901-754-9404
My List0

We've now made it easier for you to research and save your favorite keynotes speakers. Click on the + sign to add a speaker to your Speaker List and email your favorites to colleagues and friends.

using System.Text.RegularExpressions;
Immaculée Ilibagiza

Immaculée Ilibagiza

    • 1994 Rwandan genocide survivor
    • UN Ambassador
    • Author of NYT Best Seller "Left to Tell"
Full Bio
In Person-Fee 🛈

Please inquire

Virtual Fee:

Please Inquire

Travels From

New York

Left to Tell

Left to Tell

Rwandan Tutsi Forgives

Rwandan Tutsi Forgives

Immaculée Ilibagiza Speaker Biography


Immaculée Ilibagiza is a living example of faith put into action. Ilibagiza’s life was transformed dramatically during the 1994 Rwandan genocide where she and seven other women spent 91 days huddled silently together in the cramped bathroom of a local pastor's house. Ilibagiza entered the bathroom a vibrant, 115-pound university student with a loving family—she emerged weighing just 65 pounds to find her most of her family had been brutally murdered.

Ilibagiza credits her salvage mostly to prayer and to a set of rosary beads given to her by her devout Catholic father prior to going into hiding. Anger and resentment about her situation were literally eating her alive and destroying her faith, but rather than succumbing to the rage that she felt, Ilibagiza instead turned to prayer. She began to pray the rosary as a way of drowning out the negativity that was building up inside her. Ilibagiza found solace and peace in prayer and began to pray from the time she opened her eyes in the morning to the time she closed her eyes at night. Through prayer, she eventually found it possible, and in fact imperative, to forgive her tormentors and her family's murderers.

Ilibagiza’s strength in her faith empowered her to stare down a man armed with a machete threatening to kill her during her escape. She also later came face to face with the killer of her mother and her brother and said the unthinkable, "I forgive you." Ilibagiza knew, while in hiding, that she would have to overcome immeasurable odds without her family and with her country destroyed. Fortunately, Ilibagiza utilized her time in that tiny bathroom to teach herself English with only The Bible and a dictionary; once freed she was able to secure a job with the United Nations.

In 1998, Ilibagiza immigrated to the United States where she continued her work with the UN. During this time she shared her story with co-workers and friends, who were so impacted they insisted she write it down in book form. Three days after finishing her manuscript she met best-selling author, Dr. Wayne W. Dyer, who, within minutes of meeting her, offered to publish her book. Dyer is quoted as saying, "There is something much more than charisma at work here—Immaculée not only writes and speaks about unconditional love and forgiveness, but she radiates it wherever she goes."

Ilibagiza’s first book, Left to Tell; Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust (Hay House) was released in March of 2006. Left to Tell quickly became a New York Times best seller. To date it has been translated into 15 languages worldwide. Ilibagiza’s story has also been made into a documentary titled The Diary of Immaculée. She has appeared in numerous media including 60 Minutes, CNN, EWTN, The Aljazeera Network, The New York Times, USA Today, Newsday and many other domestic and international outlets. She was recently featured in Michael Collopy's Architects of Peace project, which has honored legendary people like Mother Teresa, Jimmy Carter, Nelson Mandela and the Dalai Lama.

Ilibagiza has received honorary doctoral degrees from The University of Notre Dame, Saint John's University and Walsh University. She has been recognized and honored with numerous humanitarian awards including: The Mahatma Gandhi "International Award for Reconciliation and Peace" 2007; a finalist as one of Belifnet.com's "Most Inspiring People of the Year 2006," and a recipient of the American Legacy's "Women of Strength & Courage Award". Left to Tell has received a Christopher Award "affirming the highest values of human spirit," and been chosen as Outreach magazine's selection for "Best Outreach Testimony/Biography Resource of 2007." Left to Tell has been adopted into the curriculum of dozens of high schools and universities, including Villanova University, which selected it for the 2007-2008 "One Book Program," making Left to Tell mandatory reading for 6,000 students.

