Supporting Survivors of the Genocide Against the Tutsi in Rwanda |
Last week, SURF’s partner organisations had the opportunity to meet and question the Right Honourable Andrew Mitchell, Secretary of State for International Development on the policy of the UK Department for International Development. In preparing for that meeting, we discussed … Continue Reading »
Left without the legal protection of husbands after the ugly bloodletting of 1994, fifty women stood together in Rwanda to form AVEGA Agahzo, the Association of Widows of the Genocide, and 17 years later they are still helping one another … Continue Reading »
A new UN report published today calls for reparations for victims of sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) as “a matter of priority”. The 55-page report is a fascinating read, not only for the conclusion that it … Continue Reading »
In a speech today at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, President Paul Kagame spoke on “The Challenges of Nation-building in Africa.” He focused on Rwanda, and in so doing referred to the legacy of the genocide: And so when … Continue Reading »
Over recent months, there has been a number of articles on the prevalence and politics of genocide denial, both in Rwanda as well as internationally too. Survivors Fund (SURF) along with its partner organisations strives to raise awareness of the genocide … Continue Reading »
SURF was founded with an objective to raise funding internationally for survivors of the genocide in Rwanda. In her memoir, You Alone May Live, SURF Founder, Mary Kayitesi Blewitt, recalls her first few months of work on her return from … Continue Reading »
In previous posts I have addressed the issue of forgiveness in Rwanda, but I wanted to post again following a superb lecture I attended yesterday by Archbishop Desmond Tutu on “Is violence ever justified?” The lecture was followed by a panel … Continue Reading »
A number of articles of late have raised awareness of the lack of support that survivors in Rwanda have received, and continue to receive, from international development agencies. In yesterday’s Observer, there is a fascinating profile of the Dutch writer Linda … Continue Reading »
Tonight marks the Jewish festival of Passover, the remembrance of the emancipation of the Jewish people from slavery and persecution in Egypt. This festival continues to have relevance today. In relation to Rwanda, there are a couple of parallels that … Continue Reading »
I was fortunate to undertake a course whilst studying at New York University with Irshad Manji, Founder of the Moral Courage Project. Moral Courage is “the willingness to speak truth to power and risk backlash for a greater good.” There … Continue Reading »