Josai International University in Chiba, on Monday, April 7, hosted a commemoration event in honour of the more than one million lives lost during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. The event, held in line with the 31st commemoration of the Genocide (Kwibuka 31), was co-organised by the Rwandan Embassy in Japan. April 7 marks the beginning of the 100 days of commemoration, which is being held for the 31st year since the massacre was stopped by the Rwanda Patriotic Front/Army. ALSO READ: April 7, 1994: The day Rwanda plunged into Genocide April 7 is recognized the International Day of Reflection on the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda. “It is a moment for all of us to comfort survivors, to pay tribute to the heroes who stopped the Genocide, and most importantly, to reflect on how we can work together to ensure that such atrocities never happen again anywhere in the world,” the Rwandan embassy in Japan said in a statement. A group of nursing students from Josai International University, who recently returned from an exchange programme in Rwanda, shared their personal reflections during the ceremony. Many said that they had little prior knowledge of Rwanda’s history or the Genocide against the Tutsi, and that their visit was an eye-opening experience. ALSO READ: 31 years later, Rwanda remembers During their stay, they engaged with students at the University of Rwanda, visited Genocide memorial sites, and met with survivors, all of which deepened their understanding of the human cost of hate and the resilience of the Rwandan people after the Genocide. “It was not just a study trip, it changed how I view life, peace, and humanity,” said one of the students that visited Rwanda. The Embassy of Rwanda in Japan said that the official commemoration event of Kwibuka 31 will take place on May 8, at Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, where Rwanda’s journey of reconstruction, remembrance and national unity will be shared with an even broader audience. ALSO READ: Kwibuka31: Arsenal stand with Rwanda in commemoration Ambassador Marie Claire Mukasine emphasized that remembrance is “a call to action for peace, a moral imperative to educate, engage, and protect future generations from the dangers of indifference, division, and hate.” “Let us remember. Let us unite. And let us renew our shared commitment to a more peaceful, just, and compassionate world,” she said. In Rwanda, the commemoration period was opened by a national ceremony held at Kigali Genocide Memorial, where President Paul Kagame and First Lady Jeannette Kagame laid wreath at the memorial, which is the final resting place of more than 250,000 Genocide victims. The ceremony was also attended by other dignitaries, including senior government officials, the heads of security agencies, diplomats, and Genocide survivors.
