President of Rwanda Visits Denver Address at DU to Commemorate 10th Anniversary of Genocide

March 22, 2004

Denver, CO – Together with the Institute of International Education (IIE) and the University of Denver, PROJECT C.U.R.E. will host His Excellency Paul Kagame, President of Rwanda, in an address at Magness Arena at the University of Denver on April 14th at 7:00 p.m. The title of President Kagame’s address will be: Rwanda -- Remembering, Reconciling and Rebuilding. This historic and significant event, will take place nearly 10 years to the day after the onset of the violent, 100-day genocide that took place in Rwanda in 1994.

On April 7, 1994, an extremist faction of the Hutu government began the systematic elimination of the Tutsi population in Rwanda. Over the next 100 days, nearly one million people were killed at the hands of their neighbors, mostly by machete knives and garden tools. On July 4, 1994, the capital city of Rwanda, Kigali, fell to the forces of the Rwandese Patriotic Army (RPA), the armed wing of the RPF, led by Maj. General Paul Kagame, ending the horrific genocide.

In 1994, no schools, hospitals, factories or government departments were functioning. Public utilities such as telephones, electricity and water had been destroyed. Traumatized survivors of the genocide were scattered among the hills of the lush, green countryside. Civil service and the government's administrative capacity had collapsed.

Sadly, many Americans still know little of the tragic events, which occurred just ten years ago. Moreover, the story that has not been told is a story of healing, reconciliation and reconstruction in Rwanda.

In the past ten years, due in great part to the leadership of His Excellency, President Paul Kagame, Rwanda has made great strides in its reconciliation efforts between the Hutu and Tutsi peoples. Many regard the President’s role in reconciling the Tutsi and the Hutu differences in Rwanda as a benchmark of great leadership, uncommon inspiration and remarkable achievement. Today, the small country of Rwanda – about the size of Vermont – is on the mend. The Government of National Unity and the Rwandese people, with support from the international community, have registered significant progress in the difficult process of moving from emergency to long-term development.

As part of Rwanda’s long-term development efforts, PROJECT C.U.R.E., a Denver-based, international medical relief organization, has committed to delivering more than $10 million of donated medical supplies and equipment to Rwanda in the next 12 to 18 months – which is about 25 semi-truck trailers of medical relief. The commitment represents one million dollars of medical aid for every year since the genocide in 1994.

While visiting Rwanda in December to perform Needs Assessment studies, Dr. James Jackson, Founder, and Douglas Jackson, President/CEO of PROJECT C.U.R.E., had the opportunity to meet with President Kagame at his home in Kigali where they invited him to visit Colorado in April and address the Denver community. In light of the numerous events taking place worldwide to commemorate the tragedy in Rwanda ten years ago, this event is a remarkable opportunity for the city of Denver to experience the remembering, reconciling and rebuilding.

“The objective of the three-day visit is to educate key audiences about Rwanda’s history, reconciliation and rebuilding efforts, while providing President Kagame and his delegation with contacts and resources to assist in the redevelopment of Rwanda,” said Doug Jackson, President/CEO of PROJECT C.U.R.E.

The address at Magness Arena will feature two short documentary film clips about Rwanda and PROJECT C.U.R.E. created by Little Voice Productions, a Denver-based nonprofit video production organization whose mission is to educate and invoke positive social change through media and technology. On display in the entryway of the Ritchie Center will be the photographic exhibit: Through the Eyes of Children: The Rwanda Project, featuring photos taken by the children at the Imbabazi Orphanage in Rwanda, sponsored by Argus Human Rights Festival.

Karen DeBartelome, Executive Director of IIE in the Rocky Mountains will present a warm welcome for the evening, and DU President, Marc Holtzman, will introduce President Kagame, who will deliver a 30-minute speech. At the conclusion of the presentation, PROJECT C.U.R.E. will issue a community challenge to individuals and businesses in the Denver community to consider how they too can be a part of the rebuilding of Rwanda. After the event, Marc Holtzman will co-host a reception for President Kagame at the Phipps Mansion with Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper.

