The Lantos Foundation for Human Rights and Justice recently announced that Paul Rusesabagina will be the 2011 recipient of the Lantos Human Rights Prize. The formal presentation of the award took place today in Washington DC.
The decision to give the award to Mr Rusesabagina was criticized by some people including Genocide survivors who say that his role in their survival was in effect exaggerated by the Hollywood movie. They say that people praising him are basing it on the fiction portrayed in the movie. In effect many petitioned the Lantos Foundation to rescind the award that is named after Former US Representative Tom Lantos—a Holocaust survivor. Mr Rusesabagina counters that opposition to his award is without merit, because it is orchestrated by the Rwandan government and thus politically motivated.
One of the people who was with Paul Rusesabagina in Milles Colline is Professor Egide Karuranga, a scholar based in Canada. He says that genocide survivors are against Rusesabagina presenting himself as a ‘savior’ and have no other political motivations to oppose the award. Listen to our discussion below!
