Human Rights Club Hosts Auction to Assist Women in Rwanda

The Human Rights Club at CLU will sponsor a Not So Silent Auction to help build a women’s center in Rwanda. The event, which will also include the screening of the film Hotel Rwanda, will take place on Saturday, April 23.

The movie Hotel Rwanda will be shown in Preus–Brandt Forum from noon to 2 p.m., with a video introduction by Paul Rusesabagina, the man who inspired the movie. An auction will be held in Kingsmen Park from 1 to 5 p.m.

During the auction, there will be live music, food and information booths for international organizations that reach out to developing nations around the world. A series of speakers will offer insights into the needs of people in other nations, including the many refugees in and around the African nation of Rwanda. Aaron Paul will provide musical entertainment and Jill Fletcher, a former volunteer with Global Volunteer Networks in Uganda, will serve as keynote speaker.

The money raised from the auction will go to Rwanda Partners, a nonprofit organization that provides assistance to the people of Rwanda. The organization is currently building a women’s center where women can get everything from basic education and job training to legal counseling and financial assistance. The residential and day care facility will also serve as a cultural center and outlet for the sale of Rwandan arts and crafts.

The Rwandan government with a goal of assisting rural women and reducing poverty has provided 22 acres for the development of the Women’s Training, Production, and Education Center in rural Kigali. The center will cost approximately $200,000 to build, and approximately $76,000 has been raised to date.

CLU’s Human Rights Club formally began in fall 2004 with a mission to help the CLU community understand the needs of the global community. For more information about the event or the Human Rights Club, please contact Jane Hamilton at (805) 217–1829 or Maya Spamer (805) 405–4546 or email notsosilentauction@yahoo.com. For more information about Rwanda Partners, visit http://www.rwandapartners.org.