Drew Today

The Truth Seeker

Former Rwandan parliament leader Joseph Sebarenzi speaks at Drew on April 3, urging his country to confront its ethnic conflict

Joseph Sebarenzi left his native Rwanda—country of beauty, country of horror—three times, just to stay alive. His family belonged to the country’s Tutsi minority, and the Hutu majority began periodically killing Tutsi in 1959.

The first time he left, he was only 11. His father sent him across the border to a relative, saying “If we are killed, you will survive.” Two decades later, Sebarenzi fled Rwanda again, fearing more ethnic violence. He was right: Hutu extremists slaughtered 850,000 people during the genocide of 1994, including Joseph’s father, mother and other close relatives. His third exile began in 2000 when, back in Rwanda and a leader in Parliament, he was threatened with death by a political opponent, now the country’s president.

Sebarenzi sought political asylum. He studied conflict resolution, wrote a book about his experience (God Sleeps in Rwanda) and became a U.S. citizen. And yet he would return to Rwanda in a heartbeat, if he could, to spread his vision of reconciliation. He believes the country remains vulnerable to ethnic violence.

“I would love to go back, but we don’t have a good government. The government suppresses ethnicity. It says, ‘We are all Rwandans. Never say, you are Hutu or Tutsi,’” says Sebarenzi, who will speak at Drew April 3 at a benefit lecture sponsored by the Center for Holocaust/Genocide Study. “I don’t share that approach. People were killed on the basis of their ethnicity. A government has to allow people to speak freely, because in their homes and in their small clubs they do talk about their grievances. Keeping anger and hatred inside is dangerous. It also works against our emotional and physical well-being.”

Sebarenzi battled to overcome anger after losing so many relatives and friends. He struggled to understand why the rest of the world did not intervene. And he sought solace and understanding in a new church.

Many believe Rwanda has recovered socially and economically. Sebarenzi acknowledges President Paul Kagame has also aided survivors and brought many of the killers to trial. But he believes more must be done to effect reconciliation between Tutsi and Hutu, some of whom were also victimized during the genocide. “To make sure what happened to our parents and grandparents won’t happen to our children or grandchildren, we need to heal,” he says. “We need to insist on bringing people together and discussing what happened. We need to encourage people to confess, and encourage people to forgive.”—Mary Jo Patterson

Event Information

Joseph Sebarenzi’s 2:00 p.m. lecture in the Dorothy Young Center for the Arts will be preceded by a 1:00 p.m. book signing. The event will also include remarks by community builder and anti-genocide activist Joyce Reilly C’74, a member of the Center for Holocaust/Genocide Study’s Board of Associates, and a performance by the Drew University Ubuntu Pan-African Choir. For tickets and more information, please contact the center at (973) 408-3600 or ctrholst@drew.edu.