“The University of Denver is proud to be a partner with PROJECT C.U.R.E. and the Institute of International Education in bringing President Kagame to the DU campus,” says Holtzman. “President Kagame took a country that was in ruins and turned it into one with enormous potential. It’s an incredible story that everyone in Colorado should hear.”

In addition to speaking at the University of Denver, President Kagame and his delegation will be meeting with several other Denver-area organizations to discuss possible partnership opportunities and resources for Rwanda including: the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), University of Denver, Johnson & Wales University, CSU Department of Agriculture and Resource Economics, Water for People, Celestial Seasonings, and the new Anschutz Pavilion at the Fitzsimmons campus of University of Colorado.

In the face of genocide, the HIV/AIDS pandemic and conflicts at its doorstep in neighboring countries like the Democratic Republic of Congo, President Kagame is determined to make a difference in history in Rwanda. PROJECT C.U.R.E., the Institute of International Education and the University of Denver have made a commitment to assist President Kagame in changing his world.

Admission to the April 14th event is free and open to the public, but tickets are required. Please visit the Ritchie Center Box Office at 2240 E. Buchtel or the Newman Center Box Office at 2344 E. Iliff Ave. to receive your complimentary tickets. Or, call 303.871.2336 for ticket and event information.

To learn how you can be involved in delivering health, education and hope to the people of Rwanda please contact Heidi Hein at or visit www.projectcure.org or www.rockymountainiie.org

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PROJECT C.U.R.E. PROJECT C.U.R.E. (www.projectcure.org ) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, humanitarian relief organization that collects medical surplus and donates it to developing countries. Since 1987, PROJECT C.U.R.E. has delivered donated medical supplies and equipment to the most desperately ill and needy people living in almost 100 countries around the world.

PROJECT C.U.R.E.’S International Headquarters is located in Centennial, Colorado. The main warehouse is located in Brighton, Colorado. PROJECT C.U.R.E. Collection Centers are located in Denver, CO; Houston, TX; Los Angeles, CA; Nashville, TN; Phoenix, AZ; and Saint Paul, MN.

The University of Denver The University of Denver (www.du.edu ), the oldest private university in the Rocky Mountain Region, enrolls approximately 9,500 students in its undergraduate, graduate and professional programs. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the University of Denver as a Doctoral/Research University-Extensive.

Total undergraduate enrollment for Fall 2003 was 4,481, including 1,028 first-year, traditional undergraduate students. Graduate enrollment was 5,024. Overall, 105 nations are represented in the student body, and non-U.S. citizens comprise almost seven percent of the student population.

U.S. News and World Report's annual undergraduate rankings place the University of Denver 87th among national doctoral universities and 48th among the top 86 private doctoral universities. In September 2003, the Wall Street Journal ranked the University of Denver's Daniels College of Business #44 among the world's top business schools. The DU College of Law is #78 in the U.S. News and World Report "2004 America's Best Graduate Schools" ranking.

The Institute of International Education Rocky Mountain Regional Center The Institute of International Education is a world leader in the international exchange of people and ideas. An independent, nonprofit organization founded in 1919, IIE has 19 offices worldwide, over 800 college and university IIENetwork members, and more than 5,000 volunteers. IIE designs and implements programs of study and training for students, educators, young professionals and trainees from all sectors with funding from government agencies, foundations, and corporations. These programs include the Fulbright and Humphrey Fellowships, administered for the U.S. Department of State, and the People, Energy, and Development program administered for USAID. IIE also conducts policy research, and provides advising and counseling on international education and opportunities abroad. For over 50 years, the Rocky Mountain Regional Center has been bringing IIE-administered programs to the 14--state region. The office is comprised of three divisions: Denver World Affairs Council; Fulbright, Scholarship and Exchange Programs, and International Visitor Program. These three divisions support the mission of IIE as well as regional programs in 14 western states: Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, New Mexico, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming.