UN / GENOCIDE SURVIVOR INTERVIEW
13-Apr-2023
00:05:56
“These clothes represent the latest moment of my daughters, how their lives have been taken, how young they were, angels,” a survivor said in an interview on the occasion of the exhibition "Stories of Survival and Remembrance - A Call to Action for the Prevention of Genocide.” UNIFEED
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STORY: UN / GENOCIDE SURVIVOR INTERVIEW
TRT: 05:56
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGES: FRENCH / NATS
DATELINE: 11 APRIL 2023, NEW YORK CITY / FILE
TRT: 05:56
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGES: FRENCH / NATS
DATELINE: 11 APRIL 2023, NEW YORK CITY / FILE
SHOTLIST
FILE - NEW YORK CITY
1. Med shot, flags, United Nations Headquarters
11 APRIL 2023, NEW YORK CITY
2. Close up, Immaculée’s daughter’s dress, exhibition, United Nations Headquarters
3. SOUNDBITE (French) Immaculée Songa Mukantaganira, genocide survivor:
“To me, these clothes represent the latest moment of my daughters, how their lives have been taken, how young they were, angels.”
4. Med shot, Immaculée’s daughters’ dresses, exhibition, United Nations Headquarters
5. SOUNDBITE (French) Immaculée Songa Mukantaganira, genocide survivor:
“These clothes are very important to me as well as the other objects presented in this exhibition, because they remind us of the lives of people that are no longer here, and since they are no longer here, we are the ones who have to talk about it and tell their history and how their lives have been taken.”
6. Med shot, exhibition, United Nations Headquarters
7. SOUNDBITE (French) Immaculée Songa Mukantaganira, genocide survivor:
“You can see the blood stains on these clothes, even though they have been washed, and you can imagine how they died. This is very bad for our society.”
8. Close up, exhibition signs, United Nations Headquarters
9. SOUNDBITE (French) Immaculée Songa Mukantaganira, genocide survivor:
“We have the responsibility to say to the world that injustice exists, that people die because of injustice, and that the genocide in Rwanda has been planned and executed by very smart people who picked up militants and convinced them to kill.”
10. Med shot, Immaculée’s photo album, exhibition sign, United Nations Headquarters
11. SOUNDBITE (French) Immaculée Songa Mukantaganira, genocide survivor:
“Governments, powerful people, and the UN are responsible for preventing genocide. From our side, we do our part as well. I mean that for example, we organize commemorations and education days to explain to the public what can happen if people don’t pay attention. Because genocide can be prevented.”
12. Med shot, exhibition sign, United Nations Headquarters
13. SOUNDBITE (French) Immaculée Songa Mukantaganira, genocide survivor:
“It is very difficult to stop a genocide. Do you know what the phases of genocide are? The last phase is denial. Nowadays, people deny the genocide. They are there, worldwide; they were given platforms, write books, and say that genocide did not happen.”
14. Med shot, exhibition sign, United Nations Headquarters
15. SOUNDBITE (French) Immaculée Songa Mukantaganira, genocide survivor:
“Go to schools, go to teach peace. Because I’ll tell you, I have pictures with students, I have students, I can see them changing when we talk about it. It makes a difference.”
16. Pan right, exhibition, United Nations Headquarters
17. SOUNDBITE (French) Immaculée Songa Mukantaganira, genocide survivor:
“Facts don’t lie. So, if people see facts…when they see my kids’ clothes, there is no misleading. People said that kids were killed, and now I see that’s real.”
18. Close up, Immaculée’s photo album, United Nations Headquarters
19 SOUNDBITE (French) Immaculée Songa Mukantaganira, genocide survivor:
“Sometimes, we speak about millions, for example, of Rwandans, Tutsis killed in the genocide, and we have the impression of forgetting the individuals. So, this exhibit is there also not to forget each person’s story, and its tour becomes “the genocide in Rwanda.” And it speaks, it speaks out loud.”
