Context of conflict:
The Rwandan Genocide began in 1994, as a result of longstanding Hutu-Tutsi tensions. The genocide began almost immediately after the President's helicopter was shot down on April 6, 1994, with Hutus killing Tutsi members of parliament and moderate Hutus and quickly beginning to implement mass extermination plans. 100 days later, it is estimated that 500,000 to 1 million Tutsis were dead. What's more, the international community had done next to nothing to intervene and stop the mass atrocities, rather, the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) had to wage war and take over the country to stop the genocide (Uvin 75-99).
The Rwandan Genocide opened international debate about humanitarian interventions, peacekeeping missions and sovereignty. Out of Rwandan came several new initiatives, such as the Responsibility to Protect, several genocide and war crime violations watch groups and widespread international promises: "never again" (Evans and Sahnoun 99-110).
However, looking at new conflicts and the increasing calls for respect of nation's sovereignty it is clear that there are system level, state level and domestic constraints to effective human rights violation intervention. Some of these reinforce each other, for example, flaws in the UN structure, such as the UNSC council veto power, allows states to pursue their own interests. At the state level, realist security concerns and mistrust perpetuate inefficient interstate interactions. Further, domestic concerns commonly dictate state agenda with economic concerns trumping human rights for other far away nations and peoples.
One institution that occurred as a result of this tragedy is the ICC or International Criminal Court, which has had a mixed track record, in Rwanda and in other conflicts across the globe. Issues for the ICC include those of sovereignty of nations, the need to extradite criminals in order to try them and the lack of base and or roots in the nation in which the criminals have caused so much pain and suffering. Further, the court is limited to the prosecution of individuals for both war crimes and crimes against humanity and therefore cannot possibly bring every single perpetrator to justice (Gegout 800-818).
Journalistic Context:
The Image:
The man depicted in this image is in fact a Hutu, who opposed the genocide and was as a result imprisoned in a concentration camp, starved, beaten and attacked with machetes. He was finally freed in 1994 and placed in the care of the Red Cross (Nachtwey).
The Journalist:
James Nachtwey is one of the foremost contemporary conflict and social issue photojournalists. He has covered the situation in Japan post Earthquake and Tsunami and has also worked in the Middle East, embedded in a Medivac unit in Afghanistan.
Nachtwey was greatly influenced by images of the Vietnam War and the Civil rights movement in the US and began his own career in photography in 1976. Since then, he has photographed and written on Afghanistan, Syrian refugees, drug issues in Thailand and has worked for renowned publications such as Time magazine ("Photographer James Nachtwey").
Significance:
Significance of this image arguably lies in its context, rather than for it's shocking content. While the image is violent, unfortunately it is hardly the most graphic or tragic image of the conflict. However, the image reflects the many issues surrounding the Rwandan Genocide. Nachtwey in particular notes some issues after the Genocide had ceased, when the perpetrators of genocide fled the country along with Hutu refugees fearful of repercussions, into refugee camps along the borders of Congo, aid organizations could not discern between the criminals and victims. They treated everyone, in Nachtwey's words: 'Ironically, the international community that had walked away from its responsibilities during the genocide was now forced to come to the rescue of those who had committed the atrocities." (Nachtwey)
The most significant element of this image is in the international communities' failure to intervene. Ken Jarecke said: "If we are big enough for war, we should be big enough to look at it." (Jarecke.) In this case, the shame of Rwanda comes from failing to intervene. Sam Power notes that in fact, failing to get involved in Rwanda was a willful policy decision by the US government (Power).
Works Cited
Evans, Gareth, and Mohamed Sahnoun. "The Responsibility to Protect." Foreign Affairs. 81.6 (2002): 99-110. Print.
Gegout, Catherine. "The International Criminal Court: limits, potential and conditions for the promotion of justice and peace."
Third World Quarterly. 34.5 (2013): 800-818. Print.
Jarecke, Ken. "Picture power: Death of an Iraqi soldier." BBC World World Service Program. 09 May 2005. BBC News. May . Web.
5 Apr 2014. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4528745.stm.
Nachtwey, James . "When The World Turned Its Back: James Nachtwey's Reflections on the Rwandan Genocide." Time
Magazine. 06 Apr 2011: n. page. Web. 5 Apr. 2014.
"Photographer James Nachtwey." National Geographic. National Geographic. Web. 6 Apr 2014.
<http://photography.nationalgeographic.com/photography/photographers/photographer-james-nachtwey/>.
Power, Samantha. "Bystanders To Genocide." Atlantic. 29 Nov 2013: 1-34. Web. 5 Apr. 2014.
<http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2001/09/bystanders-to-genocide/304571/>.
Uvin, Peter. "Reading the Rwandan Genocide." International Studies Review. 3.3 (2001): 75-99. Print.
Image:
Nachtwey, James . "When The World Turned Its Back: James Nachtwey's Reflections on the Rwandan Genocide." Time
Magazine. 06 Apr 2011: n. page. Web. 5 Apr. 2014.
