Accomplish the Extraordinary - will it be you?
Posted by Victoria Trabosh on Sun, Dec 27, 2009 @ 02:30 PM
My work in Rwanda has changed my life. The Itafari Foundation and its work are a
gift and a challenge.
My perspective on
what is possible, the true meaning of the strength of the human spirit, my understanding
of inhumanity and its consequences: these ideas are no longer esoteric. (Though I still know so little). But I also clearly know that if we choose to
step out, before we are “ready”, we can accomplish the extraordinary.
This morning in the New York Times Magazine, the profiles
were the stories of people who died in 2009 who changed the world in one way or
another. I was reading about the passing
of Alison Des Forges in February 2009 as written by Elizabeth Rubin.
In the 1980’s Des Forges joined Africa Watch and was one of the first to warn
of the coming cataclysm in Rwanda. Her
personal friends died in Rwanda during the 1994 genocide. While she tried to warn the U.S., the Europeans,
and the U.N., her voice was faint in warning in comparison to the world’s
conversation that the genocide was an African problem. She must have suffered deeply knowing she was
unable to force a world to turn and look upon its rwandan brothers and sisters.
After the genocide she continued her work in Rwanda. When the International Criminal Tribunal for
Rwanda was established, she traveled back and forth to the court in Arusha,
Tanzania to serve as an expert witness and strategist for the prosecutors. A five foot lion of a woman. And one of whom I had not heard except in
context to her book Leave None to Tell
the Story: Genocide in Rwanda –
Human Rights Watch et FIDH – 1999 – ISBN 1-56432-171-1.
Her comments were equally critical of all sides,
including the Rwandan Patriotic Front which overthrew the genocidal leaders and
went on to establish a stronger more peaceful country. Her criticism lead to her twice being refused
entrance into the country. I understand the
reasons by the Rwandan government and yet know that the result of her work has
helped Rwanda in the long run.
The same can be said of the movie Hotel Rwanda. It turned out (sadly) that Paul Rusesabagina was
not the man portrayed in the movie, yet the movie led to a great awareness of
the genocide. The movie allowed all of
us to look back on the horror that was partially created through our lack of
action. And because of that, I have no
criticism of the portrayal at the time.
So I do what I know I must do. Take the best, and leave the rest. Des Forges was not perfect. The movie was unknowingly flawed in its
portrayal of an ordinary man. Yet, we
cannot ignore what comes from extraordinary efforts to change the world.
Instead of dismissing someone or something in its
entirety, we should continue to have conversation. Enlighten those who are in the dark. Thank those who take a lonely stand. Be thoughtful in our approach to what is
foreign to us. And know we must never
give up on what we are most passionate about.
We must never believe that we can’t make a difference. That it’s too hard. That no
one cares.
That no one cares. Impossible in its logic. If you care, that is enough.
I enter 2010 with a renewed sense of what is
possible. 2009 was a very tough
year. I was unable to go to my beloved
Rwanda. Yet our work continued unabated
through the Itafari Foundation. Good and
compassionate people stepped up to make a difference. I am also blessed to call some of some of the
finest people I have ever known my friends, though they live 10,000 miles from
me.
Happy New Year. Be renewed.
Set impossibly high goals – and then work (not hope) to reach them. Can you imagine what the new year can bring? I can.
It will bring the extraordinary – and it will be accomplished by you and
me.