A conference delving into how the media covers human rights abuses took place in Richcraft Hall on Dec. 1.
The event was put on by Carleton University’s school of Journalism and Communications in partnership with the Centre for International Governance Innovation and the Montreal Institute for Genocide and Human Rights.
The weekend hosted over 30 international experts and analysts on the Rwandan genocide that occurred in 1994. The event consisted of Carleton journalism faculty members Allan Thompson and Susan Harada, as well as other prominent journalists who reported in Rwanda during the genocide, and many others who analyze the causes and aftermath.
The genocide in Rwanda saw over 800,000 citizens—primarily from the Tutsi ethnic group—killed by the Hutu majority in just under 100 days. The United Nations consistently denied requests for more soldiers, and the right to assist the Rwandans.
There were two keynote speakers in attendance: Pulitzer Prize winner, former Charlatan reporter, and Carleton journalism graduate, Paul Watson, and commander of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda (UNAMIR), General Roméo Dallaire.
There was a total of eight panels over the course of the weekend, with experts discussing topics ranging from the media throughout the tragedy to how to prevent genocides from occurring in the future.
Each panelist presented their research and findings to the audience. Not all of the findings were unanimously accepted, and there were times when panelists would challenge the work of their fellow experts.
Although it has been 23 years since the genocide, there is still a lot of work being done surrounding it. Those in attendance heard that professionals are working on preventative measures for current and future genocides, talking to the survivors and documenting their accounts, as well as trying to identify how digital media can play a role in bringing attention to these issues.
Dallaire was involved in Rwanda as the head of the UNAMIR, where he witnessed the genocide first hand. Dallaire was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)in 2000, and rarely speaks publicly about the genocide. A global advocate for human rights, Dallaire has started the Roméo Dallaire Child Soldier Initiative, a foundation committed to the prevention of children used as weapons of war, where he dedicates his time today.
Dallaire told The Charlatan that he firmly believes that journalists have to keep the political leaders accountable.
“I don’t see the media on top of it—it’s one thing to report on these things, but it’s another to hold political leads accountable for not bringing about change,” Dallaire said. “Not doing anything is their deliberate decision, and that’s where I think the media needs to not just inform people, but influence them as well.”
Watson told The Charlatan that the journalists of tomorrow have to abolish the old system of news, where editors are only concerned with big ticket stories.
“A fundamental point is that you have to choose your conflicts. One of the problems with the news media that I find is the scattershot approach,” Watson said. “There’s so much out there, that people are just simply getting overwhelmed, and the crisis in Yemen, the ethnic cleansing in Myanmar aren’t getting enough attention.”
Watson said he wants future conflict reporters to understand the psychological, and possible physical sacrifice they may face.
“Never give up . . . It needs to be clear in your head if you are going to an area of conflict as a civilian, that they have no protections, and you don’t get any kind of special status,” Watson said. “You can get seriously hurt, kidnapped, or killed, and if you do it, you will see friends and colleagues suffer these things. Once that’s clear in your head, if you are still driven to do it, you will do it. You have to be driven, because you may make a big sacrifice.”
Photo by Meagan Casalino
