Memory serves as the bedrock of individual and collective identities, anchoring societies and nations in the turbulent seas of history. In the aftermath of genocidal atrocities, where the very fabric of society is shredded by blinding hate and barbarity, memory stands as a bastion of resistance against oblivion. For it is through memory that we honor the victims, learn from the past, and chart a path towards reconciliation and renewal. As the timeless George Santayana adage goes, Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. Memory, therefore, is not merely an act of nostalgia, but a sacred duty, a beacon of light guiding men and nations through the darkest of times to a point of historical and moral clarity, as key safeguards against repeating past horrors. This week, Rwanda pauses to remember for the 31st time. The mood of the moment has inspired the following poem: Rise and Conquer As we pause At this hour; Surrendering To the embrace Of their memory; For that is all We can do, The torrent of pain Rages on like rain; A tempest's cruel hand Tearing at the tender Shawls of our hopes; And the waves of doubt, Relentless and unkind, Shred our usual grace; Igniting flights Of arrogant despair The echoes haunt, And the nightmares cling To us who bore The brutal brunt; Who witnessed The dance of death; Heard the chilling screams, And carry living scars Inflicted by knives of hate. Yet, as we bow in memory, Genocide deniers Engage in mockery And mourn, our killers Work to erase the past By twisting our truth, Hoping lies will last; But we are marching forth Dancing to a defiant beat; A generation in full youth Ready to absorb the heat And light The heartlessness Of their dark night. We bow in memory, As deniers grin gleefully At our fragile bodies Weighed down by loss, Yet, grit emerges From bitter ground With a steely grace; A stubborn echo Of promises of a living space Where all are equal. The tremors linger, Still felt on every breath, But optimism surges, Promising their death Schemes under memory purges; For to remember, Is to learn To learn Is to rise To rise Is to conquer And escape From their cage Of hateful blight, And into the light. A poem by Williams Nkurunziza, Rwanda’s former Ambassador to Turkey April 2025
