A Society Can Move Forward through Acceptance and Forgiveness

Throughout history there have been countless instances where particular races or ethnic groups have been targeted and as a result suffered mass casualties. The general public classifies this as a genocide. A mass murdering of one specific group of people, usually based on racial discrimination or purely blind hate without any practical reasoning behind it. Some examples of this is the Holocaust, where Hitler convinced the German people that the Jews must be “exterminated” and as a result over 6 million people were dead in the end.

This also happened in Rwanda, Africa about 20 years ago, where one group of people considered another group inferior and as a result killed over 1 million of their people. The ideas and beliefs are recurring in every instance. Most people find it unthinkable and impossible to ever forgive the people who committed these horrific crimes against their people and their families.

Yet, even though it certainly isn’t easy, it’s the only way to move forward and try and make the world a better place.

Ultimately the goal is to do all we can to prevent these events from occurring. Unfortunately though, that will be a tough task for sure. One genocide that is definitely not nearly as well-known as the Holocaust is the Rwandan genocide, It took place about 20 years ago and, similar to the Holocaust, was based off of propaganda and lies that convinced the Hutu people that the Tutsi killed the president and that they must be killed and “exterminated,” The man behind the propaganda on the radio called the Tutsi people “cockroaches.

Get quality help now

Writer Lyla

Verified

Proficient in: Forgiveness

5 (876)

“ Have been using her for a while and please believe when I tell you, she never fail. Thanks Writer Lyla you are indeed awesome ”

+84 relevant experts are online

Hire writer

” In the end over 1 million Tutsi were dead and those who survived were forced to flee Rwanda, becoming refugees Most people would never think to forgive someone for doing this to their people, let alone sit in the same room as them.

As was previously mentioned, it isn’t easy and most people can’t begin to understand the emotional pain and stress that the families of victims go through A recently written article in the New York Times revolves around this idea of forgiveness and reconciliation and how it’s necessary to move forward in your life It was written particularly about the victims of the Rwandan genocide and includes interviews with both perpetrators and victims who have come together to try and make peace and move on. One interview was particularly insightful in that it represents what’s truly necessary in order to bring peace to each other. The interview reads: Perpetrator: “I asked him for forgiveness because his brother was killed in my presence. He asked me why I pleaded guilty, and I replied that i did it as someone who witnessed this crime but who was unable to save anybody. It was the order from authorities.

I let him know who the killers were, and the killers also asked him for pardon.” Victim: “Sometimes justice does not give someone a satisfactory answer 7 cases are subject to corruption. But when it comes to forgiveness willingly granted, one is satisfied once and for all. When someone is full of anger, he can lose his mind. But when I granted forgiveness, I felt my mind at rest.” Here, the perpetrator is saying that even though he himself didn’t kill the victim’s brother, he still felt guilty he was there but didn’t do anything. This relates to the UN. in that they were given orders not to shoot or intervene, and so was this man, the perpetrator. He was given orders not to do anything.

I agree with the victim, if someone is always angry they may eventually go crazy and do terrible things. Although, when you give someone the opportunity to be forgiven, you really do feel yourself at ease. This has happened to me before, as it probably has with lots of people. I have been in a conflict with someone, and I was angry at them. I would never think to forgive them, nor would I think it could ever be possible to forgive them. But, once you do forgive, you feel as if a very heavy burden has been lifted and that you just did something magnificent, even if it wasn’t easy, which it usually isn’t. It’s a very conflicting situation to be in. In the end, the only way to move forward from tragedy is to forgive Lhose who we resent.