John Naifa Gahaya Muyenzi

We Are All the Same Species! John Naifa Gahaya Muyenzi

In his book, WE ARE ALL THE SAME SPECIES, John N G Muyenzi expresses his concern that humanity, in general, seems to have learned little, if anything at all, from the horrors of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in his country Rwanda. Illustrating his point of view from incidents and personal experiences (ranging from the amusing to the sad, poignant and even tragic) gathered during a life, first as a young boy living in colonial Rwanda then as a refugee in Uganda and Kenya and finally back in Rwanda after the genocide against the Tutsi, John paints a picture of a human species in danger of self-destruction. He argues that the most likely cause of the demise of our species is war in spite of the stark frightening precedents of two devastating world wars and numerous other murderous armed conflicts that we ought to have learned from. He then reasons that to abolish war altogether and avert this serious threat to the survival of the species, human beings must realize that they are all members of the same species and thus obligated to protect each other's survival. He goes on to present his views on the root causes of war and human conflict, which he identifies as xenophobia and its manifestations. According to the author, the manifestations of xenophobia include racism, tribalism, ethnic hatred, religious intolerance and the politics/policies based on these. He further delves into the possible origins of xenophobia and its manifestations in the world in general and in Rwanda in particular and concludes that they are mainly based on archaic, unscientific, unproven and/or irrational beliefs and hypotheses. John believes that other nations and countries can learn both negative and positive lessons from Rwanda's experiences before and after the genocide of the Tutsi, that can enhance the global fight against xenophobia. Finally, to fellow Rwandans and fellow members of the human race, the author recommends some actions that should be undertaken to eradicate xenophobia and thus ensure the survival of the species.