From: Warriordoc To: Rwanda Peacekeepers Subject: [rwandapeacekeepers] Kigali Public Library News from Sep Date: Friday, October 05, 2001 7:44 PM As promised, the latest from the Kigali Public Library. KIGALI PUBLIC LIBRARY NEWS A Project of the Rotary Club of Kigali-Virunga September 9, 2001 Vol. 2002, No. 9 Editor: Beth Payne (kigalilibrary@aol.com) PREMIER DONORS ($45,000 or more) SORWATHE SARL (Rwandan Tea Plantation) - Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International - The European Union VIP DONORS ($10,000 - $44,999) Tri-Star Investments - Government of Canada - The Boeing Company - Bank of Commerce and Development - MTN EUROPEAN UNION DONATED 21 MILLION FRW ($50,000) The Rotary Club of Kigali-Virunga has received another boost in building Rwanda's first public library from the European Union (EU), which has donated 21 million Rwandan francs (approximately $50,000) towards the building of the library foundation. This donation makes the EU the third Premier donor towards the Kigali Public Library and grants the EU a permanent seat on the library governing board and the right to name one of the library's special collections. Rotarian Musa Kasonka, President of the Rotary Club of Kigali-Virunga, announced that "now that we have this donation, coupled with the fact that the design for the library is now complete, we can start construction in mid-September." President Musa encouraged the EU to join the Kigali Public Library committee, which meets every two weeks to discuss fundraising strategy, finances and other matters relating to the project. He welcomed all Premier Donors to join the committee to "ensure we stay focused and enthusiastic". SORWATHE and the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International, both Premier Donors, are represented on the library committee. To date, the project has received almost $400,000 in cash and in-kind pledges. "We are well on our way to achieving our $1.2 million goal," concluded President Musa. ROTARY DISTRICT GOVERNOR OPENS LIBRARY ADMINISTRATION OFFICE On Friday, August 10 Rotarian Henri Tchakountio, District Governor for Rotary International's District 9150, officially cut the ribbon to mark the opening of the new administration office for the Kigali Public Library. UTEXRWA, Rwanda's leading textile manufacturer has donated the office space. UTEXRWA also loaned the project a desk and chairs. Through a Matching Grant from the Rotary Club of Littleton, Colorado and the Rotary Foundation, the office boasts a state of the art laptop computer, high-speed printer, scanner and related accessories. Rwandatel, one of Rwanda's leading telecommunications companies, has donated two telephone lines and an Internet connection. According to Rotarian Gerald Mpyisi, Chairman of the Library Committee, "it is very important for our Rotary club to be seen to be professional in our management of this project. We are very appreciative of UTEXRWA's donation, as well as the assistance they have given us in setting up the office. Rotary Raj Rajendran deserves a special mention for the time he has given to this project." The office will house all official documentation relating to the library as well and library journals and other general information on libraries and their management around the world. Donors are welcome to view the financial documents at any time. The office will be staffed by Rotarian Ashley Truscott on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday mornings between 10:00am and 1:00pm. The telephone number is 250-514338 or 250-083-12888. We still need more furniture and welcome donations. All furniture and equipment donated to the office will become part of the administrative office of the Kigali Public Library once the building is completed. MEMORIES OF THE 1994 GENOCIDE Using newly declassified government documents and dozens of interviews, the September 2001 issue of The Atlantic Monthly contains an article (see pages 84-108), "Bystanders to Genocide: Why the United States Let the Rwandan Tragedy Happen," that documents the activities within the U.S. Government during the 1994 genocide in Rwanda. The author, Samantha Power, documents the reasons for the U.S. government's decision not to send troops to Rwanda. She also recounts the U.S. government's leading role in efforts to remove what UN Peacekeepers were in Rwanda, as well as blocking authorization to send UN reinforcements, refusing to use its technology to jam the radio broadcasts that encouraged and directed the interahamwe (the name used by the killers), and resisting using the term "genocide" when describing the events in Rwanda "for fear of being obliged to act". Perhaps more saddening than Power's conclusion that "the U.S. government knew enough about the genocide early on to save lives, but passed up countless opportunities to intervene," is the fact that most Rwandans do not have access to this article. Only with the building of the Kigali Public Library and