The weariness of reliving a day that everyone wishes had never occurred returns for the 29th time, 10,592 days after that terrible first dawn. Once more, there are public remembrances, memorial occasions, reflex press coverage, and souvenir vendors. Mourners continue to visit memorial sites. Old, pleasant memories are relieved. Pictures and biographies resurface. The Flame of Hope at the Kigali Genocide Memorial and commemoration events held in the form of poems, plays, and songs hosted around the nation all contribute to the transformation of rural and urban landscapes. The way it is remembered, though, is undoubtedly advancing. The commemoration of the Genocide against the Tutsi is not a one-time thing that happens in specific places. With more than a million fatalities, towns and families are scrambling to keep up and have turned to social media to remember loved ones who have passed away. In an even much meaningful way, the same platforms are being used to connect with families some thought had been wiped out. Family members, neighbours, and companions perished in the Genocide, their stories told in Twitter threads and Instagram posts. “This is for you Mama & Papa, this is for you, my lovely sister S. & my lovely brothers J., J.& J.” A family portrait of Famille Murekezi succeeds the names of lost family members with heartbreak emojis: “Raphaël Murekezi Fatikaramu, Umubyeyi Josepha, Regis Murekezi, Usanase Mirielle, Uwase Solange.” Famille Murekezi Raphaël Murekezi Fatikaramu Umubyeyi Josepha Regis Murekezi Usanase Mirielle Uwase Solange #Kwibuka28 pic.twitter.com/9LAIr6Ox4f — murekezi pacifique (@pac_rondo) April 9, 2022 Some try to educate and enforce appropriate social media etiquette. One person wrote, “Reminder: it's Genocide against Tutsi, not the vague and insensitive term ‘Rwandan Genocide’,” and another said, “Well orchestrated to finish off a particular race. But Remember, Unite, Renew.” Michaella Rugwizangoga, Chief Tourism Officer wrote: “29 years later, still so vivid. We remember.” Using social media to discuss mental health can be a method for someone to process information or try to understand what they're experiencing, says Dr. Celestin Mutuyimana, a psychotherapist and researcher at the Baho Smile Centre. “It can aid in raising awareness of the discrimination or stigma associated with trauma-related issues. It may be a means of sharing untold tales that silently negatively impact the victim's psychological well-being.” The artwork itself contains a portion of the narrative. Digital technology is introducing new voices, fostering new formats for exploration, and enabling survivors and sympathizers to take part in the commemoration of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in almost every cultural medium, including film, music, books, and the visual arts. Football clubs like Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain curate short videos that they then share on their social media accounts to send their well wishes. As someone who was born three years after the Genocide, Tristan Murenzi, Executive Chairman and Founder of Rwanda We Want, said, “The continued trend of sharing tales on social media is incredibly promising.” It is an opportunity to educate young people who were born after the genocide, who according to him, are still hesitant to visit memorial sites. “These young people use social media frequently, so they are most likely to encounter these stories and realise how appalling the ordeal actually was.” He specifically recalls a video transition in which a young girl shows the individuals who killed her parents before becoming a successful adult. This video that compares the before and after greatly motivated him. The rise in the number of genocide deniers using social media channels to propagate hate speech and their distorted accounts of how the Genocide unfolded is particularly concerning. By referring to the massacre as a civil war and Rwandan genocide while disguising their involvement in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, they are, in a sense, following in the perpetrators' footsteps. “Breaking that silence is imperative, especially given the fact that many youth born after the genocide can read these Genocide revisionism ideas and get incited to violence,” Murenzi said. “I'm extremely proud of the survivors who continue to tell their stories in order to dispel the myths of the genocide deniers and educate the next generation. I genuinely want to commend them on their fortitude and tenacity.” Dr. Mutuyimana advises that in order to share, people should first speak with therapists. “Sharing the information on social media can be more traumatic if the information is not interpreted by the audience in the way the storyteller intended,” he added, “Because it can be more traumatizing than before to receive unfavorable comments or attacks.” Another typical suggestion is to share both traumatic and motivational stories in order to provide the audience advice on how to cope with such horrific experiences. Events are naturally magnified at the 10-, 25-, and 50-year marks. In the future, the nature in which we commemorate the anniversary may fluctuate. The internet however never forgets. The facts of what happened will remain. We’ll have a medium we can always refer back to when we need a reminder. To promote the memorial stories and interact on social media, Rwandan netizens are using the hashtags #Kwibuka29, #NeverAgain, and #GenocideAgainstTutsi. You can get superfluous information on the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi by conducting a simple search using these keywords.
