Gedeon Patrick Hakizimana, S-CAR Ph.D. Student

Gedeon Patrick Hakizimana is part of the very exciting and diverse PhD cohort at S-CAR admitted in Fall 2012. Before coming to S-CAR, Patrick worked for an agency in Philadelphia that managed a state funded program between established professionals in Philadelphia and the refugees to help them in advancing their careers. Patrick’s interest and passion for working with refugees “stems from the fact that as a youth, the genocidal conflict in Rwanda forced me to flee my native land to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) where I lived as a refugee for many months,” he said. While living in the refugee camp in the DRC, he managed to earn a living by working with an international NGO by assisting with providing nutrition
to children. This work allowed Patrick to sustain himself in the camp but he still worried about his personal safety as there were often ethnic tensions and revenge killings

Eventually, Patrick was granted asylum to the United States where he managed to earn a bachelor’s degree in political science from Eastern University and a Masters degree in International Peace and Conflict Resolution at Arcadia University with a primary focus on reconciliation in Central Africa.

Patrick's life experiences in conflict regions have inspired him to work towards a peaceful resolution to conflict “and for me, S-CAR epitomizes that conviction very much.” Patrick regularly speaks to students and young people about his experiences in the Rwandan conflict. His message is geared toward raising awareness and inspiring young people in conflict regions towards peace.