Ilibagiza recently hosted a documentary titled Ready to Forgive, An African Story of Grace, a project sponsored by The Evangelical Lutheran Church of America. The film focuses on the Acholi people of Northern Uganda and their desire to forgive their tormentors. Ready to Forgive has been broadcasted on NBC and the Hallmark Channel.

Ilibagiza recently signed a contract with MPower Pictures to produce a major motion picture about her story.

Today Ilibagiza is regarded as one of world's leading speakers on peace, faith and forgiveness. She has shared her universal message with world dignitaries, school children, multinational corporations, churches and at many conferences. Ilibagiza works hard to spread her message and to raise money for her Left to Tell Charitable Fund which directly benefits the children orphaned by the genocide.

Left to Tell: A Story of Peace, Hope and Forgiveness
In a moving and unforgettable presentation, Immaculée Ilibagiza shares with audiences her experience surviving the Rwanda genocide. She discusses the political and social factors that led up to the genocide, how she struggled to stay alive, and where she is today. Immaculée then shares what led her to be able to forgive her killers, and how that kind of compassion and strength translates into everyday life. Her incredible story and attitude to overcome will encourage everyone who listens to her to hold onto hope.

Related Speakers

Jim Loehr, Inspiration Speaker

Jim Loehr

World-Renowned Performance Psychologist

Catriona Wallace Speaker

Catriona Wallace

Customer Experience Futurist

Javier Pena Speaker

Javier Pena

Transforming Individuals & Organizations Through the Power of Music

Kim Blue, keynote speaker

Kim Blue

Chief People Officer and Positive Disruptor at OpenExchange

Robert Richman, Speaker

Robert Richman

Corporate Culture Architect

Tracy Brown, keynote speaker

Tracy Brown

President of Diversity Trends

Alex Weber , Speaker

Alex Weber

International Speaker

Angela Gaffney

Angela Gaffney

Wellness Speaker & consultant specializing in nutrition

Kathy Dempsey, Communications Speaker

Kathy Dempsey

President of KeepShedding! Inc.

Mark Noon, keynote speaker

Mark Noon

Retired Air Force Officer

Zunaira Munir, Teambuilding Speaker

Zunaira Munir

Blue Ocean Strategy

Steve Rizzo, Comedian Speaker

Steve Rizzo

Motivational Keynote Speaker

Reviews

Testimonials

We work with a lot of speaking organizations... Let me tell you - ESB is the best! Matt Meyer is by far the best agent to work with!

Warrior Rising

Everyone on the ESB team (Matt, Sheryl, etc.) has been great to work with for our events. Looking forward to keep working with ESB!

Plexus Worldwide

We had a positive experience with ESB. Matt Meyer is a great communicator and easy to get a hold of. He helped us through the process to make..

BNSF

ESB was patient, thorough, and responsive during the planning process. Thank you for making this such a great experience for us!

ConnectWise

ESB supported our needs and the needs of our speaker throughout the entire process. I highly recommend working with ESB to find your next spe..

DogWatch

"It's always a pleasure to work with ESB. Very professional and personable staff. Thanks!"

Testimonial | Texas Society of Architects

"Excellent! Thank you for being a true partner to our organization and its development."

HCA Healthcare

"They are the only speakers bureau I will even consider using!"

Testimonial | Youth Villages

A wonderful bureau to work with! Big ups to everyone who helped make our event a success. Fingers crossed we get the chance to collaborate fo..

MDRT | Testimonial

"As always, you are the best most responsive speaker bureau I've ever worked with!"

Image Media
Need Suggestions? Have Questions?

Need Suggestions? Have Questions?

Call to discuss how we can you help find the right speaker(s) for your organization.

© 2024 Executive Speakers Bureau. All Rights Reserved.

Design and Developed by eBiz Solutions

Get Ideas in 1 hour or less

Executive Speakers Bureau consistently receives praises about our speed and efficiency. From the beginning of your event planning, our extensive online speaker database and resourceful staff allow us to quickly equip you with the best speaker for your event.

Need a last minute speaker? No worries. Our speed and efficiency help us give you ideas for speakers in one hour or less.