Omega Foundation Works Toward
Reconciliation Between Enemies
The genocide of 1994 in Rwanda saw 800,000 people killed in the space of three months in an effort to wipe out the Tutsi people. This was portrayed in the recent movie "Hotel Rwanda". These killings were not done by armed troops, but by neighbors, co-workers, and even family members. Since then, at least 2,000,000 (two million) more people in the nearby regions have been killed in on-going hostilities and retaliatory strikes. "We don't know who we can trust," say the survivors. So they trust no one. Reconciliation under these circumstances is extremely difficult.
The government of Rwanda has instituted a crude system of justice using village judges and tribunals to try those accused of genocide. This is a very difficult and risky program. It has met with some successes, but many problems still exist. One example of this program is a local "Gacaca" (tribunal), where a judge and any people interested in the case are allowed to be present as witnesses. If the accused person wants mercy, they need to confess to the genocide, tell everything they know about what happened, and then accept the decision of the judge.
Omega Foundation's president has interviewed the minister of justice, minister of reconciliation, and prime minister of Rwanda for television presentation and offered the foundation's support and cooperation in fostering a climate of peace.
Omega Foundation's first effort at reconciliation was to build a center in Kigali, Rawanda's capital city, to provide a neutral place where government, religious, and community leaders could meet to work towards peace. This "Unity Center" has been used for conferences and seminars with counseling and teaching toward bringing about reconciliation. Delegates have come from the three countries of Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Other meetings in the same format have been held in Burundi and the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo as well. Omega has provided experienced counselors, trainers, and speakers for these meetings with an emphasis on Biblical principles of reconciliation.
If you are an experienced counselor, trainer, or speaker on this difficult topic, you can support this work by volunteering your time. Otherwise, donations of any amount will be used to pay expenses.
