OAKWOOD - A former African official who fled from terror and genocide in his country told Gainesville State College students Wednesday that forgiveness and reconciliation is the only true path to peace.
Joseph Sebarenzi from Rwanda said until his countrymen and government leaders learn that revenge is not the answer, there could be more violence in the nation where a 1994 genocide killed 800,000 people in 90 days.
Sebarenzi said the United Nations failed to intervene and head off the mass slaughter of Tutsis tribes people, largely at the hands of the Hutus tribal extremists.
"Right now we have what I call negative peace," Sebarenzi said. "Underneath the surface there is hatred that could translate into violence at any time."
The former speaker of the Rwandan parliament said he lost most of his family in the 1994 genocide.
Sebarenzi said his reform efforts led to an assassination attempt against him that forced him to leave the country and relocate to the United States.
He said his message to the students is that forgiveness is a gift you give to yourself.
"If I can move toward forgiveness despite what I went through, they can also embrace forgiveness in their lives," Sebarenzi said.
Sebarenzi appeared at GSC as a guest speaker in the continuing Colloquium Series program.
Thursday
October 17th, 2024
11:25AM
