Godeliève Mukasarasi Quotes

It is not easy to expose oneself to other people’s suffering again and again. One has to learn to draw a line.

In our view, finding peace within oneself is a precondition for society-wide peace. I’m not saying we do no longer demand justice and want criminals to be prosecuted, but ultimately, we want reconciliation.

Thanks to the proceedings, many people were able to find the bodies of their dead and bury them.

I wanted the widows and orphans, as well as other distressed people, to adjust. I wanted them to restart their shattered and broken lives and work toward peace and the development of our country.

We were proud because we had an impact, not only nationally but on the international scale, as well.

The women live scattered all over the country, and many had never left their village before coming to the forum. The group setting helps them to better understand their own situation.

The women’s daily life is marked by worries and difficulties, so we need to reduce stress levels. And we teach them a simple and soothing massage method they can always apply themselves.

It's very important to work with these women because they have undergone many atrocities during the genocide, and like other women and other humans, they have a right to live.

We must learn how to live positively with the bad and good.

Everyone still lives with the consequences. Some of the perpetrators went to jail, but they come back and live close to the survivors. The genocide is not over; the survivors are still living with those who committed the crimes.

We feel we are the ones who are able to speak out and…to be a voice for them.

We also want to encourage them to tell their children the truth. Doing so is hard, but it helps the women to really opt for life, including the life of their child.

In 1998, women’s rights activists like us managed to make sure that the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda considers rape in war a genocidal crime, so those who planned and perpetrated such violence can be prosecuted.

My work will never be done, Even when I die, there must be others to continue this work.

The important thing is to make sure the U.N. creates another resolution to support the kids who are born from rape. If they are really working hard to prevent such things happening it has to be there. because it’s still happening in other parts of the world.