20. Close up, Immaculée’s photo album, United Nations Headquarters
21. SOUNDBITE (French) Immaculée Songa Mukantaganira, genocide survivor:
“My message for my daughters is that I have not forgotten them, that I love them a lot, and that I have spoken a lot about them because they had an atrocious death they did not deserve.”
22. Med shot, exhibition, United Nations Headquarters
23. SOUNDBITE (French) Immaculée Songa Mukantaganira, genocide survivor:
“I am a mother who has not died, a woman who cries a lot. I tell myself that there must be a reason. God saved me for a reason and gave me the strength to talk about them and not let them go forgotten.”
24. Pan right, exhibition, United Nations Headquarters
25. SOUNDBITE (French) Immaculée Songa Mukantaganira, genocide survivor:
“I think that in Rwanda, 95 percent of the population was uneducated, and it was very easy to convince them to kill. I think that if people have access to the necessary education to emerge and be self-sufficient, they will advocate for peace.”
26. Med shot, exhibition signs, United Nations Headquarters
1. Med shot, flags, United Nations Headquarters
11 APRIL 2023, NEW YORK CITY
2. Close up, Immaculée’s daughter’s dress, exhibition, United Nations Headquarters
3. SOUNDBITE (French) Immaculée Songa Mukantaganira, genocide survivor:
“To me, these clothes represent the latest moment of my daughters, how their lives have been taken, how young they were, angels.”
4. Med shot, Immaculée’s daughters’ dresses, exhibition, United Nations Headquarters
5. SOUNDBITE (French) Immaculée Songa Mukantaganira, genocide survivor:
“These clothes are very important to me as well as the other objects presented in this exhibition, because they remind us of the lives of people that are no longer here, and since they are no longer here, we are the ones who have to talk about it and tell their history and how their lives have been taken.”
6. Med shot, exhibition, United Nations Headquarters
7. SOUNDBITE (French) Immaculée Songa Mukantaganira, genocide survivor:
“You can see the blood stains on these clothes, even though they have been washed, and you can imagine how they died. This is very bad for our society.”
8. Close up, exhibition signs, United Nations Headquarters
9. SOUNDBITE (French) Immaculée Songa Mukantaganira, genocide survivor:
“We have the responsibility to say to the world that injustice exists, that people die because of injustice, and that the genocide in Rwanda has been planned and executed by very smart people who picked up militants and convinced them to kill.”
10. Med shot, Immaculée’s photo album, exhibition sign, United Nations Headquarters
11. SOUNDBITE (French) Immaculée Songa Mukantaganira, genocide survivor:
“Governments, powerful people, and the UN are responsible for preventing genocide. From our side, we do our part as well. I mean that for example, we organize commemorations and education days to explain to the public what can happen if people don’t pay attention. Because genocide can be prevented.”
12. Med shot, exhibition sign, United Nations Headquarters
13. SOUNDBITE (French) Immaculée Songa Mukantaganira, genocide survivor:
“It is very difficult to stop a genocide. Do you know what the phases of genocide are? The last phase is denial. Nowadays, people deny the genocide. They are there, worldwide; they were given platforms, write books, and say that genocide did not happen.”
14. Med shot, exhibition sign, United Nations Headquarters
15. SOUNDBITE (French) Immaculée Songa Mukantaganira, genocide survivor:
“Go to schools, go to teach peace. Because I’ll tell you, I have pictures with students, I have students, I can see them changing when we talk about it. It makes a difference.”
16. Pan right, exhibition, United Nations Headquarters
17. SOUNDBITE (French) Immaculée Songa Mukantaganira, genocide survivor:
“Facts don’t lie. So, if people see facts…when they see my kids’ clothes, there is no misleading. People said that kids were killed, and now I see that’s real.”
18. Close up, Immaculée’s photo album, United Nations Headquarters
19 SOUNDBITE (French) Immaculée Songa Mukantaganira, genocide survivor:
“Sometimes, we speak about millions, for example, of Rwandans, Tutsis killed in the genocide, and we have the impression of forgetting the individuals. So, this exhibit is there also not to forget each person’s story, and its tour becomes “the genocide in Rwanda.” And it speaks, it speaks out loud.”
