The Ministry of National Unity and Civic Engagement recently embarked on a countrywide drive that is aimed at imparting knowledge to the young generation about the country's tragic history, especially the events that preceded the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. ALSO READ: Genocide ideology persists through denial, revisionism- Minister Bizimana warns The sessions, dubbed Intergenerational Dialogue, bring together national leaders and senior citizens who interact with the youth and are organised in the context of the upcoming 30th commemoration of the Genocide in which over a million people were killed. The dialogue will not only help the youth to understand the country's tragic past but also encourage them to preserve that memory to ensure what happened does not ever happen again. ALSO READ: Genocide ideology remains a threat to unity - Minister Bizimana As we approach the 30th commemoration of the Genocide, it is important to note that despite the significant steps taken towards national healing, there is still a long way to go. The genocide ideology still lingers and it has lately taken a new twist, where its purveyors have taken advantage of new media to populate social media platforms with their intoxicating agenda. Their agenda is to either trivialise or completely deny the genocide and create doubts around the established facts on the genocide which was characterised as one of the worst humanitarian catastrophes of the 20th century. ALSO READ: Countering Genocide ideology requires facts, resources To put things into perspective, all the people under 30 years did not witness the genocide and so may end up getting preyed on by those promoting the sinister ideology if no deliberate attempt is made to educate them about the country's history. The youth must also actively participate in such educative engagements and ask all the questions they have while those that witnessed the genocide and endured the leadership of a devisive government are still around to share that information. They should also not just consume that information but also use it to counter the toxic narratives that deniers are populating on the internet. It is however important that such testimonies do not remain in oral format because this means that once such bearers transition from this life, they will go with that wealth of knowledge. We must continue to encourage these experiences to be recorded and kept for future generations.
