Overview

Former ambassador Joyce E. Leader was DCM in Kigali from 1991 until the genocide erupted in 1994 and is a recognised authority on the failed diplomatic efforts to avert the tragedy. From Hope to Horror: Diplomacy and the Making of the Rwanda Genocide examines Joyce E. Leader's time in the struggling state of Rwanda during the early 1990s, documenting the challenges and troubling disruptions that the transitioning society faced, including violence as prospective changes unleashed deep-seated social cleavages. As diplomat at the United States embassy in Kigali, Leader depicts her firsthand account of Rwanda's descent from the prospect of democracy and peace into horrific genocide. From a field perspective, From Hope to Horror follows the political quest to maintain or gain power that ultimately unleashed a three-way struggle leading to deep geographic and ethnic divisions in Rwandan society. Political wrangling played out against a background of ever-escalating violence while U.S diplomacy pushed for a democracy and peace without realising its own contribution to the violent backlash from those whose power and privilege would be diminished due to U.S policies if this democracy was reached. Violence escalated with each step forward in either democracy or peacemaking until genocide enveloped the country, ending in the brutal slaughter and traumatising of millions. Leader explores the ways in which the United States ultimately failed Rwanda by neglecting the unintended consequences of its policies in support of democratisation and peacemaking. While Part 1 of From Hope to Horror documents the unfolding of pre-genocide Rwanda, Part 2 marks lessons learned that diplomacy must take under consideration to be more effective at preventing, mitigating, and managing conflicts to avert genocide. This firsthand account of the political dynamics inside Rwanda before the genocide will not only fill a gap in the literature but will also contribute to a dialogue among diplomats and students of genocide and conflict resolution about U.S. policy in transitioning societies and the importance of making conflict prevention a diplomatic and foreign policy priority. AUTHOR: Joyce E. Leader is a retired U.S. Foreign Service officer who served as the deputy chief of mission in Rwanda and as a U.S. observer to the Rwandan peace talks in Arusha, Tanzania. She culminated her State Department career as an ambassador to the Republic of Guinea in West Africa. She specialises in political affairs, refugee affairs, human rights, conflict resolution, and international organisations.

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9781640122451

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Reviews

"""A treasure trove of information and insights. Joyce Leader's plan for diplomatic reform that would prioritize conflict prevention and resolution and her detailed organizational proposals deserve wide reading within the foreign policy and national security policy communities.""--Herman J. Cohen, former U.S. assistant secretary of state for African affairs and career ambassador-- (9/24/2019 12:00:00 AM) ""Insightful and compassionate, this book details the bitter power struggle behind the Rwandan genocide. . . . Joyce Leader makes a convincing, heartfelt case for early diplomatic interventions to stem conflicts before military involvement.""--Lt. Gen. Roméo Dallaire (Ret.), former commander of the United Nations Peacekeeping Forces in Rwanda-- (9/24/2019 12:00:00 AM) ""Joyce Leader obliges us to . . . ask how so many well-intentioned diplomats could have inadvertently contributed to one of the most murderous episodes in modern history. Her book is a must-read for all who hope to honor the injunction 'Never again!'""--George Moose, vice chair of the U.S. Institute of Peace and former assistant secretary of state for African Affairs-- (9/24/2019 12:00:00 AM) ""Joyce Leader's authoritative account of the years and months leading up to Rwanda's orgy of killing in 1994 is destined to become a definitive history of what went wrong, why, and when. It belongs at the center of literature on this important episode in Africa's modern history.""--Chester A. Crocker, James R. Schlesinger Professor of Strategic Studies at the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University-- (9/24/2019 12:00:00 AM) ""There is no better source of information on the lead-up to the Rwandan genocide than Ambassador Joyce Leader. She brings a wealth of knowledge as a seasoned foreign service officer and diplomat in Rwanda at that time. This volume is useful for policy makers and academics alike.""--Susan F. Martin, Donald G. Herzberg Professor Emerita of International Migration at Georgetown University-- (9/24/2019 12:00:00 AM) ""Joyce Leader has written a fascinating book that will appeal to students and practitioners of diplomacy as much as it will to scholars of Central Africa.""--Susan Thomson, International Journal of African Historical Studies ""This book is a bold, powerful and highly consequential work of great urgency and importance. It is essential reading for anyone concerned with the ethics and efficacy of diplomacy, of its integrity as an expression of national policy and of the human rights and welfare of the individuals it can touch. It should be required reading for anyone working at the State Department and its counterparts in ministries of foreign affairs around the world. It is a warning, a lament and a clarion call for a more just, humane, effective and accountable diplomacy that is proactive rather than reactive. It offers a blueprint for deep structural change within diplomacy and a soft-spoken and erudite yet passionate plea for greater attention and commitment to ethics and human rights in diplomacy.""--Noam Schimmel, International Affairs ""Ambassador Joyce E. Leader provides a rare, moving, and personal account of the path to genocide in Rwanda, arguing that U.S. and international diplomacy, which prioritized democracy promotion and peace over conflict prevention, inadvertently contributed to the crisis. From Hope to Horror offers practical lessons for policy makers derived from Rwanda's tragedy.""--Susan E. Rice, former national security adviser and U.S. permanent representative to the United Nations-- (9/24/2019 12:00:00 AM) ""Leader, a retired US Foreign Service officer, writes a compelling account of the Rwandan genocide through the lens of failed diplomacy. . . . This book is an essential addition to libraries serving undergraduates, graduate students, and faculty working on human rights issues across disciplines.""--C. Pinto, Choice-- (12/1/2020 12:00:00 AM)"

