Former United Nations Commander Lt. General Romeo Dallaire To Speak At Georgia Southern

February 4, 2009

Former United Nations Commander Lt. General Romeo Dallaire will speak at the Georgia Southern University Performing Arts Center at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, February 17, 2009.

Dallaire served as the commander of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda and was in command during the Rwandan genocide of 1994. In his book ‘Shake Hands With the Devil: The Failure of Humanity in Rwanda”, Dallaire gives his account of the Rwandan genocide which took 800,000 lives in 100 days. In addition to speaking about his experiences in Rwanda and how he feels the United Nations and world reacted to the crisis, Dallaire’s presentation at Georgia Southern University will focus on the many challenges facing today’s peacekeepers around the world. Dallaire’s presentation is free and open to the public.

After retiring from his U.N. command and the Canadian military, Dallaire began a career as a member of the Canadian Senate and became a renowned expert and acclaimed speaker on human rights and genocide prevention. He was appointed a Fellow of the Carr Center for Human Rights Policy, Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University where he researched conflict resolution and the use of child soldiers. Dallaire’s humanitarian efforts have been recognized around the world and he has been honored with the Officer of the Order of Canada (2002), Grand Officer of the National Order of Quebec (2005), and received the Aegis Award for Genocide Prevention from the Aegis Trust.

Dallaire’s visit to Georgia Southern University is sponsored by the Department of Writing and Linguistics with support from the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management, Campus Life Enrichment Committee, Office of the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, Office of the Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Center for Africana Studies, Department of History, Center for International Studies, Multi-Cultural Student Center, Department of Political Science, University Honors Program, Center for Women’s and Gender Studies, Department of Sociology and Anthropology, STAND, Amnesty International, ROTC, Department of Geography and Geology, and First Year Experience.

Georgia Southern University, a Carnegie Doctoral/Research University, offers 116 degree programs serving nearly 18,000 students. Through eight colleges, the University offers bachelors, masters, and doctoral degree programs built on more than a century of academic achievement. The University, one of Georgia’s largest, is a top choice of Georgia’s HOPE scholars and is recognized for its student-centered approach to education. – See more at: https://ww2.georgiasouthern.edu/news/pressrelease.php?id=1760#sthash.j767eoiF.dpuf