Louis Edgar Esparza

I never met Alison Des Forges. I encountered her book documenting the Rwandan genocide a couple of years ago, as I was selecting a dissertation topic. It showed me that academic scholarship and dedicated research can be effective within the field of human rights and can be relevant beyond a small group in the Ivory Tower. I was inspired to shine a light in Colombia, where I spent six months last year, documenting the risks that grassroots human rights activists take to get the word out about violations in their communities. I am now back from that trip and as I write chapters of the dissertation, I am still jolted by the news of this tragic event. Dr. Des Forges meant a lot of things to a lot of people, but I will always remember her personal example, blending courage, facts, and diplomacy to expose injustice with aplomb.

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