As Rwandans and the world commemorate the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi during which over one million people were killed in just 100 days, to fight genocide and its ideologies, the youth must be included.
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During the Genocide, the biggest number of killers were the youth, which is why Rwanda’s younger generation has a major role to play in preventing tragedy from happening again and building a peaceful and united country.
"I remember the Genocide against the Tutsi to protect our country and learn our history—bad or good—so that I can tell others what happened here. If you don’t come to listen to the testimonies, you won’t know what the country was like those days,” says 15-year-old Justin Kanamugire Mugisha.
During the commemoration week, sessions that bring together thousands of youth from across the country, take place to give them insight into the causes of genocide, how to tackle its ideology and fight against discrimination and hatred, and ensure that history never repeats itself.
"What I have heard about the Genocide hurts me a lot, but one thing that stands out is the cruelty in Nyamasheke, where murderers dug a 15-metre deep pit and threw both the dead and alive. Fortunately, some were rescued. But that is a horrible thing,” Mugisha says.
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Delphin Jabo, a 16-year-old student at G.S APACOPE, says she commemorates the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi because she wants to know the history, and what happened in Rwanda so that it won’t happen again.
"I was surprised by a testimony given by a man, where he said that his family was killed in the church but he survived. That shows me that if God has a plan for you, he will save you.
"When I attend the events educating the youth about the history of the Genocide, I realise the true story and what led to this tragedy. I also learn how to condemn people who want to disseminate genocide ideology through social media platforms,” she says.
Jabo believes she has a responsibility to tackle genocide ideology and denial. "I also visit different Genocide memorial sites to learn more about our history.”
"As young people born after this tragedy, we bear a significant responsibility to understand the complex factors that led to this catastrophe and take decisive action to ensure such atrocities never happen again. It’s not just a matter of honouring those who lost their lives but also of building a better, more inclusive, and compassionate world for future generations,” Robert Mugabo writes in his article From Tragedy to Triumph: A call to action for youth born after Genocide, published by The New Times.
"We are the future of our country, and so remembrance is essential. We have to learn the history of the Genocide and tell it to the next generation. Survivors may no longer be here, so we have to keep remembering and tell our descendants,” says 19-year-old Kevine Uwineza.
In her view, her role in tackling genocide ideology is mainly through the use of social media, where she can encourage her peers to avoid using discriminating words that lead to such ideology.
"There is the story of a mother from Nyamata, Bugesera, who during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, was just a child. There is a video of her showing how and where her parents were killed. It touched my heart the most,” the St Kizito Save student says.