As the media looks to the sky for a cosmic event today, governments should look inward to remember their roles in the Rwandan genocide. It has been 30 years since the start of 100 days of torture, sexual assault, and murder in Rwanda. What have political leaders implemented in the three decades since the conclusion of that genocide to prevent mass violence and ethnic cleansing? The lessons from Rwanda have started to feel more like faint echoes instead of righteous calls to action to prevent crimes against humanity. Nowhere are those seemingly ignored lessons more apparent than in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). 

April 22 is Earth Day and Girl Friday will focus on the connection between conflict and environmental degradation. Around the world there is evidence that violent conflicts destroy wildlife. Land mines, deforestation, and poaching for profits are just a few root causes. In Virunga National Park, Africa's oldest protected park, decades of conflicts and environmental concerns continue unabated. What can we do to help the Rangers of Virunga National Park?