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" There are millions of people, refugees, who have experienced the same conflicts and struggles I did. They have the same potential to defy the odds and achieve great things. "

Clemantine Wamariya

Great Things

Great

People

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" My day-to-day varies. I do some public speaking. I talk to school groups. "

" We cannot afford to lose any more people as a result of hatred. "

Clemantine Wamariya

Any

Hatred

" My formal speaking career began before a group of 10 third-graders. We drew pictures of my home in Rwanda. I told them about my mother's huge garden and our mango tree. The lessons I taught were simple. Play nicely. Take care of plants. Take care of people. "

" I am not a refugee. I sought refuge for many years, but the word 'refugee' does not define me. It just limits me and puts me in a box. "

" The idea of somebody suffering is really painful to every human. In our collective language, we all too often see those who are suffering as a victim to be pitied, to be feared, and even sometimes to be despised. I want to redirect that narrative. "

" Sharing presumes and creates equality. "

" Never allow other people to classify you based on your past and current circumstances, where you were born, your experiences, your gender, or your race. "

" To the young girl who fails to see opportunities around her: Awaken the intellectual curiosity within you. Go on, search for those opportunities and chase after them! Because when you are curious and in 'search mode,' you will meet a lot of people and learn, and when you find opportunities, you will be exhilarated rather than overwhelmed. "

" Elie Wiesel and his book 'Night' have changed my life, shifting the way I see and treat people and inspiring me to fight injustices any way I am able. "

" Growing up in Kigali, the capital city of Rwanda, I had a wonderful life, one that I have not experienced anywhere since, even after living in nine countries. "

" One of my fondest memories growing up in Rwanda was seeing everyone participating in community-building activities. This happened every Saturday at the end of month. People work together in cleaning streets, planting trees, and take care of each other by facilitating productive conversations and actions that are beneficial for the society. "

" As a child growing up in refugee camps, life taught me that many things were impossible. My older sister, Claire, taught me otherwise when her strength and resilience made the impossible possible in the way she worked, behaved, and took control of our lives. "

" I want to listen to people's stories and find strength in them. There is so much human-caused pain and suffering in the world. I want to honor all those difficult experiences and acknowledge their aftermath. At the same time, I want to really see and love the world around me. "

" The benefits of Umuganda are not merely economic. The day is intended to build community involvement and strengthen cohesion between persons of different background and levels. One such a benefit is that people can access authorities to articulate their needs and voice opinions on various issues. "

" Make your education personal. When it matters to you, you will show up. "

" Like many American millennials, an 8th grade field trip first brought me into contact with the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. "

Clemantine Wamariya

Trip

American

" If you want to learn about the history of a people, eat their food and drink their beverages. "

" In 2006, after 12 years being separated away from my family and then seven years knowing that they were dead and them thinking that we were dead, we reunited... in the most dramatic, American way possible. Live, on television. "

" My copy of 'Night' is dog-eared. The pages are filled with plastic colored 'flags' that are blue, green, purple, and yellow. Vocabulary is in the margins; phrases and sentences are underlined, some with pencil, and some with pen. Many words are circled. "

" I truly hope readers learn to believe in their imaginations and their ability to shape their own lives. That's what 'The Girl Who Smiled Beads' means to me. "

Clemantine Wamariya

Girl

Learn

" It occurred to me that memorials shouldn't be grand. If you really want to honor the memory of a tragedy, you shouldn't create areas of calm reflection. You should make people uncomfortable. Put them in the shoes of those who perpetrated and those who suffered. Then ask, would they be able to forgive in these situations? "

" Sharing is wonderful, but giving - I give, you take - often maintains the power status quo. "

" The tradition of Umuganda is a beautiful and inspiring one. It connects people to their surrounds and creates a responsible community. "

" I'm open to everything. Take me anywhere, show me everything. "

Clemantine Wamariya

Open

Show

" After my final semester at Yale in December of 2013, I made a scary choice. Instead of looking for work - feeling over-read and underweight - that for a few months I would go wherever the wind carried me. I would become a student of the world, and I would eat. "

" Labels and classifications of any type are not law, nor are they written in stone. It's up to us to be aware of this and confront it and break through it by doing things that shock and surprise people because they thought we could never achieve at that level. "

" All that I have achieved has been possible not only because of my own strength and perseverance, gained through hardship, but also through other people's support and belief in me. "

" I never thought that being a public speaker would teach me so much about life and make it so beautiful as well. "

Clemantine Wamariya

Life

Teach

" There are a lot of great people everywhere. And there are also a lot of not so great people. "

" Being able to connect with other humans is something I've done since I was little. "