Shake Hands with the Devil

Compare the historical and political forces that led to the Rwandan Genocide to the root causes of other historical atrocities. Based on your research, what differences and similarities do you see between the situations Dallaire describes and other humanitarian crises?

Do you agree with Roméo Dallaire’s arguments for foreign military interventions for humanitarian reasons? Why or why not?

Describe Roméo Dallaire’s view of the United Nations. Do you think it is overall positive, negative, or nuanced?

Roméo Dallaire is frequently concerned about public relations, at one point giving a press conference “to attempt to regain the initiative on the media side” (197). What are some of the actions he takes to try to control the public perceptions of UNAMIR, both in Rwanda and around the world? Do you think those actions were effective?

The head of UNAMIR, Jacques-Roger Booh-Booh, is heavily criticized by Roméo Dallaire. How does Booh-Booh embody the bureaucratic failures that Dallaire critiques in the book?

What does Dallaire suggest is the role of the international community in preventing humanitarian crises globally?

Who do you believe Roméo Dallaire wrote this book for? What actions does he hope his reader will take?

Describe a specific moral dilemma Roméo Dallaire or one of his comrades or staff discuss in the narrative. What values drive their decision-making?