When "Never Again" Happened Such A Short Time Ago

We've never traveled anywhere quite like Rwanda.

Fifteen years ago one of the largest modern genocides occurred here.

More than 1 million men, women, and children were senselessly murdered, not by strangers, but by their own government, their own neighbors, and in some cases, their own family members. It was one of the bloodiest civil wars in recent history. If you were a Tutsi (an ethnic tribe, now about 15 percent of the population), you were marked for death, with very few places to hide.

Our visit to the genocide memorial museum in Kigali, was a painful reminder to us that, as Jews, our shared global commitment of "never again" was just words. The world turned away as this happened. Former President Bill Clinton and Kofi Annan, the former Secretary General of the United Nations, now admit that the United States and the world failed Rwanda.

Today Rwanda, a decade and a half after the atrocities that occurred here, knows all the right things to say. The newspapers are strictly controlled by the government--and censored. New nationalistic slogans have emerged: "One Rwanda, One Country" is the motto heard everywhere.

Yet, we couldn't help but wonder as we walked the streets of Kigali that anyone over 30 years old was likely either a culprit or victim. And today Hutus still occupy Tutsi homes, many possessions were never returned, and mass-graves continue to grow as bodies are discovered. Although, more than 180,000 people went to jail under a village-by-village court system -- many evaded punishment, received minimal sentences, or were freed a few years later on good behavior.

It's clear that the country and communities are creating spaces for healing. Radio, print, and TV are filled with multi-ethnic dialogues about renewing and rebuilding Rwanda. Communities are holding public forums, counseling is offered, and dialogue is growing everywhere.

We also found a country bustling with energy as it rebuilds. A lush landscape of green hills and trees, filled with infinite possibility. Cities are now becoming used to a growing number of tourists, with WiFi hotspots, European and Chinese restaurants, and growing numbers of satellite televisions.

With the growing stability and security, the international community is coming back. Traveling in the countryside we saw many success stories, including the work Heifer International is doing to train farmers and increase food security.

Yet, Rwanda also feels lost, still struggling to find itself, still deciding what direction it will go. Its wounds may never completely heal--especially when "never again" happened here such a short time ago.

The Aponye Hotel in Kampala, Uganda

Overall, the Aponye Hotel in Kampala, Uganda is a very good budget option in the heart of the bustling city center. It is in walking distance from restaurants, markets, ATMs, the bus station and more. Approximately $40/night, the room was very simple, clean, with air-conditioning and hot showers, and Wifi in the lobby.

Picture Us in Rwanda

Bonjour, Bonjour

Finally Bernie’s years growing up in Montreal, Canada saved the day in Kigali where French is widely spoken. Rwanda’s infrastructure improves every day, and our advice if you travel there is to ignore most of Lonely Planets advice (we are in general huge fans of these guidebooks, but we are convinced the person who wrote “East Africa” never went there). With that said, Rwanda is a place that is full of dichotomy – hard to find vegan/vegetarian food, but once we did it was delicious. Hotels galore, but few provide decent housing at a budget, and most are overpriced with poor value. Lots of newspapers, but post-genocide the press is extremely controlled.

Toilet: We disliked our hotel in Kigali, “the Okapi” – and despite the unfriendly staff, overpriced food, and average (yet expensive) accommodations – they did have full-flushing, no wastebasket toilets. They say if you don’t have anything nice to say….write a review.

Money: We also found Rwanda expensive, although outside of meals and hotels – all other expenses were good values. We hired a driver to visit some projects at a fair price, a postcard to the US was under a dollar, and the bus service to/from Uganda was great value (especially because it seems like Rwandian Air never has seat sales).

Beer: I’m sorry to say that we were a little to sick to drink during our stay in Rwanda. Although we had a taste of Primus, and thought it was just very average beer.

Human Rights Battle in Uganda Hits Close to Home

Uganda, like most of the countries in Africa, is full of contradictions.

While everyone we met in Uganda was friendly and helpful, going out of their way to assist us when we needed directions, a Wifi hotspot, or a place to find vegetarian food, the country also has some of the most restrictive laws against human rights on the continent. While we were there, the "Bahati Bill" was introduced in parliament.  The Bahati called for life in prison -- and in some case the death penalty -- for people found “guilty” of homosexual activity.