20. Close up, Immaculée’s photo album, United Nations Headquarters
21. SOUNDBITE (French) Immaculée Songa Mukantaganira, genocide survivor:
“My message for my daughters is that I have not forgotten them, that I love them a lot, and that I have spoken a lot about them because they had an atrocious death they did not deserve.”
22. Med shot, exhibition, United Nations Headquarters
23. SOUNDBITE (French) Immaculée Songa Mukantaganira, genocide survivor:
“I am a mother who has not died, a woman who cries a lot. I tell myself that there must be a reason. God saved me for a reason and gave me the strength to talk about them and not let them go forgotten.”
24. Pan right, exhibition, United Nations Headquarters
25. SOUNDBITE (French) Immaculée Songa Mukantaganira, genocide survivor:
“I think that in Rwanda, 95 percent of the population was uneducated, and it was very easy to convince them to kill. I think that if people have access to the necessary education to emerge and be self-sufficient, they will advocate for peace.”
26. Med shot, exhibition signs, United Nations Headquarters
STORYLINE
“These clothes represent the latest moment of my daughters, how their lives have been taken, how young they were, angels,” a survivor said in an interview on the occasion of the exhibition "Stories of Survival and Remembrance - A Call to Action for the Prevention of Genocide.”
The exhibition, on display until 15 June 2023 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, features survivors’ reflections on four crimes — the Holocaust, the genocide and related atrocities in Cambodia, the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, and the 1995 genocide in Srebrenica, Bosnia, and Herzegovina.
An object that survived the atrocity crimes is displayed with the survivor’s or their descendants’ explanation of what the object meant to them.
Immaculée Songa Mukantaganira, a native of Rwanda who witnessed and survived the genocide in 1994, brought to the exposition the dress of your daughter Raissa Umotoni (3 years old), the dress and the vest of her daughter Clarisse Uwonkunda (5 years old) and a family photo album.
In the genocide, Immaculée Songa Mukantaganira lost her husband, her two daughters, many relatives, and friends.
She said, “These clothes are very important to me as well as the other objects presented in this exhibition because they remind us of the lives of people that are no longer here, and since they are no longer here, we are the ones who have to talk about it and tell their history and how their lives have been taken.”
She continued, “You can see the blood stains on these clothes, even though they have been washed, and you can imagine how they died. This is very bad for our society.”
The exhibition reflects on the risk factors for genocide and related atrocity crimes, the importance of working proactively to address risk factors and the consequences of atrocity crimes for the victims and survivors.
Mukantaganira stated, “We have the responsibility to say to the world that injustice exists, that people die because of injustice, and that the genocide in Rwanda has been planned and executed by very smart people who picked up militants and convinced them to kill.”
She also said, “Governments, powerful people, and the UN are responsible for preventing genocide. From our side, we do our part as well. I mean that for example, we organize commemorations and education days to explain to the public what can happen if people don’t pay attention. Because genocide can be prevented.”
She emphasized, “It is very difficult to stop a genocide. Do you know what the phases of genocide are? The last phase is denial. Nowadays, people deny the genocide. They are there, worldwide; they were given platforms, write books, and say that genocide did not happen.”
Asked about the importance of seeing these personal items at this exhibition, she answered, “Facts don’t lie. So, if people see facts…when they see my kids’ clothes, there is no misleading. People said that kids were killed, and now I see that’s real.”
Also, the exhibition’s process has allowed autobiographical stories to become one collective story.
Mukantaganira explained, “Sometimes, we speak about millions, for example, of Rwandans, Tutsis killed in the genocide, and we have the impression of forgetting the individuals. So, this exhibit is there also not to forget each person’s story, and its tour becomes “the genocide in Rwanda.” And it speaks, it speaks out loud.”
Asked about her message to her daughters, she said, “I have not forgotten them, that I love them a lot, and that I have spoken a lot about them because they had an atrocious death they did not deserve.”
