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 »
Category: Survivors’ Rights
Claims and contentions
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 »
Passover
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 »
Speaking out
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 »
Acknowledgement
There are two pieces of news that I share with you, both an acknowledgement of the work of SURF and our partners. At the 64th General Assembly of the United Nations last month, a resolution was adopted calling for the … Continue Reading »
Advocacy by and for survivors
Advocacy, which I write about in our new annual report, underpins the work of SURF. It is critical to raise awareness of the situation of survivors in Rwanda today, and to secure greater support to enable survivors to rebuild their lives. International … Continue Reading »
Reading of the Testimonies 2009
SURF is planning to stage a Reading of the Testimonies at the Whitechapel Gallery on Sunday 12th July 2009 from midday to 4pm to mark the 15th anniversary of the end of the Rwandan Genocide. We are hoping that supporters will join … Continue Reading »
Raising awareness of survivors
SURF is fortunate to receive many requests from the media for comment and interviews on the situation of survivors in Rwanda today. Besides some of the more high profile media – such as the BBC, CNN and Al Jazeera – we also … Continue Reading »
Survivors and justice
Justice for survivors of the Rwandan genocide remains a priority for SURF. Our programme agenda is determined by our partners, local survivors’ organisations, and the issue that is most pressing for them – and thus for us – is justice. … Continue Reading »
Rwanda 15 Years On
Yesterday marked the 15th Anniversary of the Rwandan genocide, with events staged worldwide to remember the one million victims , and the four hundred thousand survivors, of the genocide. SURF helped organise a commemoration at the United Nations in New York … Continue Reading »