On November 28th Lt. Gen. Romeo Dallaire spoke to over 500 people at the Chicago Public Library, Harold Washington Center. Dallaire, Force Commander of the United Nations Assistance Mission to Rwanda during the Rwandan genocide, shared a stirring account of his experiences in Rwanda and the failure of the international community to stop the genocide. Dallaire also discussed the necessity for the international community to intervene in current humanitarian crises such as Sudan and develop models for preventing future conflicts. He called upon the entire audience to take a more active role in African affairs.
Following his speech, three senior students from ACT
Charter School joined Dallaire on stage and asked him questions about
his experiences in Rwanda and how understanding the Rwandan Genocide
relates to the current situation in Sudan.
The event was part of a national series offered by The
Allstate Foundation and Facing History during 2006-2007 which feature
prominent scholars, authors, filmmakers and policy leaders addressing
issues of tolerance, civic engagement, and individual and collective
responsibility.