A hero who emerged from the 1994 Rwandan genocide recounted his remarkable story in front of an audience that filled the Great Hall of the Memorial Union and spilled over into the surrounding rooms.

Although the start of the lecture was delayed by the crowd, Patricia Miller, program manager for the Committee on Lectures, said the event was able to progress smoothly after additional adjoining rooms were cleared and opened for spectators.

Approximately 1,500 people attended the presentation.

Paul Rusesabagina, who inspired the recent film “Hotel Rwanda” when he sheltered approximately 1,300 Tutsis for 100 days in the Milles Collines Hotel that he managed, said the international community was partially to blame for the genocide because it turned its back on the people of Rwanda.

He spoke about several instances in which the United Nations and the Belgian government did not respond when people needed help.

Rusesabagina said after the 1994 genocide, he “saw all the world leaders saying, ‘We will never allow [genocide] to happen again.'”

Genocide is still happening, however, he said. Rusesabagina said genocide in Rwanda and other African countries is under-reported by the media.

“Nobody talks about that,” he said.

Rusesabagina said there are still many displaced people as a result of the genocide, as well as a half a million orphans. He said the violence in 1994 was a result of previously displaced people who were not given the chance for an education, and became destitute.

“We learned a lesson fron the past that yesterday’s victims had become killers,” he said.

Rusesabagina said although genocide is always senseless, the incident in which he was involved was particularly without basis.

“All of those people share the same culture,” he said.

“There was no Hutu religion. There was no Tutsi religion.”

Rusesabagina said both groups speak the same language, adding that many people in Rwanda are intermarried between ethnic groups, further highlighting the senselessness of the violence.

Nearly one million people were killed.

“It’s such a compelling story,” Miller said. “He’s a gentle soul; he’s compelling and strong.”

Miller said she admires Rusesabagina for his bravery.

“He’s a role model for everybody and how to live their lives,” she said. “He acted in a small way, but it was a big way. He saved humanity.”