Fiddler on the Roof...tradition?

So...Last Thursday one of my best girlfriends took me to see a show I have seen many, many times before - Fiddler on the Roof. It is amazing how with age and experience, an entertaining musical can be viewed entirely differently - as a history lesson, demonstrating the absurdity in the world even still today...

The show was winding down through the second act, and the "friendly" military issues the order to kick them out of their village:

--At any rate, it affects all of you, you have to leave.
--But...But this corner of the world has always been our home. Why should we leave?
--I don't know why. There's trouble in the world, troublemakers.
--Like us?
--You aren't the only ones. Your people must leave all the villages - Zolodin, Rabalevka. The district must be emptied. I have an order here! It says that you must sell your homes and be out of here in three days.
--And you? You, who have known us all your life, you'd carry out this order?
--I have nothing to do with it! Don't you understand? I wish you wouldn't say me.
--I understand. Suppose we refuse to go?
--You will be forced out.
--We will defend ourselves. We'll stay in our homes. Refuse to leave. Keep our land. Fight!
--Against our militia, our army? I wouldn't advise that.
--I have some advice for you. Get off my land. This is still my home, my land. Get off my land!
--You have three days.

I found myself, for the first time, really crying while I watched this performance. No longer were they tears caused by the complications between daughters breaking tradition and marrying the men they love, even when one is a Christian...no, they were tears sparked by the realization that this type of absurdness has been allowed to continue in my time! In Darfur, Israel, Bosnia, Rwanda...burnings and rape and slaughter for no reason other than "an order" - ridiculous....

I am so inspired to be reading the stories of survivors of the genocide in Rwanda and to hear about the progress that country has made. I have been trying to learn about the Rwanda of today - not the Rwanda of 1994. One thing I was surprised to read is that the government of President Paul Kagame is indeed making real progress towards building a society where individuals are identified as being "Rwandan," no longer being classified as Hutu or Tutsi. Although people know their heritage, due to the long history of conflict between these two groups, eliminating these labels is probably one of the best means to achieve realistic hope for the future....and consider this.....do you hear Rwanda in the news much anymore? It is too sad we do not hear about the great progress being made. So something MUST be working.....maybe breaking tradition really isn't so bad.....

And speaking of a peaceful future....I did not realize just how much progress Rwanda has made in the last 16 years. According to my trusty Lonely Planet guide :-) - Rwanda has a fairly stable economy with steady growth and low inflation; three beautiful national parks (one of which contains at least 20% of the entire primate species in Africa!) with continued improvement in sustainable tourism; and even a strict ban on plastic bags of all things! If you ask me, this is progress!

I have continued to speak with people who really are quite concerned about my safety and well-being when I go to Rwanda. However, I have read that Kigali, the capital of Rwanda, is "arguably one of the most pleasant cities in the whole of East Africa," with higher standards for both restaurants and accommodations than other major cities in East Africa. Hmmm....perhaps I can sway some minds..... :-)