Travel Log 7: “Global Responsibility” Part 1 Meghan Thorogood Florence, Italy




During 1994, the small African country of Rwanda experienced a sickening genocide. Above are two carton that depict the Rwandan genocide in two different ways. The first cartoon is mocking actions taken by the United Nations (UN) during this time. Instead of sending more aid or reinforcements to Rwanda, the UN did the opposite. They began withdrawing peacekeepers and  stopped sending essential supplies, such as food water, and medical equipment. General Romeo Dallaire and what little troops he had left, were left with nothing. In addition, many of the  peacekeepers that were withdrawn from Rwanda were sent to other, more “important” parts of the world. This sent the message that the rest of the world did not care about the Rwandan people, and that they were worth less than compared to others. The second cartoon shows how history repeat itself. Time after time again, when events like this happen we say “never again”, but when will we actually mean it? Events such as the Rwandan genocide, and others as depicted in the second cartoon, are recognized as bad from the start. It is recognized that someone needs to stop tragic events from happening, but no one wants to be that someone. And finally, when someone steps in, it is always too late. As history has shown, this cycle will just continue to keep happen. This will only end when never again actual means never again.


According to Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.”  In regards to this article, there was no sense of brotherhood shown. There is no brotherhood between the two groups that were able to murder 800,000 Rwandans in just one hundred days. What’s even more disgusting is the lack of brotherhood other world powers showed when it came to coming to the aid of Rwanda. What makes a human more human than another that our world comes to the aid of some and leaves others to fend for themselves? The UN and other world powers should have been helping to protect these basic human rights, but instead they let politics and money blind them. I’d like to say that this blindness has vanished and that global treatment of these violations has changed, but I don’t think they have. History tends to repeat itself and we are not doing enough to stop it.


The United Nations. Universal Declaration of Human Rights. 1948. Print.


One thought on “Travel Log 7: “Global Responsibility” Part 1 Meghan Thorogood Florence, Italy

  1. HI Meghan,
    I too found the first political cartoon extremely appropriate for the UN during this horrific event. Not only did they lie and give false hope to Rwanda but when the pressure really as on, they slapped the country in the face by only saving other, more stronger, nation’s people from the war zone. I couldn’t agree with you more in the fact that enough is enough and that “never again” actually means “never again.” Yet I don’t believe it should come down to one person or one country to make the change, if change is to occur, it needs to occur by everyone. If we are to be the “United” Nations then we need to all stand together against an issue, it can’t be only a few in the group, we are stronger as a whole.

    Liked by 1 person

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