Humans have the strengths to bounce back from adversity

Editor,Please allow me to comment on the article, “We chose to take responsibility for ourselves, says Kagame” (The New Times on October 1).I envy those who were lucky to follow the discussion by President Paul Kagame and Nobel Peace Laureate and eminent Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel. Two people, two genocides, two different times, but sharing the worst commonality: a non-reactive world which silently witnessed the most horrendous crime against humanity, against the Jews and Tutsis.Reflection is essential, not for the purpose of pointing a finger at the international community, but rather to remind all that there is such a thing as a responsibility of the strong (est) – with the 1948 UN human rights charter, were we not supposed to find ourselves in a situation where such concepts as “survival of the fittest” or “everybody on their own” still prevailed.This principle is an obligation in international conventions that most countries subscribe to. More importantly, in my opinion, that forum, held in New York, seems to have been designed to help empower people (individually and collectively), by demonstrating that, eventually, they can lift themselves from the most despicable ordeals by using their own strengths, creating a common vision and together working towards that common goal.I highly recommend Elie Wiesel’s book, called “Night”, on his personal story during World War II – he has a trilogy around this theme: “Night”, “Dawn”, “Day” to symbolise the dark hours that were followed by bright ones.Diyana, Kigali

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Humans have the strengths to bounce back from adversity