By Joseph Sebarenzi, Ph.D. This month, we celebrate the contributions of African-Americans to our nation- including the millions of African-American soldiers who courageously served in the United States military from the Civil War up to the present war against terrorism. But in a speech I gave last week in Washington, D.C., I chose to highlight […]
Revenge Keeps Conflict Going
Revenge keeps a conflict going, putting at risk future generations. Interethnic violence in Rwanda started small in the late 1950s, but because Rwandans responded to violence with violence, the conflict escalated over time, leading to genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. Martin Luther King, Jr., understood the wickedness of violence. He said that the […]
The Right to Return Home is an Inalienable Right
By denying Father Thomas Nahimana—and his fellow Rwandans—to return to his country of birth and citizenship, the government of Rwanda led by President Paul Kagame may have violated Article 3 (2) of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). The article states, “Everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own, and to […]
Happy New Year
I am pleased to send you my best wishes for the New Year 2012. All the best to you, your family, and all your loved ones! Keep in touch. Joseph Sebarenzi’s family
15 years of peacebuilding…and counting…
The Conflict Transformation across Cultures-CONTACT program started in 1997 with fourteen participants. Today, CONTACT has hundreds of alumni from all over the world. “When I was looking at the world map with my daughter, I discovered how great CONTACT was. I told her that I know people from everywhere. I know all these countries now, […]
God Sleeps in Rwanda published in the UK
God Sleeps in Rwanda is published in the United Kingdom under a slightly different title: God Sleeps in Rwanda: A Personal Journey of Transformation. This is a paperback with a different cover and colors: Click the image to visit Amazon UK to purchase the book.
Joseph Sebarenzi on CNN
Mr. Sebarenzi appeared on CNN in New York on November 18, 2009, and argued among other things that: “Instead of having a president that is too powerful, (Rwanda) should have a powerful parliament, judiciary, and a civil society”, he said. Author Philip Gourevitch, who wrote a prize-winning account of the massacres, “We Wish To Inform […]
Washington Post reviews God Sleeps in Rwanda
On Nov. 22, the Washington Post published a review of God Sleeps in Rwanda by Stephen Kinzer, author of “A Thousand Hills: Rwanda’s Rebirth and the Man Who Dreamed It.” In his memoir, “God Sleeps in Rwanda,” Joseph Sebarenzi presents a thoughtful critique of Kagame’s regime. His tale is a provocative warning to the many […]
Rwanda: Heeding History’s Lessons Before It’s Too Late
When it comes to doing business, Rwanda is the African nation to watch. The 2009 World Bank Doing Business report hailed the central African nation for its extensive fiscal and economic reforms aimed at attracting foreign investments. Rwanda has also been praised for its quick recovery after the 1994 genocide that cost nearly 1 million […]