Rwandan students in the US have proposed solutions to help combat genocide denial and genocide ideology abroad. Understanding the different stages of the genocide, establishing foundational knowledge to effectively utilize social media, having repositories in ready access for the youth and extending invitations to youth are some of the proposed solutions. These were highlighted during a virtual interaction among the students from different US universities, which was organised on May 30, 2022 The discussions revolved around the role of the youth in preventing and fighting against the genocide ideology and revisionism. The students discussed different strategies that should be adopted by youth and other organs to counter Genocide ideology and denial that is still present in some groups. Didier Bizimungu, a Florida Atlantic University alumni explained the different stages of Genocide, noting that denial is the last stage. “If they [deniers] can figure out the way to control the narrative then the generations to follow will not remember what truly happened, how the Genocide against Tutsi occurred. The youth must take up that story and keep it going because it is an important piece of making sure the Genocide does not occur again,” he said. Gladys Mihigo from Oklahoma Christian University shared her experiences of when she first arrived at school in the United States. “A lot of people ask me if the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi was still ongoing and whether that’s why I came here, whether I was fleeing from the Genocide against Tutsi…some also asked me what ethnic group I was. Part of this was down to the ignorance of many about modern day Rwanda, he said. She challenges fellow students to tell the true history of the Genocide against Tutsi and how Rwanda has evolved after 28-years in order to counter misinformation. Ricky Junior Isheja, a student at Marist College in New York shared a testimony on how organising genocide commemoration activities at school was another good way to tell Rwanda’s story. “We as Rwandans should consistently seek to educate the international community because it is our task to tell them about our history, “he said. Bertrand Bahizi, from Harvard University, explained how to address problems of youth that have been exposed to Genocide ideologies and denial in their communities. “The community should extend invitations to these vulnerable people and begin engaging them in order to counter the negative views that they have adopted, he said. However, he added that this was a process and requires consistency.
