Copy of Copy of Chapter 8: Living with the Legacies of Historical Globalization.gslides

Historical Context: Colonialism Prior to the scramble for Africa, Rwanda had two main indigenous groups: Hutus: made up 85% of the population. Mostly, labourers with lower status. Tutsis: made up 15% of the population. Generally, held positions of power. ○ Both groups existed fairly peace...

Historical Context: Colonialism Prior to the scramble for Africa, Rwanda had two main indigenous groups: Hutus: made up 85% of the population. Mostly, labourers with lower status. Tutsis: made up 15% of the population. Generally, held positions of power. ○ Both groups existed fairly peacefully. Scramble for Africa: First claimed by Germany: put Tutsis into positions of power in the colony. Germany believed Tutsis were more like Europeans and deserved a higher status. Post WWI After Germany’s defeat in WWI, the countries negotiating the treaty gave the region to Belgium. What type of thinking did this represent and how might it have affected Rwanda? They kept and strengthened ethnic divisions. They required all Rwandans to carry identification cards, labelled with Hutu or Tutsi. Rwanda Belgium left Rwanda in 1962. Conflict erupted between Hutus and Tutsis. Who would gain power? The majority Hutus formed government. Deadly conflict: With Hutus in power violence erupted and Tutsis fled to neighboring countries. 1980’s: economic issues made the Hutu government unpopular. Tutsis invaded Rwanda from refugee camps in Uganda. Rwanda 1993 - a peace agreement was signed between Hutus and Tutsis. This ended fighting, but not the tensions between the groups. The peace agreement demanded that power be shared in government, including the Tutsi patriotic front. This angered many Hutus.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v= SVnOGsJY5RQ&ab_channel=BBC NewsAfrica Genocide in Rwanda A plane crash sparks genocide: 1994 Rwandan President Juvenal Habyarimana’s plane is shot down. No one knows who was responsible, but the government and Hutu militants blamed Tutsis. Radio broadcasts encouraged Hutus to take revenge. This began the mass killing of over 800 000 people in under 100 days. How could German and Belgian colonizers have encouraged this division in society? International Response to Genocide United Nations had peacekeepers stationed in Rwanda under the command of Canadian Romeo Dallaire. He warned the UN of rising tensions and asked for support. UN stated they are meant to keep peace between countries and to not interfere within countries. They were also told not to protect people to avoid taking sides. They were only to help with evacuating foreign nationals. What can we say about the international community?  Rebuilding Rwandan Society Rwanda, like Canada, is now tasked with rebuilding and healing their wounds and reconciling with one another. Justice and Reconciliation: 1994: United Nations set up a court to try high ranking government officials accused of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. These courts could not process quickly. To speed up the process gacaca courts were set up in 2002. “Justice on the grass” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5Bsz8LANVg  Apartheid in South Africa South Africa - a complex colonial state: Colonized by Dutch, Portuguese, French and British. British and Dutch had the most significant influence. Indigenous people lost more freedom and land with each wave of imperialism.  Racism as Government Policy 1926 - South Africa became an independent dominion within the British Empire. Black people outnumbered white people 10 to one. Laws were passed by Europeans to ensure their control of governmental institution and economics. ○ Black people were outlawed from voting. Apartheid After WWII, indigenous people across Africa demanded independence. The South African government introduced apartheid. This was enforced segregation. Identity and race was legislated: all citizens were classified as Asian, white, colored (mixed ancestry), or black. ○ These groups lived in separate areas, went to separate schools, and worked at racially designated jobs.  1970s-1980s Resistance https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_yA2ZkS-PA Many groups struggled to end apartheid. The government responded by banning protest organizations and locking up their leaders (Nelson Mandela) Student Protests in Soweto: June 16, 1976: 15 000 - 20 000 black high school students protested in township Soweto. They demanded better education. Police officers opened fire on the students. The people of Soweto say 350 students were killed. The government says 168 students were killed.