Immaculee Ilibagiza, a survivor of the 1994 Rwandan genocide, author, philanthropist and devout Catholic, will be visiting Nassau from June 4-9, 2008 with the sponsorship of the John Templeton Foundation and coordination by The Counsellors Ltd. Among her activities in the Bahamian capital, Ms Ilibagiza will give a series of lectures and make guest appearances on radio and television. Thousands—schoolchildren, the country’s leading citizens and members of the general public—will have the opportunity to be inspired by the account of Rwanda’s tragedy and her personal experience of the genocide and how she came to discover the healing power of forgiveness and unconditional love.

It is a story well worth hearing, as it recounts how Ms Ilibagiza’s profound faith in God kept her full of hope during the horrifying 100 days of the genocide, when murder gangs killed over a million Rwandans, including Ms Ilibagiza’s parents, two of her three brothers and other members of her family and close friends.  Despite this great loss and the fact that this courageous woman spent 91 of those days of terror in hiding from the killer squads, she emerged with a great spirit of understanding and forgiveness that allowed her to pardon those responsible for her tragedy, write the book Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust and found the Left to Tell Charitable Foundation to help the recovery of children orphaned in the genocide. This is an unforgettable story offering hope is timely for these challenging times in our country and worldwide. It is certainly a message certainly worth passing on.

Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust is available in Nassau at Logos Bookstore, Harbour Bay Shopping Centre and Chapter One, Thompson Boulevard.

Nassau Contact: The Counsellors Ltd. Telephone: 242-322-7505.