A treasure trove of information and insights. Joyce Leader's plan for diplomatic reform that would prioritize conflict prevention and resolution and her detailed organizational proposals deserve wide reading within the foreign policy and national security policy communities. --Herman J. Cohen, former U.S. assistant secretary of state for African affairs and career ambassador-- (09/24/2019) Insightful and compassionate, this book details the bitter power struggle behind the Rwandan genocide. . . . Joyce Leader makes a convincing, heartfelt case for early diplomatic interventions to stem conflicts before military involvement. --Lt. Gen. Romeo Dallaire (Ret.), former commander of the United Nations Peacekeeping Forces in Rwanda-- (09/24/2019) Joyce Leader obliges us to . . . ask how so many well-intentioned diplomats could have inadvertently contributed to one of the most murderous episodes in modern history. Her book is a must-read for all who hope to honor the injunction 'Never again!' --George Moose, vice chair of the U.S. Institute of Peace and former assistant secretary of state for African Affairs-- (09/24/2019) Joyce Leader's authoritative account of the years and months leading up to Rwanda's orgy of killing in 1994 is destined to become a definitive history of what went wrong, why, and when. It belongs at the center of literature on this important episode in Africa's modern history. --Chester A. Crocker, James R. Schlesinger Professor of Strategic Studies at the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University-- (09/24/2019) There is no better source of information on the lead-up to the Rwandan genocide than Ambassador Joyce Leader. She brings a wealth of knowledge as a seasoned foreign service officer and diplomat in Rwanda at that time. This volume is useful for policy makers and academics alike. --Susan F. Martin, Donald G. Herzberg Professor Emerita of International Migration at Georgetown University-- (09/24/2019) Ambassador Joyce E. Leader provides a rare, moving, and personal account of the path to genocide in Rwanda, arguing that U.S. and international diplomacy, which prioritized democracy promotion and peace over conflict prevention, inadvertently contributed to the crisis. From Hope to Horror offers practical lessons for policy makers derived from Rwanda's tragedy. --Susan E. Rice, former national security adviser and U.S. permanent representative to the United Nations-- (09/24/2019)

