Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  They have been very active in reconciliation, obviously. There has been a lot that's happened on an individual basis. Even in the work we have been doing with HOPEthiopia Rwanda, we have been connected with their commission on truth and reconciliation. I don't know what I can say

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  Oh my, you're asking me a political question here. From what I have seen, my observation would be that I think justice was served as well as it could be, given the number of perpetrators in this nation. I could probably speak more to the gacaca courts that were held here, which w

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  I totally agree with you, 100%, on that. It doesn't make any sense that these children have absolutely no benefits. They are a burden to everyone. That would be the perception, and that should not be the case. Personally I don't think it makes any sense that they do not have the

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  Yes. I think that would be very wise, actually, to encourage parliamentarians here to make a move to have these children cared for as well. The Rwandan government, from what I've seen, is obviously financially strapped, and they have even cut back on some of the benefits for g

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  There is a huge movement of diaspora groups back into Rwanda. There are a lot of people who have been returning. If you're wondering about Congolese refugees, there were a lot who came two years ago, and there were a lot who were speaking Kinyarwanda, so I suspect that many of

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  We have had five graduating classes from our sewing school in conjunction with another local NGO called the Tubahumurize Association, which means “let us console them”. We have a Rwandese counsellor who works with the women every day. She's a full-time counsellor. The women wh

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  I think you've hit all of the major issues. Absolutely, education is a priority. Education is free in this nation but there are school fees that still need to be paid, so it's still inaccessible to many. Health care is also a huge need for these individuals. Partly, these child

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  That is a very good question. I am from Calgary, Alberta, and we do have an active Rwandan community, which has also welcomed a lot of Burundians as well. Other than that community itself I am not aware of other groups within Canada that can provide such assistance.

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  Oh, my goodness. The needs are vastly different, yet very similar, too. The woman herself, of course, has experienced the trauma. She is suffering from some form of post-traumatic stress disorder and then often literally slips out of reality and will fall into dissociative disord

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  Their experience prior to...?

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  Yes, I believe it is changing because there has been a strong effort to educate. Some people are more understanding of the situation of women who suffered from rape during the genocide. I think the strongest testimony comes from the healing of these women and the confidence they

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  Absolutely. Within those communities of women, as they're being trained vocationally, their children also connect. They end up looking after each others' children, children end up looking after each others' mothers, and there becomes a real sense of community.

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  Yes. I think probably the best way to respond to that would be to share that several groups of women have been brought together because of their circumstances, whether it be their inability to function, their psychological disorder, poverty even. These factors have brought women

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  Thank you. Thank you for the invitation to address this committee, to offer witness to the Rwandan crisis, now 20 years post-genocide against the Tutsis. My name is Glenda Dubienski. I'm a Canadian and a resident of Rwanda. Today I'm speaking on behalf of myself, but for the pu