Paul Rusesabagina at the World of Women for World Peace Conference

WASHINGTON - Oct. 29, 2013 - PRLog -- Monday in Washington, D.C., Paul Rusesabagina, President of the Hotel Rwanda Rusesabagina Foundation, talked about the critical role of women to the peace process globally.  He said, “Women bear the brunt of war yet rarely do they start them. In Rwanda during genocide I saw this. In the Congo today I see this.”

Rusesabagina’s remarks came during Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson’s “A World of Women for World Peace” annual conference at the U. S. Capitol Visitor Center.

Rusesabagina was joined by a stellar group of women peace activists from around the Globe including: Jean Kissell of WADAN, Miki Kashtan of Bay Area Noviolent Communication, Gulalai Ismail of Aware Girls in Pakistan, Pamela Aall of the US Institute for Peace, Otumba Basirat Nahibi - Niasse of WAELE, Zainab Bangura the Special Representative of the UN Secretary General on Sexual Violence in Conflict, and Maryam Rashid of Afghan Education for a Better Tomorrow.

Rusesabagina continued, “We have tried solving conflicts with men as peacekeepers. It has not worked very well. Maybe it is the time to start using women as peacemakers and as peacekeepers.”

He concluded, “Today I think the world needs to look to the women for solutions. Not only for solutions to the end of war, but,  solutions to rebuild society in a peaceful, sustainable way. We need to rethink how are governments work. We need to look at power-sharing rather than constant fighting. We need women to be the peacemakers, the peacekeepers and the peacebuilders.”

Paul Rusesabagina the President of The Hotel Rwanda Rusesabagina Foundation, www.hrrfoundation.org, is the real life hero of the acclaimed film Hotel Rwanda. Rusesabagina, portrayed by Don Cheadle in the film, saved the lives of more than 1200 people during the Rwandan genocide and has been honored internationally for his heroism. The Foundation works to prevent future genocides and raise awareness of the need for a new truth and reconciliation process in Rwanda and the Great Lakes Region of Africa to stop the violence occurring there today.

Building on the lessons learned from the Rwandan genocide, the Hotel Rwanda Rusesabagina Foundation strives to promote an understanding of the dangerous conditions which lead to misunderstanding, hatred, and violence–the seeds of future genocides.

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