As Rwandans marked the 31st commemoration the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi (Kwibuka 31) on Monday, April 7, the government and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) announced plans to enhance the educational role of memorial sites in a bid to keep the memory of the victims and teach the history of the tragedy. ALSO READ: Rwanda: Four Genocide memorials added to UNESCO World Heritage List The initiative, which also seeks to combat Genocide denial and ideology, was announced during a commemorative event in memory of the Genocide victims hosted by UNESCO at its headquarters in Paris, France. 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. Four of memorial sites, Murambi Genocide Memorial in Nyamagabe District, Nyamata Genocide Memorial in Bugesera District, Kigali Genocide Memorial, and Bisesero Genocide Memorial in Karongi District, are inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. ALSO READ: Rwanda marks 31st commemoration of Genocide against the Tutsi The UNESCO initiative aims to train managers and staff to receive school groups, enhance the exhibitions and create educational content for use in schools. “What happened in Rwanda concerns the whole of humanity. Education and the media were instrumentalized to transform ordinary citizens into killers,” UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay said during the ceremony on Monday. “We must tirelessly transmit the history of the Genocide, out of duty to the victims and to ensure that such atrocities never happen again. Everywhere, we must make education a powerful tool for remembrance, reconciliation and peace.” The program will be implemented in partnership with Aegis Trust and the Ministry of National Unity and Civic Engagement. UNESCO plans to send a team of around 15 researchers, multimedia professionals, and Rwandan artists to help enhance the memorial exhibitions and improve signage. Emphasis will be placed on promoting the “living memory” of these sites through the digitization of survivor interviews, documentary films, and photographic projects. ALSO READ: 31 years later, Rwanda remembers The UN agency will also train memorial staff in receiving and guiding school groups, connect them with staff at other memorials so that they can share their expertise, and help them to form partnerships with survivor associations and the educational community. Additionally, new educational content will be developed in Kinyarwanda, English and French for teachers and educators to help them prepare for their students' visits to the memorials. Young Rwandan content creators will be engaged to lead social media campaigns that promote the memorials and help prevent the falsification of historical facts and online misinformation about the Genocide against the Tutsi. ALSO READ: Rwandans reflect on commemoration, reconciliation journey 31 years after Genocide against the Tutsi This initiative is part of UNESCO’s International Programme on Holocaust and Genocide Education, carried out in partnership with the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. Active in 30 countries, the programme is set to expand to 20 more this year with support from Canada and the United States.
