My injury does not come directly from the extreme conditions of the genocide and its ugliness….For me and for too many veterans, the origin of this injury of operational stress is from the repeated assaults against our most sacred and deeply rooted values and beliefs. The physical complications can be deadly but the PTSD is also a moral injury that destroys our spirit and soul.
— Lieutenant-General (retired) Roméo Dallaire
In partnership with the Université du Québec à Montréal and the Montreal Institute of International Studies, the Canada School of Public Service was proud to welcome Roméo Dallaire to a special event on mental health and invisible wounds.
His presentation was followed by an interview with Bernard Derome, President of the Montreal Institute of International Studies, and questions from the public.
Whether as military commander, humanitarian, senator or author, Roméo Dallaire has penetrated our national consciousness, often in supremely uncomfortable ways. Setting aside his natural reserve, he spoke about the struggle that he and many other military veterans face with post-traumatic stress disorder, in the context of his UN mission in Rwanda and the atrocities he witnessed.
