Roméo Dallaire

Senator Dallaire came to prominence for his role as Commander of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda. His troubling experiences there have influenced his life and career choices since then, including the decision to write his award-winning account of the Rwanda genocide, Shake Hands with the Devil: the Failure of Humanity in Rwanda.

Loyola Alumni Association President Jim Donaldson gave Senator Dallaire the award in the Loyola High School Atrium before about 150 guests, and President Claude Lajeunesse welcomed him into the Concordia family. Dallaire recently became a senior fellow of Concordia’s Montreal Institute for Genocide and Human Rights Studies (MIGS).

In his acceptance speech, he mentioned that his mother, Catherine, was a long-time Concordia staff member. He also talked about the importance of the UN Advisory Committee on Genocide Prevention, to which he was appointed earlier this year.

Following the reception, Dallaire delivered his first lecture as a MIGS senior fellow. He said classic warfare, with armies fighting armies, is becoming outdated. Canada and other nations face grave geopolitical challenges, including the current crisis in Darfur.