She continued, “I am a mother who has not died, a woman who cries a lot. I tell myself that there must be a reason. God saved me for a reason and gave me the strength to talk about them and not let them go forgotten.”
Education is crucial for Mukantaganira, “Go to schools, go to teach peace. Because I’ll tell you, I have pictures with students, I have students, I can see them changing when we talk about it. It makes a difference.”
She concluded, “I think that in Rwanda, 95 percent of the population was uneducated, and it was very easy to convince them to kill. I think that if people have access to the necessary education to emerge and be self-sufficient, they will advocate for peace.”
The exhibition takes place in the 75-anniversary year of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide and opened a few days before the observance of the International Day of Reflection on the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda in the General Assembly Hall on 14 April.
The exhibition, on display until 15 June 2023 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, features survivors’ reflections on four crimes — the Holocaust, the genocide and related atrocities in Cambodia, the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, and the 1995 genocide in Srebrenica, Bosnia, and Herzegovina.
An object that survived the atrocity crimes is displayed with the survivor’s or their descendants’ explanation of what the object meant to them.
Immaculée Songa Mukantaganira, a native of Rwanda who witnessed and survived the genocide in 1994, brought to the exposition the dress of your daughter Raissa Umotoni (3 years old), the dress and the vest of her daughter Clarisse Uwonkunda (5 years old) and a family photo album.
In the genocide, Immaculée Songa Mukantaganira lost her husband, her two daughters, many relatives, and friends.
She said, “These clothes are very important to me as well as the other objects presented in this exhibition because they remind us of the lives of people that are no longer here, and since they are no longer here, we are the ones who have to talk about it and tell their history and how their lives have been taken.”
She continued, “You can see the blood stains on these clothes, even though they have been washed, and you can imagine how they died. This is very bad for our society.”
The exhibition reflects on the risk factors for genocide and related atrocity crimes, the importance of working proactively to address risk factors and the consequences of atrocity crimes for the victims and survivors.
Mukantaganira stated, “We have the responsibility to say to the world that injustice exists, that people die because of injustice, and that the genocide in Rwanda has been planned and executed by very smart people who picked up militants and convinced them to kill.”
She also said, “Governments, powerful people, and the UN are responsible for preventing genocide. From our side, we do our part as well. I mean that for example, we organize commemorations and education days to explain to the public what can happen if people don’t pay attention. Because genocide can be prevented.”
She emphasized, “It is very difficult to stop a genocide. Do you know what the phases of genocide are? The last phase is denial. Nowadays, people deny the genocide. They are there, worldwide; they were given platforms, write books, and say that genocide did not happen.”
Asked about the importance of seeing these personal items at this exhibition, she answered, “Facts don’t lie. So, if people see facts…when they see my kids’ clothes, there is no misleading. People said that kids were killed, and now I see that’s real.”
Also, the exhibition’s process has allowed autobiographical stories to become one collective story.
Mukantaganira explained, “Sometimes, we speak about millions, for example, of Rwandans, Tutsis killed in the genocide, and we have the impression of forgetting the individuals. So, this exhibit is there also not to forget each person’s story, and its tour becomes “the genocide in Rwanda.” And it speaks, it speaks out loud.”
Asked about her message to her daughters, she said, “I have not forgotten them, that I love them a lot, and that I have spoken a lot about them because they had an atrocious death they did not deserve.”
She continued, “I am a mother who has not died, a woman who cries a lot. I tell myself that there must be a reason. God saved me for a reason and gave me the strength to talk about them and not let them go forgotten.”
Education is crucial for Mukantaganira, “Go to schools, go to teach peace. Because I’ll tell you, I have pictures with students, I have students, I can see them changing when we talk about it. It makes a difference.”
She concluded, “I think that in Rwanda, 95 percent of the population was uneducated, and it was very easy to convince them to kill. I think that if people have access to the necessary education to emerge and be self-sufficient, they will advocate for peace.”
The exhibition takes place in the 75-anniversary year of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide and opened a few days before the observance of the International Day of Reflection on the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda in the General Assembly Hall on 14 April.
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