20 Apr 06 – The Prime Minister’s wife, Cherie Blair, today spoke at an Aegis Trust lunch at the House of Commons titled, ‘How does a Nation live after Genocide?’. Click here to read Cherie Blair’s speech.
Speaking to a gathering of genocide survivors, dipomats, MPs, business leaders, civil servants and teachers, Cherie Blair said: “In our own recent history, only 12 years ago, many of you probably remember the devastating reports from Rwanda in 1994. In the space of 100 days of horrendous violence, one million Tutsis and moderate Hutus lost their lives in a vicious genocide that has scarred the conscience of the world.”
She continued, “Personally, I was to learn first-hand about the 1994 genocide when I visited the Kigali Memorial Centre in July 2005 with America’s First Lady, Laura Bush. That was also when I first became aware of the immense input that Aegis was making in Rwanda in the aftermath of the genocide. When I visited the Centre, saw the exhibition and read some of the powerful testimonies, I felt humbled by the dignity of the survivors in the face of such appalling experiences. And I also felt great admiration for the enormous challenges Aegis had undertaken to help and support survivors, to give them back some dignity.”
The Kigali Memorial Centre’s role is threefold: it aims to provide education about the Rwandan and other genocides from the last century, to preserve documentation and information relating to the 1994 genocide and to provide an appropriate and welcoming space for survivors to come to grieve, remember their loss and in so doing give dignity to the victims and survivors. The Centre also provides a compelling and forceful message for international visitors about what happens when we fail to fulfil our responsibility to protect those under threat of genocide.
With a background as an international human rights lawyer, Cherie Blair’s comments on the role of strengthening UK legislation in relation to alleged perpetrators of genocide who reside in the UK, she stated: “At present, apart from crimes committed during the Nazi era, British courts do not have jurisdiction to hear cases involving genocidal crimes committed on foreign soil. Legislation does exist for the sanctioning of carrying out torture, but not for committing genocide on foreign soil. Aegis is working with parliamentarians and lawyers towards filling this gap in UK domestic law”.
The Prime Minister’s wife also talked about the ongoing violence and insecurity in Darfur, Western Sudan, where as many as 400,000 people have lost their lives due to attacks, disease and hunger over the last three years. “A campaign of ethnic cleansing has led to 2 million people fleeing from their homes, most of whom are now located in camps located in Darfur and across the border in Chad. Many of these refugees have been forced to relocate many times due to continued violence. Most have been living in these camps for over a year if not two. At present there is little prospect of them being able to return to their homes so as to rebuild their lives. It is during times of crisis like this that Aegis acts to ensure that issues of such importance are raised up the political agenda”.
Dr. James Smith, Chief Executive of the Aegis Trust, who also spoke at the lunch, thanked Cherie Blair for her warm and passionate words of encouragement. Speaking after the event he stated “We were delighted to receive such endorsement from Cherie Blair. It is important that prominent figures in society understand the issues surrounding the prevention of genocide and Mrs Blair demonstrated a sensitive understanding of those issues in her speech today.”
Concluding her comments Cherie Blair stated: “Everybody says ‘Never Again’ after the Holocaust, Srebrenica and Rwanda. But it keeps happening again and again. Aegis knows that crimes against humanity have continued for too long, in too many places, over the last 60 years and for a long time before that. It does not stand by and observe events. It takes vigorous action to prevent and stop these abuses. It helps and supports victims. It campaigns to build a better future. And I am sure you will all agree that Aegis deserves our fullest support.”
