The Beauty and Burden of Burundi: Breaking the 1972 Burundi Genocide Silence

The main objective of this video presentation is to describe the process of encapsulating a sample from the 120 audio and video testimonies from the survivors of the 1972 genocide in Burundi and share the resulting documentary. While this tragedy occurred more than 50 years ago in a country across the world from North America, it does not make it less likely for other countries to endure the same tragedy. Genocide is a human rights issue that is driven by hate. If this tragic massacre can happen in Burundi, it can happen anywhere. It is imperative that we, as humans, advocate for other humans. These powerful stories were gathered by the research team of the Center for Genocide and Human Rights Research in Africa and the Diaspora (GHRAD) at Northeastern Illinois University. The outcome is an informative and cohesive documentary. In essence, this documentary is a story about the life and voices behind these stories, which will be used to bring awareness to this tragedy. This piece will enhance the dissemination of the survivor testimonies, which had not been publicly shared, inside the country, until recently with the work of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. This project’s goal is to bring visibility to a multitude of first-hand historical accounts and experiences of violence and discrimination. This podium presentation will discuss pertinence of historical accuracy while simultaneously exemplifying how truthful information can impact a call to action from unexpected places. In addition to utilizing research gathered by the GHRAD research team, the documentary will also shine light on how an average student and mother navigates her way through this atrocity in hopes of inspiring others to promote social justice and compassion for human life. After a 2-minute introduction, I will show a 10-minute documentary that succinctly covers the 1972 Burundi genocide, which had been silenced and forgotten until recently. This video will feature testimonies from genocide survivors, researchers, NEIU students, and social justice advocates. In the remaining allotted time, I will address questions and comments from the audience