Posted by William Nunnelley on 2009-04-17

Samford will host a three-day program, "Remembering Rwanda," Monday-Wednesday, April 20-22, to honor the memory of 1994 genocide victims in the central African country. More than 800,000 men, women and children were murdered in the tragedy.

Carl Wilkens, former head of the Adventist Development and Relief Agency International in Rwanda, will speak on "Witness to Genocide" Tuesday, April 21, at 7:30 p.m. in Reid Chapel. He was the only American who chose to remain in Rwanda after the massacre began. His efforts are credited with saving hundreds of children from the massacre.

"The Ghosts of Rwanda," a documentary film, will be shown Monday, April 20, at 7 p.m. in Christenberry Planetarium. "Shake Hands with the Devil," a documentary film based on the experiences of United Nations Peacekeeping Force commander Romeo Dallaire, will be shown Wednesday, April 22, in the planetarium.

All the activities are free. Part of the Project Africa Now series, the program is co-sponsored by the Samford Student Government Association, Howard College of Arts and Sciences and Greater Birmingham Chapter of the United Nations Association.

 
Samford is a leading Christian university offering undergraduate programs grounded in the liberal arts with an array of nationally recognized graduate and professional schools. Founded in 1841, Samford is the 87th-oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. Samford enrolls 5,791 students from 49 states, Puerto Rico and 16 countries in its 10 academic schools: arts, arts and sciences, business, divinity, education, health professions, law, nursing, pharmacy and public health. Samford fields 17 athletic teams that compete in the tradition-rich Southern Conference and ranks 6th nationally for its Graduation Success Rate among all NCAA Division I schools.