The Greatest Silence and proving I'm not an alien

Lisa Jackson talks about her documentary, The Greatest Silence, in an interview on NPR.
It was powerful to listen to, and amazing (to me) that the conflict gets so little attention even as it is on the scale of an African "World War," a la the allies and axis o'evil back in the first half of the 20th century. In the Congo, 2.5 Million civilians killed in a conflict dragging out over 10 years. You just can't compare the War in Iraq to that; at a rate of 40 Americans killed for the cause per month, it would take 5000 years to reach the same magnitude of the crisis in Africa.

The rape of women is also portrayed in an unusually tragic light. The femicide that's occurring in the region has had cultural repercussions so profound that they have amplified the horrible force of these ragtag, heedless militias. When a woman is raped, her husband considers it an act that's necessary for the good of the country, and won't move to stop it -- but will abandon her and any number of children after she comes to him with the awful truth. Such a husband can easily be remarried, starting again in another village, while many of his first wife's children are conscripted into the militia as child soldiers, as their mother can no longer care for them on her own. They would have had no role models, and would likely experience a world of hurt - who could blame them for wanting to inflict that pain on others in such a morally reckless manner?

Even though I've given most of this interview away, it's still worth a listen, as I'm sure the documentary is rich in emotion while chillingly compelling.

Now, for the reason I'm posting: The documentalist had a great way of normalizing herself in the eyes of her interview subjects. She brought with her pictures of her family and her home and was prepared to be open about her experiences -- especially with rape, the subject of the interview, which she personally experienced.

I think the idea of predicting the differences people will notice about you and working to show them who you are in a quicker, more proactive way is a good idea. Since my service will be relatively short, I won't have the luxury of long friendships here that unfold with the weathering of daily life.