At STAND event, an activist recalls Rwandan genocide

Zarmeena Waseem

Contributing Writer

On Friday, Nov. 5, the VCU chapter of Students Taking Action Now: Darfur (STAND) hosted an event featuring anti-genocide activist Carl Wilkens.

Wilkens is the former head of the Adventist Development and Relief Agency International in Rwanda. In 1994, he was the only American remaining in Kigali, Rwanda after the genocide broke out.

Wilkens recalled his first-hand account of life during the Rwandan genocide. He said the first step in fighting violence is to recognize similarities instead of differences.

“To end genocide, we must eradicate the concept of ‘other,'” he said.

Varun Bhasin, president of VCU’s STAND chapter and a Biology sophomore, said the event’s purpose was “to have the audience understand genocide and the prevalent role it plays in human rights.”

The Sikh Students Association at VCU partered with STAND for the event.

Balraj Singh Bajaj, a senior Biology major and member of the Sikh Students Association, said, “We hope to be able to highlight genocide in other parts of the world and the common themes relating one genocide to another. The more sides of a story you get, the more effectively you can raise awareness.”

Despite the dark subject matter, Wilkens’ survivalist message remained positive.

“Surviving is more than just staying alive,” he said. “Surviving is learning how to live again.”