Carleton Alumni and Friends Event! - Carleton’s Rwanda Initiative November 4, 2009

Washington area alumni and friends of the university are invited to go back to university for just one night at the Faculty of Carleton University Speaker (FOCUS) Series event at the National Press Club. Meet a celebrated Carleton University researcher and listen to a fascinating university lecture in your hometown.

Presentation: “Carleton’s Rwanda Initiative”
By Allan Thompson, BJ/86
Associate Professor, School of Journalism and Communication
Carleton University

Wednesday, November 4, 2009
First Amendment Lounge, National Press Club
529 14th Street NW, 13th Floor
Washington DC

6:00 – 7:00 p.m. Reception
7:00 - 715 p.m. Opening remarks by Dr. Roseann O’Reilly Runte, president and vice-chancellor, Carleton University
7:00 – 8:30 p.m. FOCUS presentation and Q & A

Complimentary hors d’oeuvres will be served. Seating is limited. Please register for this free event online at alumni.carleton.ca/events. For additional information, contact us at 1-866-CU-PROUD (1-866-287-7683) or [email protected].

As a reporter for the Toronto Star in Rwanda, Allan Thompson, BJ/86, witnessed the aftermath of the 1994 genocide in the central African country. Among his observations: news media played an indisputable role. Hate media fueled much of the killing. International news media misunderstood what was happening. And Rwanda’s national media lacked the professional capacity and experience to call attention to it.

In late 2006, the associate professor in the School of Journalism and Communication launched The Rwanda Initiative, a ground-breaking partnership between Carleton and the National University of Rwanda. To date, he and more than 130 other Canadian journalists have visited Rwanda to teach journalism, help rebuild the country’s national media and improve its journalism standards. This year he launched a new venture, the Centre for Media and Transitional Societies, based at Carleton.

On the occasion of the fifteenth anniversary of the Rwanda genocide, learn how life has changed for survivors and how the famous project, the Rwanda Initiative, is helping to improve journalism in Butare. Meet Professor Thompson and learn about the successes and challenges of this inspiring humanitarian initiative.

In addition, Carleton University’s Rwanda Initiative and the Toronto-based social photography group PhotoSensitive will present a portion of the stunning photo exhibit Living With—telling the story of Rwanda’s struggle with HIV/AIDS through pictures.

This event is hosted the Washington Chapter of the Carleton University Alumni Association. The FOCUS series is an international-wide award-winning series of speaking engagements featuring some of Carleton’s most dynamic researchers.

Official Website: http://advancement.carleton.ca/events/home.htm