A treasure trove of information and insights. Joyce Leader's plan for diplomatic reform that would prioritize conflict prevention and resolution and her detailed organizational proposals deserve wide reading within the foreign policy and national security policy communities. --Herman J. Cohen, former U.S. assistant secretary of state for African affairs and career ambassador-- (9/24/2019 12:00:00 AM) Insightful and compassionate, this book details the bitter power struggle behind the Rwandan genocide. . . . Joyce Leader makes a convincing, heartfelt case for early diplomatic interventions to stem conflicts before military involvement. --Lt. Gen. Romeo Dallaire (Ret.), former commander of the United Nations Peacekeeping Forces in Rwanda-- (9/24/2019 12:00:00 AM) Joyce Leader obliges us to . . . ask how so many well-intentioned diplomats could have inadvertently contributed to one of the most murderous episodes in modern history. Her book is a must-read for all who hope to honor the injunction 'Never again!' --George Moose, vice chair of the U.S. Institute of Peace and former assistant secretary of state for African Affairs-- (9/24/2019 12:00:00 AM) Joyce Leader's authoritative account of the years and months leading up to Rwanda's orgy of killing in 1994 is destined to become a definitive history of what went wrong, why, and when. It belongs at the center of literature on this important episode in Africa's modern history. --Chester A. Crocker, James R. Schlesinger Professor of Strategic Studies at the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University-- (9/24/2019 12:00:00 AM) There is no better source of information on the lead-up to the Rwandan genocide than Ambassador Joyce Leader. She brings a wealth of knowledge as a seasoned foreign service officer and diplomat in Rwanda at that time. This volume is useful for policy makers and academics alike. --Susan F. Martin, Donald G. Herzberg Professor Emerita of International Migration at Georgetown University-- (9/24/2019 12:00:00 AM) Ambassador Joyce E. Leader provides a rare, moving, and personal account of the path to genocide in Rwanda, arguing that U.S. and international diplomacy, which prioritized democracy promotion and peace over conflict prevention, inadvertently contributed to the crisis. From Hope to Horror offers practical lessons for policy makers derived from Rwanda's tragedy. --Susan E. Rice, former national security adviser and U.S. permanent representative to the United Nations-- (9/24/2019 12:00:00 AM) Leader, a retired US Foreign Service officer, writes a compelling account of the Rwandan genocide through the lens of failed diplomacy. . . . This book is an essential addition to libraries serving undergraduates, graduate students, and faculty working on human rights issues across disciplines. --C. Pinto, Choice-- (12/1/2020 12:00:00 AM)

""Joyce Leader has written a fascinating book that will appeal to students and practitioners of diplomacy as much as it will to scholars of Central Africa.""-Susan Thomson, International Journal of African Historical Studies ""This book is a bold, powerful and highly consequential work of great urgency and importance. It is essential reading for anyone concerned with the ethics and efficacy of diplomacy, of its integrity as an expression of national policy and of the human rights and welfare of the individuals it can touch. It should be required reading for anyone working at the State Department and its counterparts in ministries of foreign affairs around the world. It is a warning, a lament and a clarion call for a more just, humane, effective and accountable diplomacy that is proactive rather than reactive. It offers a blueprint for deep structural change within diplomacy and a soft-spoken and erudite yet passionate plea for greater attention and commitment to ethics and human rights in diplomacy.""-Noam Schimmel, International Affairs ""Leader, a retired US Foreign Service officer, writes a compelling account of the Rwandan genocide through the lens of failed diplomacy. . . . This book is an essential addition to libraries serving undergraduates, graduate students, and faculty working on human rights issues across disciplines.""-C. Pinto, Choice “Ambassador Joyce E. Leader provides a rare, moving, and personal account of the path to genocide in Rwanda, arguing that U.S. and international diplomacy, which prioritized democracy promotion and peace over conflict prevention, inadvertently contributed to the crisis. From Hope to Horror offers practical lessons for policy makers derived from Rwanda’s tragedy.”-Susan E. Rice, former national security adviser and U.S. permanent representative to the United Nations “Joyce Leader’s authoritative account of the years and months leading up to Rwanda’s orgy of killing in 1994 is destined to become a definitive history of what went wrong, why, and when. It belongs at the center of literature on this important episode in Africa’s modern history.”-Chester A. Crocker, James R. Schlesinger Professor of Strategic Studies at the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University “Insightful and compassionate, this book details the bitter power struggle behind the Rwandan genocide. . . . Joyce Leader makes a convincing, heartfelt case for early diplomatic interventions to stem conflicts before military involvement.”-Lt. Gen. RomÉo Dallaire (Ret.), former commander of the United Nations Peacekeeping Forces in Rwanda “A treasure trove of information and insights. Joyce Leader’s plan for diplomatic reform that would prioritize conflict prevention and resolution and her detailed organizational proposals deserve wide reading within the foreign policy and national security policy communities.”-Herman J. Cohen, former U.S. assistant secretary of state for African affairs and career ambassador “Joyce Leader obliges us to . . . ask how so many well-intentioned diplomats could have inadvertently contributed to one of the most murderous episodes in modern history. Her book is a must-read for all who hope to honor the injunction ‘Never again!’”-George Moose, vice chair of the U.S. Institute of Peace and former assistant secretary of state for African Affairs “There is no better source of information on the lead-up to the Rwandan genocide than Ambassador Joyce Leader. She brings a wealth of knowledge as a seasoned foreign service officer and diplomat in Rwanda at that time. This volume is useful for policy makers and academics alike.”-Susan F. Martin, Donald G. Herzberg Professor Emerita of International Migration at Georgetown University

