About Carl
About Carl Wilkens
As a humanitarian aid worker, Carl Wilkens moved his young family to Rwanda in the spring of 1990. When the genocide was launched in April 1994, Carl refused to leave, even when urged to do so by close friends, his church and the United States government. Thousands of expatriates evacuated and the United Nations pulled out most of its troops. Carl was the only American to remain in the country. Venturing out each day into streets crackling with mortars and gunfire, he worked his way through roadblocks of angry, bloodstained soldiers and civilians armed with machetes and assault rifles in order to bring food, water and medicine to groups of orphans trapped around the city. His actions saved the lives of hundreds.
"I can still hear very clearly the sound of hoes thwacking into the earth… the men swinging them were not gardening, they were digging up mass graves…
Take a moment to try and put yourself in the shoes of the family members and friends who had loved ones taken from them. Surviving is more than just staying alive; surviving is learning how to live again.
Carl returned to the United States in 1996. After being featured in the 2004 PBS Frontline documentary, "Ghosts of Rwanda", about the Rwanda genocide, he began to receive letters, phone calls and offers from teachers around the country to come and share his experiences with students.
In January 2008, with no end in sight to the ongoing genocide in Darfur, Sudan, Carl decided quit his job and dedicate himself full time to accepting these invitations. He and his wife Teresa have since formed an educational nonprofit, World Outside My Shoes, to facilitate this important work.
Spreading the word–by bike!
In September 2009 Carl & Teresa launched their current project, "Pedaling2Peace.org." They left their home in Spokane, WA, on recumbent bicycles. Their route is taking them through Seattle, then south to California and turning east through the southern states during the winter months, and finally turning north towards Washington, D.C. Approximately 4,600 miles from September to June.
Carl uses a storytelling format to talk about the genocide and the treacherous thinking that says we can solve a problem by excluding someone.
During the Q&A time practical applications are made connecting his genocide stories with the challenges we face every day, inspiring and equipping listeners to stand up against injustices at home and abroad.
Do not feel left out if you happen to not be on the bike route, Carl and Teresa will be happy to make arrrangements to park the bikes, fly to your destination to make a presentation and return to resume riding once again.
NY Times article: Saying "No" to Killers
PBS Documentary: Ghosts of Rwanda
NPR Documentary: The Few Who Stayed – Defying Genocide:
