Notre Dame recently welcomed author Carl Wilkens to our virtual campus to speak with freshman students. The class engaged in a meaningful conversation as he provided tangible examples of how we can practice personal responsibility in difficult situations and choose to be an upstander in times of conflict or crisis. When students asked how he endured and stayed in Rwanda during the height of violence, Carl shared that “one of the hardest things was not knowing when (the genocide) would end” and that seeing the faces of those he cared about was what helped him to him to “push through.” He then connected that to today’s uncertainty, “I think that this time calls for social cohesion and physical distancing. Courage is contagious.” 

Students at Notre Dame study the Rwandan genocide but the key cornerstone to that learning is hearing the personal testimony of someone who lived it. Carl’s book, I’m Not Leaving, was our ND Reads selection in 2012 and he has visited campus many times since then. As a follow-up to his virtual assembly with students, Carl recorded a separate session to answer some of the questions he didn't have time to address during the initial conversation. We invite you to click here or on the image below and listen in to the messages of hope and healing that he shared with students.