Hello fellow kossacks:
I have a sad note to send along. Today is the 10th anniversary of the start of one of the 20th century's worst tragedies.
The Rwandan Genocide started on this day in 1994 after the Rwandan president's plane was shot down coming into the capital of Kigali, days after this a systemic slaughter of Ethnic Tutsis and any Hutu viewed as a collaborator began. In just a few weeks more than 800,000 people were dead. To put this into perspective, this is the same as the entire population of Wyoming, Vermont or Alaska dead in just about 32 days. Much of the entire world stood by...some because they were indifferent, some because it was not in their strategic interest and some because they were not opposed to such brutality and inhumanity. It is not just the committants of such acts that are guilty but also those that failed to take action to prevent or curb it.
At 1200 Noon local time or any other time convenient for people across the globe, people are being asked to take a few moments of silence to remember the victims of this Genocide and to consider those that continue in our world and how to end them. Please join me in doing so.