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Lighting a candle for Rwanda

2009-03-15 · John · watch on YouTube · World affairs · advocacy activism

Jet-lagged in Holland, John marks the Rwandan genocide's 15th anniversary by arguing that opposing genocide is easy but still important, and that Rwandans abandoned as 'a them' should hear 'you are us'; he asks Nerdfighters to film candle-of-hope videos with the Harry Potter Alliance.

What is said

00:00:00 — Sleep-deprived arrival in Holland; Amsterdam Nerdfighter gathering reminder

  • ★ John says he has just arrived in Holland without sleep for 34 hours and is filming, confused, in the world's smallest hotel bathroom. (playful) — 00:00:00 · Netherlands
  • ★★ John reminds viewers of an Amsterdam Nerdfighter gathering on Thursday night at 7 o'clock at De Jaren, with more information in the sidebar. — 00:00:00 · Amsterdam, Nerdfighteria

00:00:24 — 15th anniversary of the Rwandan genocide: opposing genocide is easy but important; abandonment; 'you are not them, you are us'; alliance with the Harry Potter Alliance

  • ★★ John says this year marks the 15th anniversary of the Rwandan genocide. — 00:00:24
  • ★★ Rather than recounting the genocide, John tells Nerdfighters to read the first Brotherhood 2.0 book club book, 'We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed with Our Families'. — 00:00:24 · Nerdfighter Book Club, Nerdfighteria
  • ★★★ John says everyone opposes genocide, which makes that opposition obvious, uncomplicated and easy, but it is still important. — 00:00:24
  • ★★★ John says that 15 years ago the US, the UN and Europe got almost all of 'our people' out of Rwanda unharmed, leaving the hundreds of thousands killed to conclude they were 'a them'. — 00:00:54 · United States, Europe
  • ★★★ John says it seems valuable, 15 years later, to tell Rwandans 'you are not them, you are us', acknowledging their loss and sharing hope for their country's future. (hedged) — 00:01:23
  • ★★★ John announces Nerdfighteria and the Harry Potter Alliance will make many videos for Rwandans, posted on CandlesForRwanda.org, some played at a big ceremony in Rwanda on April 7. — 00:01:23 · Nerdfighteria, The Harry Potter Alliance

00:01:52 — How to make and send a candle-of-hope video for Rwanda; Amsterdam video promise; sign-off

  • ★★★ John's steps: get a real candle (his remote control is a stand-in; mind fire safety), film yourself giving name, age and country and lighting a candle of hope for Rwanda, hold it silently 5-10 seconds, send via YouSendIt. — 00:01:52 · The Harry Potter Alliance
  • ★★ John hopes Hank and many Nerdfighters will light a candle for Rwanda and send in videos, and says he will too as soon as he has a candle. — 00:02:21 · Nerdfighteria
  • ★★ John says he will see many Nerdfighters in Amsterdam on Thursday and promises an Amsterdam video by the end of the week. — 00:02:21 · Amsterdam, Nerdfighteria

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