In today's world it is of the utmost importance to learn from the mistakes of the past. Some events, especially tragedies that could have been avoided, contain lessons and wisdom that should be used to prevent similar disasters. The 1994 Rwandan genocide resulted in the deaths of over 800,000 Tutsis at the hands of Hutu; the genocide, and the international response to it, is a lesson in the humanitarian responsibilities, successes and shortcomings of the United Nations. The events that led to the Rwandan genocide began decades earlier. There has been a long history of “ethnic” tensions, even though it is really a question of social class. The classification began with German and Belgian colonizers in the early 1900s. These colonizers created the social classes of “Hutu” and “Tutsi,” and distributed identity cards with this information (Johnson). The genocide began with the shooting down of the president's plane (Genocide in Rwanda). Although it was never determined who shot down the plane, blame was placed on the Rwandan Patriotic Front, who were Tutsi rebels (Rwandan Genocide). Immediately after the assassination, violence erupted in the capital Kigali. (Genocide in Rwanda) During the 100-day period following April 6, 1994, between 800,000 and one million Tutsis were massacred. (Genocide in the 20th Century: Rwanda 1994) On April 7, roadblocks began to appear and soldiers began scouring the country for anyone whose identity card had “Tutsi” written on it. Entire families were murdered, often by their own neighbors and friends, and occasionally by relatives through marriage. Eleven-year-old Hamis Kamuhanda recounted his experience in an interview with a British Broadc journalist...... middle of paper ......experience needed to fight to prevent the massive loss of life seen in Rwanda .Works Cited "Genocide in Rwanda". United Council for Human Rights. NpNd Web. October 25, 2012"Genocide in the 20th Century: Rwanda 1994." The place of history. NpNd Web. October 30, 2012Johnson, Bridget. "Why is there conflict between Tutsi and Hutu?" About.com News from the world. NpNd Web. October 25, 2012Lauria, Joe. “US says it failed to stop Rwanda genocide.” The Wall Street Journal April 8, 2009. Dow Jones & Company, Inc. November 9, 2012"Rwanda 1994." Ppu.org.uk. Union Promise of Peace. Nd Web. October 25, 2012 "Eyewitness to the genocide in Rwanda". HistoryWiz. NpNd Web. 25 October 2012 "The Rwandan genocide". History.com. NpNd Web. 25 Oct. 2012 "Thematic areas: Protection." OCHA. Nd November 9, 2012 Gallese, Paul. “Darfur: A Repeat of Rwanda?” BBC News. Network. 23 August 2004. BBC. October 25th. 2012