The consequences of genocide in Rwanda are immeasurable. Legacies of the 1994 genocide include: the problems of orphans, widows, street children, destruction of social and economic infrastructures, AIDS, fear, frustration and mistrust among people.

The Government of Rwanda, NGOs and donors have contributed both their efforts and finances in order to rebuild the country from the ashes of despair. However, the root causes of the genocide remain latent and the protracted social conflict is unresolved. The genocide of 1994 has reframed the lives of all Rwandans. Time in contemporary Rwanda is considered in terms of its status as before, during or after the genocide of 1994

There remains a lack of understanding in the world about what happened in Rwanda or how it could have been prevented. The United Nations was aware of the genocide in Rwanda in 1994; Lt. Gen. Dallaire (head of UN’s peacekeeping force in Rwanda: UNAMIR) warned the Security Council of preparations for genocide. Another UN member, Dr. Gerry Caplan, has written a report of the genocide for the Organisation for African Unity (OAU) which he titles: The Preventable Genocide. The implication of members of the international community in the genocide; the lack of international will to try to prevent the genocide or stop it immediately and Europe’s colonial links with Rwanda illustrate why the genocide in Rwanda is not simply a problem for Rwanda, but for the world.

As students working across borders we learn from each other and hope that together we can help emphasise the need for a more responsible and intelligently responsive international community.