EPISODE · Feb 9, 2026 · 14 MIN
Witness: Bearing Truth in History and Self (Part 2)
from Can I Have a Word? | Culture, Identity & the Power of Language
"Witness" is a continuation of "Reckoning"—but this time, the work moves from accounting to presence.In this episode, I take you to Rwanda, a country forever shaped by the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi. Walking through memorials, listening to survivors’ stories, and sitting with the weight of what happened here demands a different kind of attention—one that cannot rush, explain away, or turn suffering into abstraction.To witness history is not simply to learn it. It is to allow the truth of what happened to stand—without flinching, without turning away, and without placing distance between “then” and “now.”As I try to navigate Rwanda's history with both care and honesty, I’m confronted with the ways I’ve avoided being a full witness to my own story—the parts I’ve minimized, softened, or left unnamed. This episode explores what it means to stay present with truth, even when it’s uncomfortable, and how bearing witness—collectively and personally—becomes an act of responsibility rather than observation.This is not a travelogue.It’s about the moment witnessing history makes avoiding your own impossible.Production TeamHost/Creator - Carl JamesLead Engineer - Josh WilcoxEditor - Walter NordquistLogo Design - Stephanie CardenasMusic - Yennaedo Balloo Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
What this episode covers
"Witness" is a continuation of "Reckoning"—but this time, the work moves from accounting to presence.In this episode, I take you to Rwanda, a country forever shaped by the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi. Walking through memorials, listening to survivors’ stories, and sitting with the weight of what happened here demands a different kind of attention—one that cannot rush, explain away, or turn suffering into abstraction.To witness history is not simply to learn it. It is to allow the truth of what happened to stand—without flinching, without turning away, and without placing distance between “then” and “now.”As I try to navigate Rwanda's history with both care and honesty, I’m confronted with the ways I’ve avoided being a full witness to my own story—the parts I’ve minimized, softened, or left unnamed. This episode explores what it means to stay present with truth, even when it’s uncomfortable, and how bearing witness—collectively and personally—becomes an act of responsibility rather than observation.This is not a travelogue.It’s about the moment witnessing history makes avoiding your own impossible.Production TeamHost/Creator - Carl JamesLead Engineer - Josh WilcoxEditor - Walter NordquistLogo Design - Stephanie CardenasMusic - Yennaedo Balloo Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Witness: Bearing Truth in History and Self (Part 2)
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