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Stories from Rwanda



It's 25 years since the beginning of the 100 day massacre that left one million Rwandans dead. At the time, I watched helpless and horrified from my home in distant Canada. Today, I am writing this overlooking Rwanda's beautiful hills from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The genocide perpetrated against the Tutsi in Rwanda is what first inspired me to become a peace blogger. The genocide... more

Last comment by Carole on Apr 06, 2019.


This year, Liguorian magazine gave me a dream commission — writing four articles on diverse aspects of peace. We began with an exploration of interfaith peace and ways the Bible embraces the whole world, including people of varying faiths. Next, we ventured into the valley of the shadows of death and terrorism, and saw how the light of God shines even there. Thirdly, we considered how theology... more

Last comment by Carole on Nov 20, 2018.


Reverend Désiré Rutaganda is the Coordinator of the Centre for Documentation and Training in Kigali, Rwanda. This interfaith organisation was established in 1999 to live out the Christian values of peace and reconciliation, which were disappointingly absent from some churches and believers during the genocide perpetrated against the Tutsi in Rwanda. Today, as people of God, they model how peace... more

Last comment by Carole on Jul 04, 2015.


"I’ve covered many wars and seen many acts of courage. But for sheer grit and determination I’ve never known anyone to compare with Captain Mbaye Diagne, a United Nations peacekeeper in Rwanda," said Mark Doyle, an international development correspondent. Armed only with cigarettes and whisky, and an indefatigable sense of humour, Diagne talked his way through numerous checkpoints, transporting... more

Last comment by Carole on Jul 04, 2015.
This month, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM) is attending events in Rwanda and posting news online about the history of the genocide perpetrated against the Tutsi in Rwanda. At numerous points, the story could have gone differently. What if Romeo Dallaire's fax warning the UN of impending violence was heeded? What if the Arusha Accord was implemented? It's extremely painful to... more

Last comment by Carole on Jul 04, 2015.


*/ In 1994, I watched the events of the genocide perpetrated against the Tutsi in Rwanda unfold from my living room in Toronto, Canada. I felt distant from the crisis, insulated, safe, and powerless. At the same time, I was in anguish that people could kill other people, especially those whom they previously called friend. Within one hundred days, over 1,000,000 lives were lost. It seems to me... more

Last comment by Carole on Jul 04, 2015.


Tonight, as I was cooking dinner, I browsed my list of podcasts and chose CBC Ideas. I clicked today's show, and was surprised to hear the voice of my friend, Jean Paul Samputu. Jean Paul Samputu is the man who gives me the most hope of anyone in the world that forgiveness is humanly possible, even after the most vicious atrocities. Jean Paul is Rwandan, and tragically, he lost numerous members... more

Last comment by Carole on Dec 08, 2014.


My name is Josephine Murphy; I am glad to share my story with you because I know that I can use it to touch and change other people's lives. I wouldn't be the same person I am today without the things I have seen in my life. I hope that my story will help others to get stronger for whatever situation they are facing today. My twin sister and I are the 7th and 8th of 10 children not including 3... more

Last comment by Carole on Dec 15, 2010.


Gerald Caplan Globe and Mail Update Friday, Apr. 30, 2010   ...Last week I spoke at a memorial service at Tufts University in Boston. Jewish and Rwandan survivors and the granddaughter of Armenian survivors were joined by a survivor of the Cambodian killing fields for a deeply affecting evening. We first remember the past to honour the victims, and every one of the speakers lost a mind-numbing... more

Last comment by Carole on Apr 30, 2010.