Carl Wilkens, the only American who stayed in Rwanda during the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi, will speak at St. Cloud State University on Oct. 22 from 5-6:30 p.m.
“As a university and as a community, we have a responsibility to create spaces for these kinds of conversations — to really engage with difficult histories and learn from them,” said Emil Towner, director of SCSU’s Center for Holocaust and Genocide Education. “Carl’s visit isn’t just another event; it’s a chance for all of us to reflect, to learn and to think about how we can show more compassion in our own lives.”
Wilkens will share his experience, draw insights from Rwanda’s restorative decisions and use the transformative process of storytelling to address questions of differences, conflict and belonging.
He will also speak to students at Sauk Rapids-Rice High School at 9 a.m. and students at Foley High School at 12:30 p.m. on Oct. 22.
“When students hear from someone who actually lived through these events, it transforms their understanding of how history isn’t just something that happened to other people — it’s made by individuals making decisions every single day,” said Brianne Wegter, social studies teacher at Sauk Rapids-Rice.
Wilkens’ visits have been arranged and funded by SCSU’s Center for Holocaust and Genocide Education to help bring his important message to SCSU and the surrounding community.
Wilkens will speak in Atwood Memorial Center’s Cascade Room on Oct. 22. The event is free and open to the public.
