Honorary degree citation - Roméo Dallaire

By: Frank Chalk, June 2013

Mr. Chancellor, it is my honour to present to you Roméo Dallaire, Senator, distinguished Canadian, humanitarian, author, lecturer and national treasure.

You have no doubt been struck by his charismatic leadership—in 1994, he commanded the United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda (UNAMIR) and, refusing to abandon his post, saved thousands of Tutsis from genocide.

General Dallaire’s experiences in Rwanda are the subject of his book, Shake Hands with the Devil: The Failure of Humanity in Rwanda, awarded the Governor General's Literary Award for Non-Fiction in 2004 and the basis of a full-length feature film.

Medically released in 2000 from the Canadian Forces due to post-traumatic stress disorder incurred in Rwanda near the conclusion of a distinguished career in the Canadian military, Lieutenant-General Dallaire rose again, like the proverbial Phoenix, to fight another day.

As Senator Dallaire, he is dedicating himself to preventing genocide, banning the use of child soldiers, and helping a new generation of soldiers reduce the risk of PTSD.

In pursuit of the