The Rwandan Genocide began in 1994, as a result of longstanding Hutu-Tutsi tensions. The genocide began almost immediately after the President's helicopter was shot down on April 6, 1994, with Hutus killing Tutsi members of parliament and moderate Hutus and quickly beginning to implement mass extermination plans. 100 days later, it is estimated that 500,000 to 1 million Tutsis were dead. What's more, the international community had done next to nothing to intervene and stop the mass atrocities, rather, the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) had to wage war and take over the country to stop the genocide (Uvin 75-99).
The Rwandan Genocide opened international debate about humanitarian interventions, peacekeeping missions and sovereignty. Out of Rwandan came several new initiatives, such as the Responsibility to Protect, several genocide and war crime violations watch groups and widespread international promises: "never again" (Evans and Sahnoun 99-110).
However, looking at new conflicts and the increasing calls for respect of nation's sovereignty it is clear that there are system level, state level and domestic constraints to effective human rights violation intervention. Some of these reinforce each other, for example, flaws in the UN structure, such as the UNSC council veto power, allows states to pursue their own interests. At the state level, realist security concerns and mistrust perpetuate inefficient interstate interactions. Further, domestic concerns commonly dictate state agenda with economic concerns trumping human rights for other far away nations and peoples.
One institution that occurred as a result of this tragedy is the ICC or International Criminal Court, which has had a mixed track record, in Rwanda and in other conflicts across the globe. Issues for the ICC include those of sovereignty of nations, the need to extradite criminals in order to try them and the lack of base and or roots in the nation in which the criminals have caused so much pain and suffering. Further, the court is limited to the prosecution of individuals for both war crimes and crimes against humanity and therefore cannot possibly bring every single perpetrator to justice (Gegout 800-818).
Journalistic Context:
The Image:
The man depicted in this image is in fact a Hutu, who opposed the genocide and was as a result imprisoned in a concentration camp, starved, beaten and attacked with machetes. He was finally freed in 1994 and placed in the care of the Red Cross (Nachtwey).
The Journalist:
James Nachtwey is one of the foremost contemporary conflict and social issue photojournalists. He has covered the situation in Japan post Earthquake and Tsunami and has also worked in the Middle East, embedded in a Medivac unit in Afghanistan.
Nachtwey was greatly influenced by images of the Vietnam War and the Civil rights movement in the US and began his own career in photography in 1976. Since then, he has photographed and written on Afghanistan, Syrian refugees, drug issues in Thailand and has worked for renowned publications such as Time magazine ("Photographer James Nachtwey").
Significance:
Significance of this image arguably lies in its context, rather than for it's shocking content. While the image is violent, unfortunately it is hardly the most graphic or tragic image of the conflict. However, the image reflects the many issues surrounding the Rwandan Genocide. Nachtwey in particular notes some issues after the Genocide had ceased, when the perpetrators of genocide fled the country along with Hutu refugees fearful of repercussions, into refugee camps along the borders of Congo, aid organizations could not discern between the criminals and victims. They treated everyone, in Nachtwey's words: 'Ironically, the international community that had walked away from its responsibilities during the genocide was now forced to come to the rescue of those who had committed the atrocities." (Nachtwey)
The most significant element of this image is in the international communities' failure to intervene. Ken Jarecke said: "If we are big enough for war, we should be big enough to look at it." (Jarecke.) In this case, the shame of Rwanda comes from failing to intervene. Sam Power notes that in fact, failing to get involved in Rwanda was a willful policy decision by the US government (Power).
Works Cited
Evans, Gareth, and Mohamed Sahnoun. "The Responsibility to Protect." Foreign Affairs. 81.6 (2002): 99-110. Print.
Gegout, Catherine. "The International Criminal Court: limits, potential and conditions for the promotion of justice and peace."
Third World Quarterly. 34.5 (2013): 800-818. Print.
Jarecke, Ken. "Picture power: Death of an Iraqi soldier." BBC World World Service Program. 09 May 2005. BBC News. May . Web.
5 Apr 2014. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4528745.stm.
Nachtwey, James . "When The World Turned Its Back: James Nachtwey's Reflections on the Rwandan Genocide." Time
Magazine. 06 Apr 2011: n. page. Web. 5 Apr. 2014.
"Photographer James Nachtwey." National Geographic. National Geographic. Web. 6 Apr 2014.
<http://photography.nationalgeographic.com/photography/photographers/photographer-james-nachtwey/>.
Power, Samantha. "Bystanders To Genocide." Atlantic. 29 Nov 2013: 1-34. Web. 5 Apr. 2014.
<http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2001/09/bystanders-to-genocide/304571/>.
Uvin, Peter. "Reading the Rwandan Genocide." International Studies Review. 3.3 (2001): 75-99. Print.
Image:
Nachtwey, James . "When The World Turned Its Back: James Nachtwey's Reflections on the Rwandan Genocide." Time
Magazine. 06 Apr 2011: n. page. Web. 5 Apr. 2014.