Thirteen years after ethnic tensions fomented 100 days of government-sponsored genocide in Rwanda— where Hutu tribe militias murdered an estimated 800,000 from the Tutsi tribe and their Hutu sympathizers — Louisvilleresidents will have a hand in the East African country’s continued recovery. Although it has been more than a decade since the massacre, that doesn’t mean help isn’t still needed. The spotlight on Rwandahas dimmed over time, and criminal trials still spark more violence against witnesses.
On Oct. 20 at the Chestnut Street YMCA, Barefoot Artists: Rwanda Healing Project will help people remember (or understand for the first time) the senseless killings that took place in the central African country in the mid-1990s. The Barefoot Artists, an international group helping Rwandans, hope to raise money to build a national memorial for genocide victims and survivors. The fund-raiser will also feature King Kigeli Ndahindurwa V, the last king of Rwanda, who was exiled four decades ago. King Kigeli, whose granddaughter’s family lived in Louisvillefor six years until this past June, will discuss how to rebuild a community after such devastating bloodshed and stress and how maintaining their culture will be crucial in the healing process for Rwandans.
A glimpse into that culture will come through a performance by Malaika, a traditional dance group of Rwandan women (some survivors of the 1994 genocide) now living in Louisville. In addition, about 200 pieces of artwork by Rwandan child survivors — who have corresponded with local children and shared stories about their experiences with violence and trauma — will be in an exhibit that Louisvillechildren helped build. “I think a lot of kids have been very touched by the fact that even though in their own lives they’ve experienced violence or live in poverty, they see kids on another continent who are experiencing the same thing,” event coordinator Michele Hemenway says. “It’s been very empowering for them to be able to lift someone else up.”
At the event, which takes place at 7 p.m., two of the Barefoot Artists will also describe their work in Rwanda. For example, homes and other structures in a village created for survivors have been decorated with expressive murals so that the entire community is becoming a work of art. There’s also a memorial that houses the remains of 190 victims from the northwestern area of Rubavu. A photo essay documenting the building of the memorial, dedicated this past spring, will also be displayed.
Through an interpreter, King Kigeli said he will also discuss the causes of the killings, emphasizing the world’s role in preventing future genocides. “They never really explained properly why the genocide happened, so that’s why I want to get into detail,” he says. “The ones who made the genocide happen are the ones who wrote about it, and they said what they wanted to say.”
The free event at the Chestnut Street YMCA (930 W. Chestnut St.) is sponsored by the Universityof Louisvilleand the Muhammad Ali Institute, and reservations are required (295-5155). Proceeds benefit the Barefoot Artists.
