Educating youth about the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi is crucial in fostering unity and reconciliation as well as bringing to an end the cycle of trans-generational trauma, officials have said.
The call was made on Sunday, March 28 during the oath conference - a new initiative that seeks to equip young people with the knowledge that helps them understand the history of the Tutsi genocide, unity and reconciliation as a way to achieve lasting peace.
The meeting, held virtually under the theme ‘uniting Rwandans under one identity I am Rwandan’ was organised by Peace and Love Proclaimers’ (PLP), a youth-led non-profit organisation founded in 2007 with intent to foster reconciliation, advocate for children rights and fight HIV/AIDS.
"We only have Rwanda, it is our country and there is neither a replacement nor spare parts to it. So, we should protect it against anyone who would want to divide us or sink us back to where we are coming from,” said Minister of State in the Ministry of Youth and Culture Edouard Bamporiki.
Bamporiki welcomed the initiative saying that such programmes showing how important it is for young people to take the lead in honoring victims of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi and commit to ensuring Genocide never happens again.
"These days, Genocide against the Tutsi deniers are using a strong weapon that everyone holds; social media.”
"Dear brothers and sisters, let us use this platform to stop everyone who wants to take us back. It is time and it is our responsibility,” added the youthful minister.
Jean-Damascene Gasanabo, the Director-General of the Research and Documentation Centre at the National Commission for the fight against the Genocide (CNLG).
"The young people have got to always be mindful of the task they have to teach the history they didn't live through, that is why they have to make efforts and learn our country’s history.”
"We have the oath to make our country and the entire world a better place...as we remember every year, we ensure that the legacy of hatred is stopped,” he said, referring to the annual commemoration of the Genocide, with its 27th edition slated for next week on April 7.
In his remarks, the Ambassador of Israel to Rwanda, Ron Adam urged Rwanda's young generation to lead the healing, unity and reconciliation processes.
Sharing Israel’s experience, Adam challenged the youth to "learn and read about the Genocide against the Tutsi and to influence the government of Rwanda and the UN to change the decision-making process of the Security Council.”
Naswiru Shema, the Executive Director PLP youth decried that redirecting the energy of Rwandan youths is still at a snail’s pace and a lot still needs to be done.
However, he told his fellow youth, "The only person you should compare yourself with is the person you were yesterday. If you look at young people before Genocide and now, you can clearly see that the future is promising.”
Rwandans and friends of Rwanda will on Wednesday, April 7, commence weeklong activities organised to mark the 27th commemoration of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
The day serves to commemorate more than a million people were killed in the carefully planned massacre that lasted 100 days, from April through July 1994.