On April 22, I attended a controversial lecture at Tufts University
by Paul Kagame, president of the Republic of Rwanda. I was invited to
attend the lecture due to my work as a researcher and consultant for a
genocide prevention NGO in Rwanda. The lecture was a ticketed-only event
in a packed 350-seat auditorium.
The media, press and op-ed
pages of major newspapers and blogs exploded after Kagame's visit to
Tufts. The government of Rwanda stated that the lecture was simply part
of international awareness events surrounding the 20th commemoration of
the Rwandan genocide, this year called Kwibuka
(Kinyarwandan for "remember"). Activists, on the other hand, claimed
that Tufts University provided a soapbox for a repressive leader to
deliver biased rhetoric. One pointed op-ed in the Tufts Daily
newspaper, entitled "Why did Tufts give a platform to a dictator?"
condemned Tufts officials, who the author claims "made an intellectual
sacrifice and allowed a dictator to be whitewashed." As a scholar who
has worked both with the government of Rwanda and local, non-political
NGOs and survivors' organizations, I question the legitimacy of the
claims made by both the government of Rwanda and the op-ed in the Tufts Daily.
Tufts is not different than any other academic institution seeking
opportunities for students to develop independent views about world
leaders and pressing global issues.
Many have trouble defining
Kagame. Activists and scholars from Rwanda, Africa, and the Western
world protest President Kagame's human rights record. They outwardly
declare that his government has stifled opposition and has committed
human rights violations. These claims have recently resurfaced with the
January 2014 assassination of Rwandan opposition Patrick Karegeya in Johannesburg, South Africa, and with the April 2014 20th commemoration ceremony
toting Kagame's development agenda without mention of opposition
leaders' opinions on the mandated commemoration period. Yet they also
cite and applaud his development agenda and leadership in improving
health, education and business indicators in Rwanda. When traveling in
the country, survivors seem happy, healthy and proud of Rwanda. But
Kagame remains in a difficult position, where he cannot escape the
criticism that has once again placed Rwanda's challenges at the
forefront of international discussion.
News articles in response to Kagame's visit to Tufts claim that the university should not have invited him to speak
in the first place. Other articles state that Tufts should have had an
open venue where students and faculty could ask the most challenging
questions. What venue is appropriate for a senior statesman to be free
of the politicization of issues and positions, where he can be ignore
ties to constituents and can avoid the scrutiny of the international
community? This does not excuse Tufts from presenting all of the facts
and prevalent public opinions about President Kagame's visit. While
Tufts has strong ties to Rwanda, through its Veterinary School, Medical
School and business program, the university should encourage and create
space for students to hear all aspects of criticism and praise for
President Kagame and form their own opinions accordingly.
Kagame
is just one of a number of controversial speakers who have been invited
to address members of Tufts University. Earlier this year, the former
president of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili
spoke at The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts, where he
also served as Statesman in Residence. Saakashvili has been accused
of running an autocratic regime that tramples human rights and stifles
democracy. Eve Ensler, author of the groundbreaking play The Vagina Monologues and founder of the V-Day global activist movement
to end violence against women and girls, also spoke at Tufts University
this year. Ensler has been accused of violating privacy and
disrespecting women in conflict countries who have experienced sexual
violence, by using their personal experiences for her own intellectual
gain. While Tufts University and members of the Tufts community do not
necessarily agree with its speakers' positions or records, the
university is facilitating dialogue and learning about complex
international issues. Perhaps that should be the ultimate goal of an
institution of higher learning.
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