One of Rwanda’s most prolific ambassadors of tolerance and action against genocide is Yannick Tona, who, at 24 years old, has already emerged as a powerful speaker and future leader.

Tona, a survivor of the Rwandan Tutsi Genocide, is currently studying political science at Texas Christian University. He gives talks at schools and universities around the world, including Canada, Australia and Uganda, about his experiences during the genocide and his calls to action to prevent genocide. He spoke at USC on April 1, hosted by the Shoah Foundation Institute Student Association (SFISA) in honor of Genocide Awareness Month.

Tona also works with Aegis Trust in Rwanda, which operates the Kigali Genocide Memorial and has partnered with USC Shoah Foundation on a variety of testimony collecting and archive-building projects. He meets with student groups who visit Rwanda, including last summer’s Problems without Passports class from USC, led by USC Shoah Foundation’s Dan Leshem and Amy Carnes.

He was only four years old during the genocide, but by the time he was 12, Tona said he wanted to find a way of making a difference in his country instead of giving in to hate.

“One way of contributing to my country is sharing my story and encouraging people to live in harmony,” Tona said.

At his talk at USC, and all his speaking engagements, Tona challenges the audience to do three things when they leave: share what they learned from the talk, serve their community, and take action for a good cause.

He said the audience is always receptive to his challenge. He was surprised and pleased by how enthusiastically a group of elementary school students he spoke to in Canada recently embraced his call to action, brainstorming ways to raise money and serve their community.

“I was very surprised by how many ideas they had!” Tona said. “I was very impressed. I’m trying to encourage people that you don’t have to have money or be a star in order to make a difference.”

Tona said he also enjoys meeting student groups from around the world who travel to Rwanda through Aegis Trust, including the USC students last summer. He’s with them for the duration of their trip and witnesses the impact that visiting Rwanda and learning about genocide has on them.

“Working with students is really, really important because these are the future leaders of our cultural community, our future mothers and fathers. It’s very important that they learn about things like this,” Tona said. “You see them changing day by day. By the end of the program they can teach other people. It’s amazing, the change in their lives.”

As Rwanda commemorates the 20th anniversary of the genocide this spring, Tona said the milestone should serve as a reminder to the international community of the importance of protecting and helping countries that are in crises like genocide. Meanwhile, after he graduates from college, Tona plans to continue working with young people in Rwanda and around the world to get them more involved in politics and advocacy.

And, in another 20 years, you may see Tona’s name on a ballot – his goal is to be president of Rwanda.