On July 22 the National Center for Civil and Human Rights will screen Hotel Rwanda in Woodruff Park in Downtown Atlanta as part three of our Films That Matter series.  Don Cheadle portrays Paul Rusesabagina in this adaptation of a true story from civil war ravaged Rwanda.  Including this film in our series was a given because it’s impossible to talk about international human rights without talking about the Hutu and Tutsi conflict in Rwanda. Over a million people died in just three of the months of the gruesome fighting which has ebbed and flowed for a dozen years.  During the height, the United Nations was able to evacuate foreign nationals, but Rwandans were left behind in the midst warring tribes.  For many in the human rights community this civil war was especially tough because it occurred in the modern era of the internet and 24 cable news outlets and went largely unnoticed.

This film, and the war it portrays, makes the viewer wonder what it takes for people to intervene-what combination of compassion, perceptions of efficacy, availability of resources and timing does it really take? There is also plenty of fodder for reflection on why we pay attention to some crises but not others, why we accept our governments’ slate of priorities at any given time, and what historical and geo-political factors determine a struggling stranger’s right to thrive in peace or meet a terrible, violent end.

Rusesabagina’s determination to overcome tribal conflict for the sake of his own family and to be a leader in his war torn society is in sharp contrast to how the world reacted.  Most people, and governments, feel powerless when confronted with the suffering, marginalization and disenfranchisement of others.  Often, the more remote or unfamiliar a place, the less we feel empowered to stand for justice.  That is why the Center will be a place where people can learn what is occurring in the world, the historical context of why, and what simple steps every day citizens can take to act on behalf of others.  Join us on July 22 and see an example of what can occur when the world turns its back, and why we need a place to inspire the next generation not to let civil wars rage unchecked.