As gay marriage laws are passed around the world, including most recently in Mexico City, it's hard to believe that lawmakers would punish people for being gay or having HIV/AIDS. The Bahati bill also punishes anyone who fails to report a homosexual act committed by others with up to three years in jail, and a prison sentence of up to seven years for anyone who defends the rights of gays and lesbians.

Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni, due to mounting pressure from governments such as the United States, across Europe, and in Canada, said that he opposes the measure, and would attempt to try and soften the bill. According to a recent story in Reuters, “the president has been quoted in local media saying homosexuality is a Western import, joining continental religious leaders who believe it is un-African.” With a national election looming in 2012, politicians seem to be using hatred against gays as a scapegoat for rising corruption and the weakening of civil liberties and freedom of the press.

Yet, even the possibility that a watered-down version of the proposed law could be passed, is an alarming sign of a dangerous trend of prejudice all over Africa. In Blantyre, Malawi, for example, a gay couple was arrested last week after having a traditional engagement ceremony. Homosexuality is punishable by 14 years in jail in Malawi

However, human rights advocates continue to fight. In Latin America, they hope that the success of legalized marriage in Mexico City will spread to Argentina, Venezuela, Chile, and other places. Uruguay permits gay parents to adopt and Columbia grants social security rights to same sex couples.

In the United States, gay, lesbian, bi-sexual, and transgender rights is one of the most import civil and human rights battles we currently face. Despite recent setbacks in California, New York, and Maine -- recent success in places like Iowa, DC, and New Hampshire -- means that during next decade the battlefield for LGBT rights is not only in Africa but also right here at home.

While Bernie Was Sleeping

We’ve taken some long bus rides in Africa. We spent 8 bumpy hours on a bus from Nairobi to Arusha; another 8 from Arusha to Dar Es Salaam. The longest so far, though, has been between Kigali, Rwanda and Kampala, Uganda. I am usually looking out the window, admiring the crops growing by the side of the road, desperately trying not to think about how I have to pee, and trying not to panic about how fast our bus driver is maneuvering between other buses, cattle, and street vendors hawking roasted corn, bananas, and pineapples on the side of the road. Bernie, on the other hand, has a different strategy for coping--sleep.


During that 12 hour bus ride, here are the things he slept through: a commercial bus going 80 miles an hour on a one lane highway (even getting stopped for a speeding ticket, which is tough to accomplish on these roads), crying babies (including the seat next to us), the driver flirting via text message on his cell phone and turning backwards (sometimes for as long as ten seconds) to make conversation with the bus company staffer, blasting American hip-hop accompanied by pirated music videos on the television screen, and so much more...

I love him, but the man can sleep through anything...

Sunday Shout-Out!

Happy New Year Everyone!

Here is our weekly Sunday Border Jumpers shout-out!

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch ran an op-ed called “Beyond Band-Aids for hunger” by Dani, and Brian Halweil, at the Worldwatch Institute with recommendations for reducing hunger and poverty in Africa.

BorderJumpers was nominated for best political and travel blog for the “2009 Blogger’s Choice Awards” – please cast your vote by clicking HERE.

About.com: Africa Travel named us one of the five best African blogs for 2009. Check it out. 

 Thank you to the AFL-CIO which posted on their blog our column “Combating HIV/AIDS in Africa: Soccer Instead of Unsafe Sex.”  

Thanks to Rod Palmquist for linking his blog the Sweatshop Post-Intelligencer to Border Jumpers.  

Make sure to check out Worldwatch Institutes Nourishing the Planet, and also visit us on Huffington Post to see our most recent column.

Check out our diaries with the following blogs – stay tuned for more additions next week: Agonist, Booman Tribune, Daily Kos, European Tribune, FireDogLake, FreeSpeechZone, MyDD , OpenLeft, STA TravelBlog, TravelBlog.com, TravellersPoint, WomenDiary, and WorkingLife.

Hotel Review: the Okapi in Kigali, Rwanda

Though they originally wanted $90 USD a night, when we showed them that the Lonely Planet 2009 guidebook said that they only charge $46 – they matched the price. From the moment we walked into the door to the time we left – we felt like they were trying to hussle us. The cable TV they advertise is actually one channel and it wasn’t in English. They advertised Wifi, and it worked, but only sitting behind the reception desk. And every request – from an extra towel to a fan (also advertised) for the room, was a major burden to them. After three months on the road in East Africa, the Okapi gets the award for the worst value.