Africa Great Lakes Democracy Watch: 'Hotel Rwanda' Hero to Share His Story at UCF

Rusesabagina, the manager of a luxury hotel, sheltered more than 1,200 people during the Rwandan genocide.

By Mark Freeman UCF NEWSROOM Feb. 10, 2011

Humanitarian Paul Rusesabagina, the real-life hero from the film “Hotel Rwanda,” will speak at the University of Central Florida on Tuesday, Feb. 15.

Rusesabagina’s presentation, “Hotel Rwanda: A Lesson Yet to Be Learned,” will begin at 3 p.m. in the Pegasus Ballroom of the Student Union. The event, organized by the UCF Global Perspectives Office, is free and open to the public.

For two months, Rusesabagina watched his country fall into the grips of genocide in 1994. A Hutu manager of a luxury hotel in Rwanda, he sheltered more than 1,200 people, including his own Tutsi wife and children, saving their lives at a time when extremists massacred more than 800,000 members of the Tutsi and moderate Hutu tribes in just 100 days.

Considered the “Rwandan Schindler,” his story and that of the genocide are chronicled in the critically acclaimed film “Hotel Rwanda,” an account of a man finding courage within himself to save others in the midst of his country’s darkest moment.

In addition to the Global Perspectives Office, sponsors of Rusesabagina’s presentation include the UCF Student Government Association, The Sibille H. Pritchard Global Peace Fellowship program, Lawrence J. Chastang and the Chastang Foundation, LarsonAllen LLP, the UCF Political Science Department, the UCF Global Peace and Security Studies Program, the UCF Office of Diversity Initiatives, the UCF International Services Center, UCF LIFE and the Global Connections Foundation.
For a full list of upcoming events or to learn more about the Global Perspectives Office, visit http://ucfglobalperspectives.org or follow the office on Twitter at http://twitter.com/UCF_Global.

UCF Stands For Opportunity: The University of Central Florida is a metropolitan research university that ranks as the 2nd largest in the nation with more than 56,000 students. UCF's first classes were offered in 1968. The university offers impressive academic and research environments that power the region's economic development. UCF's culture of opportunity is driven by our diversity, Orlando environment, history of entrepreneurship and our youth, relevance and energy. For more information visit http://news.ucf.edu.

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