Talsky Center Hosts Former Commander of UN Peacekeeping Forces in Rwanda

The Lori E. Talsky Center for Human Rights of Women and Children at Michigan State University College of Law hosts Lieutenant-General (Ret’d) The Honorable Roméo A. Dallaire for a presentation titled “Humanitarian Intervention in Rwanda: When an Uncaring World Forsakes Black Lives and Blue Helmets.” The lecture will be held in the Castle Board Room at the Law College Building at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, October 16, 2013.

LGen Dallaire is a Canadian Senator and retired Canadian Army Lieutenant-General. He was commander of the United Nations Peacekeeping Forces in Rwanda prior to and during the 1994 genocide. LGen Dallaire provided the U.N. with information about the looming genocide—which ultimately took more than 800,000 lives in less than 100 days. Yet, the U.N. failed to provide him with the resources or authorization to stop the carnage.

“On the proverbial shoestring, he led a heroic struggle to forge peace between the warring parties in Rwanda,” said Professor Susan H. Bitensky, the Alan S. Zekelman Professor of International Human Rights Law and director of the Talsky Center at MSU Law. “When they refused to be reconciled, he and his troops defied overwhelming odds to rescue and bring humanitarian aid to the Rwandan people.”

LGen Dallaire is the author of two best-selling books. His experiences in Rwanda are detailed in Shake Hands with the Devil: The Failure of Humanity in Rwanda, which provided the basis for an Emmy Award–winning documentary and a major motion picture. His most recent book, They Fight Like Soldiers, They Die Like Children: The Global Quest to Eradicate the Use of Child Soldiers, introduces solutions to eradicate the child soldier phenomenon—a mission to which LGen Dallaire has committed the rest of his life.

The event is free and open to the public. Dinner will be provided at 5:30 p.m.

###