Sadly, I was unable to attend this event because we were protesting the Family Research Council event at the time this was happening. I would have loved to have been there for this talk.
'Hotel Rwanda' hero seeks public's help
Rusesabagina now has aid foundation
By Scheri Smith
ssmith@courier-journal.com
The Courier-Journal
Paul Rusesabagina, who sheltered 1,200 people in a hotel during the Rwandan genocide in the 1990s and who is portrayed in the movie "Hotel Rwanda," urged a Louisville audience yesterday to be aware of conflicts in Africa.
Rusesabagina, who now lives in Belgium and runs a trucking company, managed a luxury hotel in Rwanda in 1994 when his country erupted in bloody conflict between Tutsi and Hutu tribes.
Among those he sheltered in the hotel were his wife and three children.
Rusesabagina said that even though Hutu militants were slaughtering their Tutsi neighbors, the rest of the world paid little attention.
"We saw the international community closing eyes, closing ears, turning backs and then running away," he said.
"The whole country was shaking."
In Rwanda, a small Central African nation, about 1 million people were killed in the 100-day slaughter organized by the Hutu government then in power.
People filled nearly all the 2,400 seats in the Kentucky Center's Whitney Hall to hear Rusesabagina's story. The free event had to be moved from a smaller venue to the center to accommodate the demand, said Craig Buthod, director of the Louisville Free Public Library.
The library sponsored the event, and it was funded by the United Parcel Service Foundation and the Library Foundation.
Rusesabagina drew the largest crowd in the history of library events, Buthod said.
Louisville Metro Mayor Jerry Abramson, who also spoke, called Rusesabagina a true hero.
"How exciting it is to see a crowd of this size for a library lecture," Abramson said.
"The speaker's story connects us to the global community."
In addition to relating his experience, Rusesabagina told the audience about his current work.
He established the Hotel Rwanda Rusesabagina Foundation to provide support, education and other charitable services for the survivors of the violence in Rwanda.
More information on his efforts can be found online at www.rusesabaginafoundation.org.
"Africa needs you," Rusesabagina told the crowd. "It's not only food, and it is not only clothes. We need you to help us finish up with those conflicts."
Audrey Beasley, a retired teacher who lives in eastern Jefferson County, said she was impressed.
"You hear about heroes, but this man is truly, truly a hero," she said.
Helen Haury, a social worker with the Jefferson County Public Schools who lives in Middletown, said the speech was "very moving."
"We all can make a difference, and we all matter," Haury said. "Where were we in 1994?"
Rusesabagina said that in order to help prevent genocide in any country, communication is crucial.
"I believe in peace which will be the result of a dialogue, and so far there is no dialogue in Africa," he said. "In order to heal such wounds, people have got to talk. The best thing, I believe, is to share such a burden."
http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.d...mplate=printart