Valerie Nyirarudodo says she has forgiven the perpetrators of the genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda who have asked for it, and encourages others to follow the same path.

Two women brought together as a result of the genocide in Rwanda share their story.When Rwandans were called upon to kill all Tutsi, some refused. Throughout the country Hutu tried to help and hide Tutsi - thousands paid with their lives. In their hearts, these people believed that what they were being told to do was wrong, and that it was more important to protect life than to follow orders.

On April 6, 1994, an aircraft carrying Rwandan President Juvénal Habyarimana was shot down by a surface-to-air missile as it was about to land in Kigali airport. Everyone aboard the plane was killed: Habyarimana; president of Burundi, Cyprien Ntaryamira; and a three-man French crew. While it remains unclear who fired the missile, the event is viewed as having ignited the 1994 Rwandan Tutsi Genocide.Live Wesige remembers hearing the news about the president’s death and describes the violence that ensued in his neighborhood the next day, April 7, 1994.

April 2, 2014:  Yannick Tona, currently a student at Texas Christian University, speaks to students in the USC Shoah Foundation Student Association of his experiences during the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, which took the lives of most of his family, and of how he connected these horrors from his past to his humanitarian efforts of today. For more information on Yannick: http://www.yannicktona.com/

Walter Absil reflects on living in Vienna, Austria during the rise of Hitler and the Nazi party in the 1930’s. He also recalls on returning back to Vienna to retrieve his belongings from his family home after the war. 

March 6, 2014: Student Voices invites all USC graduate and undergraduate students, regardless of major, to create short films that incorporate testimony from USC Shoah Foundation’s Visual History Archive.This year’s themes were: Preserving Humanity, Renewing Rwanda, and Risking Everything. All themes represent the coinciding 20th anniversaries of Schindler’s List in 2013 and the founding of the Shoah Foundation and the Rwanda Tutsi genocide in 2014.The video shows USC Shoah Foundation’s annual awards ceremony. 

Anny Walters and her family fled Nazi controlled Europe to Egypt in the early 1940's. Walters reflects on her life in Cairo after the end of World War II. 

Morris Gordon describes in great detail how his family and community celebrated Passover in their home in Poland. The eight day festival also known as Pesach in Hebrew, commemorates the Exodus of the Jewish people from Egypt.

Martin Aaron describes his experience of being liberated from the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in Germany, April 1945.

April 7, 2014:  USC students in the Shoah Foundation Student Association coordinated a vigil for the 20th anniversary of the 1994  Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, structured around "Remember, Unite, Renew" -- the three themes of Kwibuka20, the international movement to commemorate 20 years since the genocide. Students read excerpts of survivor testimony, gave speeches, performed an original piano-violin duet (written by 2013 PWP Rwanda student Ambrose Soehn), and gathered for a traditional Rwandan dance performance.

Rose Kohn remembers how her mother’s life was spared during the camp selection process in Auschwitz II-Birkenau. Rose and her mother, Mary were then transferred to Bergen-Belsen. Mary and her daughter survived several concentration camps together and after liberation immigrated to the United States.

Francoise Muteteli describes how her work at a Rwandan Genocide memorial is helping preserve the memory of the Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda.

Roman Weingarten describes the traditions of Passover including cleaning of the home to remove all traces of chametz, leavened products. Strict dietary laws prohibit the consumption of leavened substances for the eight days of the holiday. Also known as Pesach in Hebrew, the holiday commemorates the Exodus of the Jewish people from Egypt.

Arshag Dickranian, Armenian Genocide survivor reflects on his decision to give his testimony.

Aurora Mardiganian speaks here as a survivor of the Armenian Genocide. But from 1918-1920, she was also the face of the Genocide to literally millions of Americans and to others throughout the world. Her tragic, horrific story was told through a 1918 semi-autobiographical book, Ravished Armenia, and a 1919 screen adaptation, also known as Auction of Souls. With the immediacy of a newsreel, the human side to the Genocide was brought to the screen.

Abraham Zuckerman was saved by Oskar Schindler, when he was selected to work in Schindler’s factory. Zuckerman reflects on his decision to give his testimony and the importance of collecting survivor and eyewitness testimonies to the Holocaust.

Marcel Lissek speaks on attending Holocaust Remembrance Day commemorations in his community and how the ceremonies have evolved over the years. In Hebrew, Holocaust Remembrance Day is called Yom HaShoah, which remembers and honors the victims of the Holocaust. It is observed by most Jewish communities on the 27th of Nissan.

Sol Blaufeld recalls the liberation of Dachau concentration camp by American forces on April 29, 1945.

(28 min) Five survivors of the Sobibor death camp discuss their participation in the camp uprising of 1943.

Kurt Herrmann describes his deportation experience and living conditions of the Riga ghetto in Latvia. 

Celina Biniaz speaks on the importance of educating others to stand up to bigotry and fight intolerance. She reflects on how she has implemented those teachings in her career as an educator and also as a mother and grandmother.

Footage of the special event held April 25, 2014, on the campus of the University of Southern California announcing USC Shoah Foundation's launch of the Center for Advanced Genocide Research. Institute founder and USC Trustee Steven Spielberg was present to make the announcement with USC President C.L Max Nikias. A panel discussion followed with Dean of USC Dornsife College Steve Kay, USC Shoah Foundation Executive Director Stephen D.