Willamette Lawyer | Spring 2012 Vol. XII, No. 1

Page 22

S TU D ENT P R OFI LE

A Trip to Africa that Changed His Life First-year student Matthew Leady came to Willamette because of a trip he took to Rwanda. It was a profoundly moving visit, one that bore no resemblance to the two years he lived in Zaire when he was a boy. That time in his life was idyllic — floating the headwaters of the Nile, listening to lions roar as he fell asleep in the wild. The trip to Rwanda, which he took between bartending gigs, changed the course of his life. Parts of it were harrowing. Here, in his own words, is how Leady describes it:

a We visited governm

genocide m

em

had exh orial. They

e ethnic ent told th

minority to

The ass g rave. safe. Then a hill to be

umed a m

gather on

There we assacred.

re three su

rvivors;

is were m 0,000 T uts 8,000 to 1 remains. the babies; rough the t mark s on th o r o u b e to a th u e yo ld se r one gives m. You cou sk whethe a baby roo d a h y hy?” You a e h “W T , d t. o e g G n sk ca u ou a u phic as yo o u we e p , y ke that, yo It’s as g ra a k d ow n , y olocaust li re h b f o u o d Y in . k ny to death ith. With a n stomped g around w in they’d bee ss e . m h is wort nd playing existence laughing a n a re m a u s h id le k little this who st their tour) and that had lo ut (of the n o e e m m o W co u s. hy yo illage wonder w to these v ands were went back fe li , e d whose husb ci n o e n m e o g w e h th wit d in lled were kille r neighbors of justice ca When men d next-doo n a s d n this form ie n fr o d re e le b w s m id stu sons and k ity, they’d ould have husbands, By necess ed you. I w r. e su rd e o v b a e h would across th ed here, I ho had fled ad happen h t soldiers w a ure work s. th If . ay our cult e family w m e co th e s b t’ e a se th n. They’v ain, becau restoratio latrine. see you ag r e v e n to r alive in a e y a st w si a d s n e a il er 00 m ed his moth moved 2,0 work with ; they buri d le il k t e s soldiers g a r s e e th im fa cr is ted hed h o perpetra y who watc e r b oy s w h I met a gu rm fo re e h w in Rwanda niversity nciliation. He’s at a u ork for reco w d n et the tools a s p I want to g nity g rou se u u m ca e m b co om here victims fr justice. I’m ople have hy form of rt o w a , where pe is a d n o n a ti a w li R ci n e in e that reco genuine. n. What I se It str uck m conciliatio that was so re ce f a o e e p ic a o w nt the ch w a joy, I sa ds to prese ught me e to me. I sa g n e ll in my han a ch g. They ta n le ro ib d w e e cr th in ting it’s an while righ reconcile, going to lationship re chosen to e th g ow are we in h v , d sa rl t o u o w b l lega It’s a ere. In the humanity. at. It’s about I can use h g in explore th th e m Rwanda to that’s so y e b b y d a e g m n d e , an chall something ou? I was er people’s g done to y n ro w e tion to oth th lu r so fo e u o th y e te I hav compensa g to mean tte is goin e m la il W f ing out o w that com I don’t kno ave tools. ns that I h a e m st ju It problems. – Matthew

20 | Willamette Lawyer

Leady


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