwandese is a comfort to a traveller who has traversed the streets of cities in nearby countries with a sense of foreboding…children stand at the side of the road, waving frantically at the sight of the ‘mzungu,’ the westerners, yelling “how are you?” at the tops of their voices.”
Read the entire story here.
But let’s go back to that seemingly minor bit of social etiquette.
As Costa points out, one’s tribal background in East Africa is a point of emphasis, of pride. When Belgian colonizers favored minority Tutsis over Hutus for the best jobs and higher education back in the day, they sowed the seeds of resentment that ultimately produced the horrors of 1994.
Since then, Rwandans have charted a radically different course. Instead of vengeance, they’ve focused on reconciliation, and done it their way. It hasn’t been easy and it hasn’t been perfect, but overall, it seems to be working.
You’re Hutu? You’re Tutsi? Fine. Keep it to yourself.
It’s reminiscent of the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy used by the Pentagon to avoid the politically charged issued of gays in the U.S. military — except that this seems to be an unwritten rule reached by popular consensus. To mute your tribal ties for the sake of your nation is huge. Huge. And if it works in Rwanda, maybe it can work elsewhere on the Mother Continent — and in the world.
In a land where ethnic differences led to unspeakable bloodshed, Rwandans are making a statement — by not making one.
These days, when Rwanda makes headlines in Western news outlets, it’s mainly in their travel sections. There are still a few small areas that might be considered a bit dodgy for visitors, and concerns in some Western capitals that the government may be taking too firm a hand in steering the country toward reforms — but even so, tourism in the country known in French as “the Land of a Thousand Hills” is taking off.
Tropical climate. Lush, mountainous jungle, lakes, rivers — and the chance to have encounters with the country’s unique and unforgettable mountain gorillas,
But for me, the greatest attraction in Rwanda would be the Rwandans themselves, the chance to watch as they leave their bloody, bitter legacy behind them to become a unified nation, reconciled in peace.
I’m not sure even the sight of a mountain gorilla could top that.
IF YOU GO
NAME: Republic of Rwanda
POPULATION: 11 million
AREA: Slightly smaller than Maryland
CAPITAL: Kigali
AIRPORT: KGL
AIRLINES: American, Continental, United, US Airways, KLM, Lufthansa, SN Brussels Airlines, Ethiopian Airlines, Kenya Airways, Precision Air, Rwandair, South African Airways.
LANGUAGE: French, English, BantuThere are no direct flights from the United States to Rwanda. Most will make stopovers somewhere in Europe, particularly Paris and Brussels. The airlines with the largest number of flights to Rwanda are Ethiopian, SN Brussels and United.
Private companies offer eco-tours; many focus specifically on trips to see the mountain gorillas. The preserve where the gorillas live limits the number or visitors and duration of visits, and restricts how close you can get to the gorillas. That’s not just for your safety, but for that of the gorillas, who are vulnerable to human diseases, including pneumonia.
There are fewer than 800 of these animals left alive, constantly under threat from predators and poachers — and roughly half their population lives in Rwanda.
To varying degrees, malaria is an issue in much of sub-Saharan Africa, including Rwanda. Talk to your physician at least a month before you go. Odds are he or she will want you on some sort of anti-malarial protocol. If they do, follow it to the letter.
If they don’t, ask why not…and then find another doctor!