Dallaire commanded the United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda and his best-selling book on the experience, entitled Shake Hands with the Devil: The Failure of Humanity in Rwanda, was awarded the Governor General's Literary Award for Non-Fiction in 2004.

His human rights advocacy work includes:

• a senior fellowship at Concordia University's Montreal Institute of Genocide Studies;
• membership in the United Nations Secretary General's Advisory Committee on Genocide Prevention;
• leadership in a project to develop a conceptual base for the elimination of the use of child soldiers;
• leadership in activities aimed at the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons.

Dallaire’s campus appearance was organized by the Office of the President in partnership with the United Way.