During one of their visits to Gisenyi Genocide Memorial Site, youth in showbiz and the media industry vowed to make use of arts and social media to stamp out genocide denial and ideology. Their visit that happened last Friday was part of the ongoing 28th commemoration of the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi. The group, which was composed of artists, journalists, promoters, bouncers, Deejays, YouTubers and designers highlighted the importance of visiting memorial sites, especially when it comes to clearly understanding the tragedy that happened in 1994. Holly Gift Niyitegeka, an upcoming artist said visiting the memorial site gave her the real perspective of what truly happened in the genocide. “It was my first time there; everything was different and new to me. I learned a lot as they explained more about what happened in 1994. I saw it with my eyes; we can stand together in this fight and ensure the genocide never happens again.” For Jean Marie Vianney Imanizabayo, aka J Fary, one of his biggest lessons from the visit was the idea of unity and how important it is for a peaceful society. “I have learned that we are one people; we need to know we are all Rwandans. This is what everyone needs to know,” he said. He also said that visiting the site helped him understand the history of what happened and how the genocide was organised. “They explained and helped us visit the site; we saw the remains of victims and paid tribute. We used to pass by and see the genocide memorial but this time, we saw everything face-to face, there is no one who will tell us lies,” he added. Need for more memorial visits Salomo Uwishema, a journalist and one of the organisers encouraged more people to visit memorial sites. He also said that as young people, they understand the role ‘show business’ had causing the Genocide against Tutsi in 1994. “It is important that we visit these sites such that we understand the tragic history that Rwanda went through. Social media and other platforms, is being used to spread genocide ideology, this is why we decided to come here and understand clearly how we need to behave and fight deniers,” he added. Jeannette Uwanejeza, the director for Good Governance Unit at Rubavu District, urged the group to share the correct history of what happened in 1994. “It is important that we see young people coming for commemoration because they share information through media and social media which respond to the genocide deniers who tell our history wrongly.” Uwanejeza stressed that it is proper for youth to get involved in such activities for generations to come as well as the betterment of Rwanda. “We urge youth to keep getting involved in such important activities. It is good to see young people getting involved in reconciliation and the development of our country, too.” “When we see young people like you, we see a better future ahead as we are growing old. You need to be exemplary to others; this is all we want from you,” said Gérard Mbarushimana, head of Ibuka in Rubavu District. The group also raised health insurance for over 100 genocide survivors whose families were killed at ‘Commune Rouge’ region, Fredy Ruterana, one of the organisers told The News Times.
