25 seniors watched a 5 minute video preview of Reconciliation’s Reach about genocide survivors efforts to reconcile with wives of perpetrators. Then the students, from neighborhoods across Boston, engaged in a lively discussion about why Rwandans stories are relevant to them and why they care about the struggles of people on the other side of the world.

Some students found it hard to imagine how genocide survivors could begin to accept a killer or a killer’s relative. Ashley Harton-Powell saw maturity, “It shows how strong they are. Because if you went to one of us, or an American in general, and asked ‘What if this was to happen to you, how would you feel if the wife of that person or the family member of that person came to you to apologize for their wrong doing?’ A lot of people probably would not be able to accept the apology.”

Maceyo understood how some Rwandans have found ways to live side by side with former enemies, “After the genocide they were able to humanize the person cause they really got to know that, ‘They’re human just like us and they suffered just like us.’ You can dehumanize somebody but you can also humanize a person too.”

Watching Reconciliation’s Reach was powerful for Noadya Legrand, she said, “It’s something that can really change you, can change your whole mindset and your values.” Some students see the possibility of organizing their community for action. Efrangely De La Cruz, “We’re the teenagers in America and it takes one person to make a change. If one person starts it up and they tell people, more people become involved and become more interested in making that difference.”

Bendina Remy saw a clear connection between Rwandans work for reconciliation and her life, “It relates to me because just like the Tutsis and the Hutu, I live in Dorchester (a section of Boston) and there’s a lot of gang violence between the Bloods and the Crips. And it just reminds me, they’re killing each other over nonsense and you need to stop it. It kind of hit home cause I know a lot of gang-affiliated people. Maybe we could do something to change it. And if we could change it in Rwanda we could change it in Boston.”

See what we’ve been up to:

-Photos from our recent benefit concert event

-A live interview with the filmmaker on ABC-TV:

…

“We’re all on this rock together.” That’s the reason a high school student at Corwin-Russell School at Broccoli Hall gave for why reconciliation in Rwanda is important and relevant in his life. The message was clear from this group of 30+ creative and intelligent students. Arriving at Broccoli Hall in Sudbury, Massachusetts, just outside Boston, the name is the first clue this school is like no other. Teachers and students flow through from room to room of the quirky building that is half school house half modern/pop culture art museum. The sign outside the principal’s office is “Toad’s Hall.” Harry Potter paraphernalia is also popular. A photo illustration by the secretary’s desk shows an open pea pod with rainbow colored peas “None of the things in this place fit into the same category.”

Somehow at the assigned time all the students just seemed to know where to be as they seated themselves alternately at a long high table with barstools, at computer desks, on the floor and perched on anything else they could find to hear me, a documentary filmmaker, tell them how they can help change the world. They also offered their advice on the lessons of our documentary film Reconciliation’s Reach and how those ideas can be implemented in their lives. After a brief history of what happened in 1994 in Rwanda- 1,000,000 people killed in 100 days- we watched a preview of the film (watch it at the top of this page) Immediate reactions ranged from “moving” to “frightening.” The students were immediately engaged asking dozens of questions during our 90 minutes together.

They were quick with their ideas of how this model of reconciliation, which seems to be working in Rwanda, can be used in their lives. They talked about their personal relationships with other students, teachers, and then they mentioned grander ideas of reconciliation in Iraq and between Sunnis and Shia. They learned that REACH in Rwanda has been successful to a degree in introducing the idea of building peace through business and social partnerships. This progress comes despite the Rwandan people’s experiences, suffering through atrocities that are unimaginable. One student said, our discussion helped to remind him that our problems are not as dire and that makes reconciling the differences we may have that much more feasible. Several students shared this sentiment saying, they feel that seeing this example inspires them to think about ways they can create reconciliation in their personal lives and neighborhoods.

The energy was infectious from this dynamic group of students. The class and the teachers were inquisitive and excited and eager to see the completed film, Reconciliation’s Reach. They left with the reminder that they have the power to make a difference in their world. As one student, Nick, summed it up at the end quoting Ghandi he said, “We can ‘be the change’ we want to see in the world.”
–Adam Mazo, Executive Producer-Reconciliation’s Reach

Join us in Boston:
Rock Out for Reconciliation’s Reach
Thursday, March 26th
Hennessy’s of Boston
25 Union St.
Boston, MA 02108
6 p.m. – 1:30 a.m.

Come for the live music, dozens of raffle prizes worth thousands of dollars and much more! To learn more about Rock Out for Reconciliation’s Reach and download the flyer click here. RSVP via facebook. Not a facebook member? Email us!
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Did you see this? We recently had the opportunity to talk about our film on ABC-TV in Sarasota, Florida.