A general and a gentleman for the world

A few months ago, I came across a tweet from General Roméo Dallaire, which immediately caught my attention. It had been years since the last time I read something about him. Seeing his name again stirred something deeper within me. The tweet mentioned his new book, "The Peace: A Warrior's Journey." This made me reflect on Dallaire's incredible story, his role during the Rwandan genocide, and how his work and experience influenced and inspired my thinking during the late 2000s.

Dallaire's engagement for human rights made me reflect on my own experiences, especially growing up in Bosnia's 1990s post-war period. His actions paralleled my thoughts on how the international community had failed both Rwanda and Bosnia in preventing violence and suffering. It failed in the sense of preventing the wars from the start and not stopping them before the larger crimes and atrocities.

In the early 2000s, I moved from Bosnia to Sweden and started high school at Tibble i Taeby municipality in Stockholm. Because of cooperation with schools in more than 30 countries, my high school had a more international/global profile. I became more interested in global issues, especially how peacekeeping and peace-enforcement missions could be more effective. During my last year, I even received a book about the Swedish military and peacekeeping as a prize for being one of the best social science students.

During my high school years in Stockholm, I was particularly impacted by the film "Hotel Rwanda," which brought to life the horrifying events of the genocide. The Rwandan genocide remains one of the most horrifying events in modern history, and Dallaire was right at the center of it. As the commander of the UN peacekeeping forces, he was tasked with preventing violence in a situation that spiraled into unimaginable chaos.

Watching it reminded me of the helplessness I felt during and after the Bosnian war. Dallaire's efforts to prevent genocide, despite the failures of the UN, became a symbol of resilience in the face of overwhelming odds. I also remember watching a Swedish public service television documentary about Dallaire and his views on child soldiers and African problems.

During the 2000s, Dallaire inspired me to envision a world where global institutions act decisively to protect human rights and prevent atrocities rather than being paralyzed by politics and national interests. This vision is also about my commitment for ideas and engagement regarding world-level democracy and decentralized global governance models.

Today, I look forward to reading Dallaire's new book and continuing to follow his journey as a warrior for peace. His story has been a profound reminder of the importance of human dignity and resilience and the need for a world prioritizing safety, human security, and well-being.

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