Tammer Abiyu shares his recent experience visiting the Rwanda Genocide Memorial in Kigali and summarizes the history of the 1994 Rwandan Genocide. He opens up about the impact of visiting a mass grave of 250,000 victims and reflects on how little he learned about the Rwandan Genocide while growing up in the U.S.. Tammer then explains the historical and political context for the recent campaign of ethnic cleansing that has been going on in the Tigray region of Ethiopia since 2020. He reflects on the lack of American media coverage of Tigray and compares that to the extensive media coverage of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Tammer also shares his thoughts on the recent Tigray peace agreement that was signed in Nairobi in November 2022. He then takes us on the journey of how and why he developed his political consciousness. Tammer shares tips on finding information outside the mainstream U.S. media, and reflects on the importance of being a politically conscious world traveler. Finally, he explains why he continues to travel and shares what travel means to him today. FULL SHOW NOTES AVAILABLE AT: www.TheMaverickShow.com
Episode #212: Reflecting on African Genocides from Rwanda to Tigray, and Becoming a Politically Conscious World Traveler with Tammer Abiyu
Episode Summary
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About the Guest
Tammer Abiyu
Tammer Abiyu is a self-taught software engineer and co-founder of the software startup, Bedrock. Born in New Jersey to an Ethiopian immigrant family, he has a degree from Yale, and has been a full time digital nomad since 2017. He has now been to 57 countries and he speaks Japanese, Spanish, and French.
What You'll Learn
- The political and historical context for the 1994 genocide in Rwanda
- The dynamics of the current ethnic cleansing campaign in Tigray, Ethiopia and the lack of American media coverage
- Tips for becoming a more politically conscious traveler
Links From the Episode
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#1 BOOK THAT TAMMER RECOMMENDS
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LOCATION WHERE THE INTERVIEW TOOK PLACE
TOP 3 TRAVEL DESTINATIONS
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OTHER PLACES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
- Brazil
- Cape Town
- Tigray, Ethiopia
- Germany
- Kilimanjaro
- India
- Kigali, Rwanda
- Uganda
- Ukraine
- Namibia
- Medellin, Colombia
CONTACT TAMMER
Time Stamped Show Notes
**Click the time stamp to jump directly to that point in the episode.
[1:51] The History and Context for the Rwandan Genocide
[11:04] Visiting a Mass Grave of 250,000 Victims of the Rwandan Genocide
[12:08] The German Genocide in Southwest Africa (30 Years Before the Nazi Holocaust)
[14:43] Present Day Ethnic Cleansing in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia
[19:34] Lack of American Media Coverage of Ethnic Cleansing in Tigray
[21:56] American Media Coverage of the Conflict in Ukraine vs. Tigray
[23:54] The Humanitarian Impact of the Ethiopian Government’s Blockade of the Tigray Region
[25:59] The November 2022 Tigray Peace Agreement Negotiated in Nairobi
[27:58] How and Why Tammer Developed His Political Consciousness
[34:45] How To Find Political and Historical Information Outside the Mainstream Media
[37:44] Developing Awareness of the Palestinian Struggle against Israeli Colonialism
[40:30] Learning About Different Political Struggles from Both Locals and Other Travelers
[42:05] What Travel Means to Tammer
[44:51] The Lightning Round
[53:34] Contact and Follow Tammer
