Law student Eloge Butera receives Claude-Masson Award and Sauvé Scholarship
Eloge Christian Butera, a second year student at McGill’s Faculty of Law, received twin honours this April. First, Mr Butera was chosen by the Quebec Government as "young volunteer of the year" and was presented with the Claude-Masson Award in a ceremony on April 22, 2009 in Quebec City to mark his involvement in community life. A survivor of the Rwandan genocide, Mr Butera has been active in organizing and speaking at conferences and commemorative days about genocide and human rights to raise public awareness, as well as fundraising for Rwandan charity organizations. He is also very involved in various student organizations at McGill.
Eloge Butera was also recently selected for one of the prestigious Sauvé Scholarships by the Sauvé Foundation. Starting in August 2009, he will be in residence at Jeanne Sauvé House for a period of nine months. Mr Butera will be able to embark on a project of his choice through the Sauvé program that combines reflection, study, community engagement, participation in conferences and seminars, individualized mentoring, meetings with prominent figures from the world of politics, business, media, philanthropy and the arts, along with exchanges with fellow Sauvé Scholars.
Eloge Butera was among the six people originally featured in McGill’s .
About the Claude-Masson Award
A tribute to Claude Masson, The “Young volunteer—Claude-Masson Award” pays tribute to people aged 14 to 30 who are highly active volunteers in their community, who, of their own accord, commit their time, energy and skills to an organization or the people of their community in order to achieve collective or personal goals. Winners are selected by an independent jury and each receive a statuette titled ‘Tara’ created specifically for this event by Serge Roy and Gregory Schlybeurt, two Québec artisans of the Cercle de créativité Terra de Laval, and symbolizing the generosity and humanism that are at the heart of volunteer action. See for more information.
About the Sauvé Scholars Program
The Sauvé Scholars Program was created for young leaders under the age of 30 from across the globe who want to change the world. The Scholars are chosen on the basis of criteria laid out by the Right Honourable Jeanne Sauvé: Initiative, motivation, vision, imagination, demonstrated communication skills, awareness of international and domestic issues, and a strong desire to effect change. Each year, up to 14 remarkable young leaders are invited to come to Montreal for the academic calendar year. They live together in a beautifully restored mansion, enjoy unlimited access to McGill University’s academic programs and other resources – including lectures, conferences and events suited to the advancement of their individual professional and intellectual goals – while benefiting from the communal life and multi-faceted exchanges with their fellow Scholars. See for more information.
Photo: Eloge Butera (on right) receives the Claude-Masson award from Sam Hamad, Quebec's Minister of Employment and Social Solidarity. (Courtesy of the Ministère de l'Emploi et de la Solidarité sociale)