A new digital remembrance initiative is introducing a "virtual name pillar” designed to preserve and display the names of victims of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in an interactive format accessible beyond physical memorial sites.

ALSO READ: Ghanaian university unveils monument honouring Genocide victims

Launched at Kigali Genocide Memorial, on Thursday, May 14, the project called When the Pillars Bear Grief combines art, technology and remembrance to create a space where victims’ names are preserved as a central form of identity and memory.

The initiative was developed by Austrian artists Bele Marx and Gilles Mussard in collaboration with Ancilla Umubyeyi, a genocide survivor, and it is implemented in partnership with Aegis Trust.

So far, the platform contains 1,000 verified names provided by Kigali Genocide Memorial. The long-term vision is to document more than one million victims.

At this stage, the system is still under development and mainly focuses on displaying names. Other planned features will include more personal details.

Access to the experience is currently through a QR code installed at the Kigali Genocide Memorial. Visitors scan the code, enable the augmented reality (AR) option, then follow a three-step process, to load the AR scene, and finally point their phone to the ground until a white circle appears before displaying the digital artwork in real space.

Once fully completed, the platform is expected to become publicly accessible without requiring special permission.

ALSO READ: Kwibuka 32: Diaspora survivors reflect on memory, duty and resilience

Speaking about the idea behind the project, Umubyeyi said the initiative grew from a desire to ensure victims are remembered as individuals rather than statistics.

She explained that the concept dates back to her years in Austria, where she lived after the Genocide. She became interested in remembrance projects linked to Holocaust.

"I wanted a remembrance stone similar to those used in memorial projects elsewhere,” she said.

"I met the two artists who were already working on remembrance projects. They had previously created stones commemorating victims of the Holocaust, and I approached them about working together.”

Attempts to establish a physical memorial stone did not succeed because of the hosting city approval requirements, but Umubyeyi said the idea evolved into a broader remembrance initiative.

"We said that even if the stone was not possible, there were still other ways to remember,” she said.

The idea later drew inspiration from the three pillars of remembrance in Vienna before eventually narrowing its focus to a pillar dedicated specifically to names.

"For me, the names were the most important part, because before you know how someone lived or what they did, you first know their name,” she said.

"A person’s name is their identity. We did not want our people to disappear into numbers such as ‘a thousand’ or ‘a million.’ Numbers erase humanity.”

ALSO READ: PHOTOS: How Rwandan communities abroad marked Kwibuka 32

Umubyeyi said the initiative is also intended to confront genocide denial by preserving verified names from recognised memorials and archives.

"When deniers claim that no one died, how can they continue doing that when you present names?” she said.

She added that they plan to complete the project in five years. It will include three pillars, one dedicated to the history of the Genocide, another to resilience, and a third honouring those who saved lives during the Genocide.

ALSO READ: PICTORIAL: How Kwibuka 32 unfolded in Rwanda

Freddy Mutanguha, the Chief Executive Officer of Aegis Trust and Director of the Kigali Genocide Memorial, said the initiative introduces a new way of preserving memory while helping younger generations engage with the history of the Genocide.

"It will help us remember through technology, by preserving and displaying the names of those who perished in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi,” he said.

Mutanguha added that the project also contributes to efforts to challenge genocide denial and distortion.

Theoneste Rutayisire, the Executive Director of the Department of Research and Policy Development in the Ministry of National Unity and Civic Engagement, said the initiative reflects a shared responsibility to preserve the dignity and legacy of Genocide victims.

"The essence of this project clearly shows that there are no borders when it comes to ensuring that the names, faces and legacy of our loved ones are given dignity, value and respect,” Rutayisire said.

"A project like this is a symbol that Rwandans, together with friends of Rwanda, have rejected that erasure. The victims of the Genocide against the Tutsi have been restored to their dignity, and that dignity will endure.”

ALSO READ: Kwibuka 32: Nations mark Genocide in show of solidarity with Rwanda

Austria’s ambassador to Rwanda, Christian Fellner, said the initiative could deepen public understanding of genocide and remembrance, noting that many people outside Rwanda still know little about the Genocide against the Tutsi.

Reflecting on his visits to the Kigali Genocide Memorial since beginning his tour of duty in 2018, Fellner said the experience had remained overwhelming each time.

"I was not able to adapt to what I see, to what I hear, to what I experience in myself when thinking about all that [happened],” he said.

Fellner said remembrance initiatives such as the digital pillar can help societies better understand how genocides happen and strengthen efforts aimed at prevention, accountability and education.

He also highlighted Austria’s continued support for Genocide remembrance and international justice mechanisms, including cooperation with the Kigali Genocide Memorial since 2020.

ALSO READ: Kwibuka32: Rwanda will not die twice, says Kagame

Naphtal Ahishakiye, the Executive Secretary of Genocide survivors' organisation Ibuka, said the project introduces a new way of safeguarding memory with dignity.

"The genocide of 1994 did not only aim to kill people; it sought to erase history and evidence, to wipe out their identities,” Ahishakiye said.

"Remembering our loved ones by name, through technology, ensures that each name regains its rightful place in our shared history.”