Lt.-Gen. (Ret.) and Senator Roméo Dallaire will give a public talk this week at the University of Waterloo.
WATERLOO, Ont. (Monday, March 14, 2011) - Lt.-Gen. (Ret.) and Senator Roméo Dallaire, who commanded the UN forces in Rwanda during the genocide of 1994, will give a public talk this week at the University of Waterloo.
Dallaire will deliver the arts student union’s 2011 keynote lecture on Friday at 7 p.m. in the Humanities Theatre, located in the J. G. Hagey Hall of the Humanities.
"We hope the Honourable Roméo Dallaire inspires students to be vocal about the things they believe in, while at the same time teaching about the responsibility and humility he is famous for," said Robert Fry, president of the arts student union. "Students will hear about his experience with international affairs, leadership, conflict resolution and human rights. He will provide students with an image of humanity in the world, one that is crucial to the aspiring leaders that the University of Waterloo fosters."
Dallaire was a senior Canadian military officer when he was named commander of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda in 1993.
The central African country had emerged from civil war and the task of the UN mission was to ensure peace. But extreme violence broke out in early 1994 and Dallaire and his relatively small peacekeeping force found themselves unable to stop the massacre.
Dallaire documented the horrific story, including the failure of the international community to stop the genocide, in his book, Shake Hands With the Devil, winner of the Governor General's Award for Non-Fiction.
Recently, Dallaire was appointed to the Senate of Canada and published his latest work, They Fight Like Soldiers, They Die Like Children.
Tickets are $30 for arts students, $35 for others, at the box office, 519-888-4908.
About Waterloo
The University of Waterloo, located at the heart of Canada's Technology Triangle, is one of Canada's leading comprehensive universities. Waterloo is home to 30,000 full- and part-time undergraduate and graduate students who are dedicated to making the future better and brighter. Waterloo, known for the largest post-secondary co-operative education program in the world, supports enterprising partnerships in learning, research and discovery.For more information about Waterloo, visit www.uwaterloo.ca.
Contacts:
Robert Fry, president, arts student union, 226-220-8028 or robertfry@gmail.com
John Morris, Waterloo media relations, 519-888-4435 or john.morris@uwaterloo.ca
Waterloo news release no. 13
