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           Ten years ago, as the country of Rwanda descended into madness, one man made a promise to protect the family he loved and ended up finding the courage to save over 1,200 people.  North Iowa Area Community College is honored to bring Paul Rusesabagina to the North Iowa Community Auditorium stage on Wednesday, February 22, at 7:30 p.m. as part of the 2005-2006 NIACC Leadership Series.

Tickets are on sale now and cost $15 for adults, $8 for students K-12, $20 at the door and free to all NIACC students.

            For two months of his life, Paul Rusesabagina held insanity at bay as he watched his country fall into the grips of genocide in 1994.  A Hutu manager of a luxury hotel in Rwanda, he sheltered over 1,200 people, including his own Tutsi wife and children, saving their lives at a time when extremists massacred more than 800,000 members of the Tutsi and moderate Hutu tribes in just 100 days.

            Considered the “Rwandan Schindler,” his wrenching story and that of genocide is chronicled in the critically acclaimed film, Hotel Rwanda, a riveting account of a man finding courage within himself to save others in the midst of his country’s darkest moments.

            When Rwanda descended into madness, Rusesabagina took action.  A fastidious, crafty, and yet highly principled businessman, he restored to desperate tactics.  While militants threatened and surrounded the well-groomed grounds of the hotel, he spent hours on the phone, pleading with influential leaders and his international connections as his only defense against attack. He bartered with luxury items such as money, gold, cigars and aged bottles of wine that he hoarded from his hotel for the lives of strangers seeking refuge in the chaos.  Miraculously, no one housed at his hotel died.

            As the world turned its back on the horrific tragedy, Rusesabagina was one man who saved a few among the many lost.  Now, through emotionally stirring words, he shares events of this type can be prevented.  “I hope this will be a wake-up call, not only for Rwanda but the whole international community,” he said.

For tickets to Paul Rusesabagina, call the NIACC Box Office at 1-888-466-4222, ext.4188.  The NIACC Leadership Series is sponsored by the Elizabeth Muse Norris Charitable Fund; the Globe Gazette; Henkel Construction; Principle Financial Group; Alliant Energy; Drs. Beck and Lovick, Neurological Surgery; Clear Lake Bank and Trust; First Citizens National Bank; First State Bank of Belmond; Hanford Inn; Holland Contracting; Mercy Medical Center- North Iowa; Pepsi; Sukup; Heartland Arts Fund; National Endowment for the Arts; Iowa Arts Council; and NIACC.

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