International Symposium on the Genocide Against Tutsi (Day 1)

One of my main reasons for returning to Rwanda when I did was to attend the International Symposium on the Genocide Against Tutsi. Since I was there (and was relatively attentive), I decided to take informal conference notes. It occurred to me that someone might be interested in what was said, so I have decided to post them here. Days 2 and 3 are long.

My usual string of caveats: I recorded what I heard as faithfully as possible. I listened to the translator when presentations were made in Kinyarwanda, but not for presentations in French; those I took notes from directly. My notes can be kind of messy, but I tried to make them as logical as possible. :)

I am posting them by day of the conference!

International Symposium on the Genocide Against Tutsi: “15 Years after the Genocide against Tutsi in Rwanda. Stakes, Challenges, and Future Prospects.”

April 4, 2009

Aegis Trust showed a documentary on the genocide called “Hoping for a Home.”

Launch of the "One Dollar Campaign" that will run for 100 days and will help to build homes for genocide orphans. Build a hostel for them during the holidays because they are embarrassed when their friends and other students leave for the holidays but they have to stay at school because they don’t have family. One girl at university described how her fellow students packed and left, and she also packed and walked around as if she, too, was leaving, because she was too embarrassed by the thought that she had nowhere to go.

Idea was generated because many young women survivors were found to have prostituted themselves in order to earn money, and their school marks had been suffering so they couldn’t get into university. So hostels were created for them so they had a place to go and they also had tutoring. From that, people thought to create a hostel for the genocide youth.

Chose one dollar because every Rwandan can give one dollar.

Run by the Rwandese diaspora. Also called “Agaseke” after the Rwandan baskets. www.1dollarcampaign.org.