This year’s edition of ‘Our Past’ will be held virtually in a move to contain the spread of the persistent coronavirus pandemic, organisers have said. Created and organised by Sick City Entertainment, ‘Our Past’ is a youth-led initiative that aims to educate young people about the Genocide and to inspire them to take the initiative to rebuild the country through poetry, musical performances, drama, dance, theatre, and workshops with leaders. Since its inception in 2012, the initiative has grown in different areas, whereby the attendance of its events grew from 400 to 2,300 in Rwanda. The majority of Our Past’s events take place during the commemoration period. Christian Intwari, the lead organiser of the event, told The New Times that the initiative will mark ten years of service during an event which takes place on Saturday, April 10, on the national broadcaster, Rwanda Television. During the event, youth will highlight what has been achieved through the initiative. Through the past decade, Our Past managed to give a lease of life to four families from Icyizere village in Kanombe Sector by helping them to start poultry farming They also renovated six houses, built one house and facilitated easy access to water for five families in Ntarama Sector. In collaboration with Bugesera District administration, ‘Our Past’ plans to take similar projects to another place in the same district this year. “Bugesera has been our top target for our initiative and we are soon signing a memorandum of understanding with them before we resume our activities in the district,” Intwari said in an interview. Like previous editions of the annual event, there will be performances of poems and drama. The organising team has recorded the performances before they are shown during the event. It will also hold a panel of discussions which will involve two guests including Air Force Chief of Staff Maj. Gen. Emmanuel Bayingana as well as Jean Damascene Bizimana, the Executive Secretary of the National Commission for the Fight against Genocide (CNLG). The duo will deliver speeches on how the then leadership masterminded and executed the Genocide while they will also highlight the role of youth in the Genocide against the Tutsi. ‘Our Past’ initiative has grown year after year and extended its wings to other countries from different parts of the world whereby members of ‘Sick City Entertainment Group’ who are based in other countries hold similar events in their respective countries for young Rwandans in the Diaspora and other attendees. Same events are now happening in China, Malaysia, Canada and the United States every year.
