Romeo Dallaire – image courtesy Parliament of Canada

Prince George, B.C. – The guest lecturer for the eleventh annual Dr. Bob Ewert memorial Lecture and Dinner has been chosen.

Retired Lieutenant-General Romeo Dallaire, will be the featured  speaker.

Lt-General Dallaire was the Force Commander of the UN Assistance Mission for Rwanda in 1994. It was a role that would see him witness  genocide as more than 800 thousand Rwandans lost their lives.

Defying commands to withdraw, Dallaire stayed and, together with a small military force, assisted those seeking help from UN forces.

Two decades later, he has become an outspoken champion for human rights.

Dallaire resigned from  the Senate of Canada  last May and  is focusing his attention on the prevention of war atrocities and plight of child soldiers, research into post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and writing.

“Romeo Dallaire is a true Canadian hero whose courage and dedication to helping those in dire need has been an inspiration to many, both in Canada and around the world,” said Dr. David Nelson, president of the Northern Medical Society. “His harrowing first-hand experiences and ongoing human rights activism across the globe will offer a compelling keynote address at the next Ewert Dinner.”

The annual event honours Dr. Bob Ewert, the first medical specialist in Prince George, and is a key fundraiser for the Northern Medical Programs Trust, an endowment fund that supports students in healthcare studies at the University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC).

Previous lecturers have included astronaut Chris Hadfield and environmentalist David Suzuki.

The Dr. Bob Ewert Memorial Lecture and Dinner will be held on Saturday April 11, 2015 at the Prince George Civic Centre. Tickets are available from the Office of Development at UNBC at 250-960-5750 or online .