Date: July 26, 1994
Author: Valentina Krčmar, Director, Mothers for Peace – Bedem Ljubavi (Toronto Chapter)
Addressed to: The Honourable André Ouellet, Minister of External Affairs, Government of Canada
View the Original Letter: krcmar book 2_Part140.pdf
About This Letter
In this heartfelt letter dated July 26, 1994, Valentina Krčmar, on behalf of Mothers for Peace (Bedem Ljubavi), writes to Canada’s Minister of External Affairs, André Ouellet, to thank the government for sending humanitarian aid to Rwanda during the genocide — and to urge Canada to establish proactive international policies that prevent future atrocities before they spiral into humanitarian catastrophes.
Krčmar begins by expressing gratitude for Canada’s response, acknowledging the moral importance of helping those suffering unimaginable loss:
“It is terrible to watch these poor people — especially children — dying right in front of our eyes, and we are doing nothing. Thus, this piece of news that Canada is giving the aid is simply fantastic.”
However, her gratitude quickly transforms into a call for reflection and reform. Drawing parallels between Rwanda, Bosnia, and Kurdistan, she emphasizes that the world consistently reacts too late, waiting until “the crisis” has already claimed countless lives.
“We cannot afford to react when the people are dying already. We have to establish some guidelines that would lead us to help the people in the beginning of their plight, not when thousands are dying.”
Her tone is one of both compassion and moral urgency, challenging Canada to lead by example as a nation capable of foresight and empathy:
“We, as a rich country, have a privilege to help those in need, and we, as a nation, are people that came from tragedies and misery mostly, should see the tragedy looming, and we should step in and save women, children, and all those in need when there is still time.”
Krčmar also cites a distressing CFRB radio poll showing that 84% of callers believed “Rwanda is not our problem.” She interprets this statistic as a symptom of declining compassion within Canadian society:
“When 84% of people obviously do not care, something is terribly wrong with Canada. Mr. Ouellet, what is wrong with us? Don’t we care anymore for people in distress?”
She suggests that such apathy stems from failures in media and education — institutions that shape empathy and civic responsibility.
“Perhaps we should look into the work of our medias — TV, radios, or newspapers — what are their priorities? Also, shouldn’t we look into the work of our educational system — do they teach compassion and caring for those in need?”
Krčmar concludes by reaffirming Mothers for Peace’s commitment to humanitarian collaboration and offers to participate in future government discussions about crisis response and policy development:
“We, as a non-governmental agency, would like to participate in some possible discussions about future reactions to possible tragedies. Please keep our name on file for future references.”
This letter stands as one of Krčmar’s most globally focused appeals — moving beyond the Balkan conflict to advocate for a universal moral framework in Canadian foreign policy. It encapsulates her belief that compassion, vigilance, and early action are the true measures of a nation’s humanity.
