Publications

La mort ne veut pas de moi , éditions Fixot, 1997

N'ai pas peur de savoir , Robert Laffont, 1999

Les blessures du silence , Actes Sud, 2001

YOLANDE MUKAGASANA

Rwanda

Yolande Mukagasana, 50 years old, survived the Rwandan genocide of 1994. She lost her three children as well as her husband, brothers and sisters. In memory of the genocide and with a view to assist the reconstruction of the country, she wrote three books entitled La mort ne veut pas de moi ( Death does not want me ), N'aie pas peur de savoir ( Don't be afraid to know ), and Les blessures du silence ( Wounds of Silence ).

Today, Yolande has formed a new family by adopting three of her nieces who were orphaned in the genocide. She built a new house where she used to live in Rwanda and looks after around twenty orphans. She created the Association Nyamirambo Point d'Appui, Foundation to Remember the Genocide and Assist the Reconstruction of the Country. The head office of the Association is in Brussels while the Rwanda counterpart is an NGO called Nyamirambo Point d'Appui which aims to support the regeneration of the Rwandan social fabric.

Yolande Mukagasana devotes her time and effort into informing and educating people on living together in the midst of differences, and gives conferences in schools and associations.

Among the many awards she has received are the Alexander Langer Foundation Testimonial Award, in Italy (1998); Award for International Understanding Between Nations and for Human Rights conferred by the European College of the Iena University, in Germany (1999); The Peace Golden Dove Award conferred by the Archivio Disarmo Association of Rome; Woman of the 21 st Century for Resistance Award, in Brussels (2003); Honourable Mention for Peace Education by UNESCO, in Paris (2003).

Yolande Mukagasana has co-authored the theatre play entitled Rwanda 94 in which she plays her own role.