Memory serves as the bedrock of individual and collective identities, anchoring societies and nations in the turbulent seas of history. In the aftermath of genocidal atrocities, where the very fabric of society is torn asunder, memory stands as a bastion of resistance against oblivion.
For it is through memory that we honor the victims, learn from the past, and chart a path towards reconciliation and renewal.
As the timeless George Santayana adage goes, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."
Memory, therefore, is not merely an act of nostalgia, but a sacred duty, a beacon of light guiding men and nations through the darkest of times to a point of historical and moral clarity, as key safeguards against repeating past horrors.
As Rwanda pauses to remember for the 31st time, the heroic exploits of her liberators, must not be forgotten, because they are the reason we are here, not only reflecting on past horrors, but with the freedom to dream of a better world, tomorrow.
The following poem, inspired by this reality, explores a new manifestation of memory in our Echoes of Memory series.
Courage’s gaze
From valleys deep,
Where shadows creep,
A nation wept,
A heart did bleed.
A mournful sweep,
Over a tragic deed
Heard across the land
As bloodied rain
Stained the earth
Leaving her soul slain,
And a nation prostrates;
Bowed beneath
The weight
Of blind Hatred
And infinite barbarity.
But from this shroud
Of darkened dread
Whispers rose
From souls ablaze,
With courage’s gaze
Into the darkness
And put an end
To the murdering madness.
The tip
Of the liberating gaze:
@PK, emboding
A shepherd's heart
And a nation's hope.
From exile's sting,
He saw the wounds
Of a shattered peace,
Of the broken trust,
The shredded dreams,
And the lost humanity;
And vowed
To turn around
The wheels of tragedy,
And restore sanity
Where insanity
Reigned with abandon.
His resolve inspired
Countless others
To climb
The burning mountain
And extinguish
The consuming
Fires of hate;
With many
Consumed without let.
The soldiers
Fought with grit and grace,
To shield the innocent;
Yesterday’s survivors
Today’s teachers
Of forgiveness, resilience
And compassion.
The soldiers valor
Shines in every place,
And gladdens every soul;
For they bled
To free the land
From darkness’ shroud.
Their names may fade,
Yet echoes of their deed
Float on every breath;
On every sun’s ray;
And on every smile
That greets a new day
The liberators
Came like ancient healers;
With gentle hands,
To mend the broken,
Soothe the pains,
And tame the demons.
They understood
The twisted bands
Of grief and fear.
They built bridges
Strong and vast,
To mend the chasm
And craft a future
Where kindness awakes
And unity and hope
Could bloom.
The legacy
Of these heroes
And heroines
Echoes in the hearts
Of every survivor,
Shines in the eyes
Of abana b’urwanda
Who, together,
Sing Ndi Umunyarwanda.
Their legacy stands
Like a towering
Mountain
Of Rwanda's
Infinite spirit,
And glitters
Like the golden sun,
Against any gloom
That might wish to bloom
And unsettle
The calm in this room;
For the harvest
Of her children’s
Lost blood
Must be enduring
Calm in every heart,
Peace
In every place,
Bounty
In every county,
And the embrace
Of dignity
And grace
Of our shared Humanity.
By Amb Williams Nkurunziza
April 2025