Joyce Leader's authoritative account of the years and months leading up to Rwanda's orgy of killing in 1994 is destined to become a definitive history of what went wrong, why, and when. It belongs at the center of literature on this important episode in Africa's modern history. --Chester A. Crocker, James R. Schlesinger Professor of Strategic Studies at the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University-- (09/24/2019) Insightful and compassionate, this book details the bitter power struggle behind the Rwandan genocide. . . . Joyce Leader makes a convincing, heartfelt case for early diplomatic interventions to stem conflicts before military involvement. --Lt. Gen. Romeo Dallaire (Ret.), former commander of the United Nations Peacekeeping Forces in Rwanda-- (09/24/2019) A treasure trove of information and insights. Joyce Leader's plan for diplomatic reform that would prioritize conflict prevention and resolution and her detailed organizational proposals deserve wide reading within the foreign policy and national security policy communities. --Herman J. Cohen, former U.S. assistant secretary of state for African affairs and career ambassador-- (09/24/2019) Joyce Leader obliges us to . . . ask how so many well-intentioned diplomats could have inadvertently contributed to one of the most murderous episodes in modern history. Her book is a must-read for all who hope to honor the injunction 'Never again!' --George Moose, vice chair of the U.S. Institute of Peace and former assistant secretary of state for African Affairs-- (09/24/2019) There is no better source of information on the lead-up to the Rwandan genocide than Ambassador Joyce Leader. She brings a wealth of knowledge as a seasoned foreign service officer and diplomat in Rwanda at that time. This volume is useful for policy makers and academics alike. --Susan F. Martin, Donald G. Herzberg Professor Emerita of International Migration at Georgetown University-- (09/24/2019) Ambassador Joyce E. Leader provides a rare, moving, and personal account of the path to genocide in Rwanda, arguing that U.S. and international diplomacy, which prioritized democracy promotion and peace over conflict prevention, inadvertently contributed to the crisis. From Hope to Horror offers practical lessons for policy makers derived from Rwanda's tragedy. --Susan E. Rice, former national security adviser and U.S. permanent representative to the United Nations-- (09/24/2019)

Author Information

Joyce E. Leader is a retired U.S. Foreign Service officer who served as the deputy chief of mission in Rwanda and as a U.S. observer to the Rwandan peace talks in Arusha, Tanzania. She culminated her State Department career as an ambassador to the Republic of Guinea in West Africa. She specializes in political affairs, refugee affairs, human rights, conflict resolution, and international organizations.  

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