A Rwanda native who was credited with saving the lives of hundreds during the tribal genocide of 1994, visited the Twin Cities on Saturday with a message about the power of words.
Paul Rusesabagina, who sheltered 1,268 refugees at a hotel he managed during the 100-day Rwandan genocide, served as keynote speaker at the Multicultural Leadership Program class of 2012 graduation dinner Saturday. Rusesabagina is the real-life hero of the 2004 film “Hotel Rwanda.”
Rusesabagina, 58, shared the lessons he learned from the Rwandan genocide that resulted in the slaughter of up to 800,000 people. He hopes that others will learn from his story and take action to improve situations that are unjust, he said.
He said his most important message is the power of dialogue in solving conflict. And using words to raise awareness can have a big impact, he said.
“Sometimes we believe that because they have guns and missiles, they are strong,” Rusesabagina said. “But life has taught me that the best tool that we have is our words.”
By raising awareness regarding injustices in the world, residents can find solutions, he said. Because little is known regarding many human rights violations taking place across the globe, Rusesabagina formed the Hotel Rwanda Rusesabagina Foundation, an international nonprofit that works to raise awareness.
Denise Younge, a Bloomington resident who serves on the board of the Multicultural Leadership Program, said it was inspiring to meet Rusesabagina.
“He is someone who was moved to do the right thing … that stands out to me, that’s courage,” Younge said.
She said Rusesabagina’s lessons can be applied here to improve the future of young people and families who are struggling with employment and housing.
Sonya Chu Mau, executive director for Multicultural Leadership Program, said the program aims to encourage students to discover where their passions lie.
“The dream is that now that they know themselves better, they will follow their passions and serve the community,” Chu Mau said.
Some of the main issues facing the community here are financial challenges among nonprofit groups, Chu Mau said. And finding low-cost solutions is among the main goals for the leaders, she added.
The leadership program, now in its third year, was established as a way of bringing together diverse residents to work toward solutions for issues facing the community. Up to 23 participants from McLean County graduated from the program at DoubleTree by Hilton in Bloomington.
Rusesabagina encouraged residents here to follow their internal guidance.
“We have to listen to ourselves as leaders and always believe that our best adviser will be no one but you,” Rusesabagina said.
Rusesabagina now lives in Belgium with his wife. He travels the globe to encourage others to take action. He also talks about the conflict that still exists in the country he fled back in 1996.
“Rwanda today is a dormant volcano,” Rusesabagina said. “In Rwanda we changed the dancer, but the music always remains the same.”