other institutions and mechanisms to make the outside world accessible to Rwandans can we hope that such vital information reaches those who are most affected by it. When scholarly and cultural exchange is truly a global activity, not only will humans be less likely to commit atrocities (Philip Gourevitch and others list extreme ignorance and superstition as one of the main causes of the Rwandan genocide) but the horrors of the most remote places in the world will be revealed to all, eliminating the justification for inaction that "we did not know." A PERSONAL NOTE FROM THE EDITOR Yesterday I attended the first United States National Book Festival sponsored by the Library of Congress and U.S. First Lady Laura Bush on the lawn of the Capital Building. I was in awe of this day-long celebration of the world of books, authors and readers and renewed my respect for the U.S. Library of Congress. In a culture filled with technology, it was remarkable to see the continued power of the written word. As I soaked up the storytelling and readings by different authors, I could only wonder when a similar event would be held in Rwanda, sponsored one day by the Kigali Public Library. Rwanda's first public library is today still an empty plot of land, an architect's design, and the dream of many -- I look forward to the day it plays a central role in encouraging both reading and writing throughout Rwanda. Our dream of a Free Library in Rwanda will come true -- with generous contribution from both Rwandans and supporters throughout the world. Just as Thomas Jefferson once said, "I cannot live without books", Rwanda also cannot rebuild and thrive without books. I urge everyone who loves books and values the contribution of their own public library, to contribute to our effort to bring these benefits to Rwanda. WE NEED YOUR HELP TO BUILD THE KIGALI PUBLIC LIBRARY Now that we are ready to begin building the library structure, we need everyone's contribution to ensure the work never stops. The cost of the first phase of the building is $1 million. Once the first phase is completed, and the library can be staffed, and filled with books, furnishings and equipment, the library will open to the public. A second phase is envisioned for expansion of the library if funds become available. We need your financial contribution now! Checks made out to the Rotary Club of Kigali-Virunga can be sent to: The Kigali Public Library c/o American Embassy Kigali 2210 Kigali Place Washington, DC 20521-2210 For those in Rwanda, checks or cash can be given to the Committee Bookkeeper, Ashley Truscott (08312888), or deposits can be made directly into the following Rwandan Franc account: BACAR -- Siege Social Kigali 20 Blvd de la Revolution BP 331 Kigali A/C 070-2702690-62-307 A/C Rotary Club of Kigali Virunga Dollar payments can be sent by wire transfer to: Citibank New York 111 Wall Street New York, NY A/C 36144591 SWIFT CITIUS33 A/C BACAR DETAILS: A/C 070-2702690-62-318 Rotary-Kigali Virunga (Make sure you specify that the funds are for the Rotary Club of Kigali-Virunga, Kigali Public Library project and email us that the funds have been transfer so we can properly thank you for your contribution!) U.S. Contributions for the Kigali Public Library can be made through the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund (DFGFI). These contributions are tax deductible in the U.S. since DFGFI is a registered non-profit organization. To make your contribution to the Kigali Public Library through DFGFI, please send a check or money order made out to "The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International". Please specify on the check that the contribution is for the "Public Library Campaign". Checks can be sent to: The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International 800 Cherokee Avenue, SE Atlanta, GA 30315 For more information about DFGFI please access their web-site at www.gorillafund.org, or send an email to dfgf@mindspring.com or 2help@gorillafund.org, or call 1-800-851-0203. All contributors will receive a written receipt from the Rotary Club of Kigali-Virunga. Persons contributing $100 or more will receive a "I Helped Build Kigali Public Library" t-shirt and will be recognized on a special plaque to be posted in the Conservation/Gorilla special collection of the library. For a complete list of suggested donations, or if you've made a contribution and not received a written receipt, please email us at kigalilibrary@aol.com or contact Gerald Mpyisi at 08500130. MORE INFORMATION For more information about the Kigali Public Library project, or to add your e-mail to our mailing list, please contact Gerald Mpyisi, Kigali Public Library Committee Chairman at 250-085-00130 or e-mail us at kigalilibrary@aol.com. For more information about the Rotary Club of Kigali-Virunga, please call Musa Kasonka, President of the Rotary Club of Kigali-Virunga, at 250-083-02292. Also visit web-site at http://www.kigalilibrary.org.