The aftermath of the Rwandan Genocide continues to affect the lives of many people on a daily basis. A suspect covering his tracks by killing a survivor, the continued presence of the former Interahamwe militias, now Democratic forces for the liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) bandits in Eastern Congo, all continue to cause instability in the region.In some African societies like Darfur, where the world is not doing enough to help, nations around the globe are turning a blind eye to focus on their internal affairs. The world’s inaction has permitted the perpetrators to continue achieving their Genocidal intent.Never Again, an international youth organisation, however, has taken fighting the ideology of Genocide, especially among the Rwandan youth, seriously.“We are involved in providing practical education among the youth so that their energy can be invested in nation building while they are still young,” says Albert Nzamukwereka, the director of Never Again Rwanda (NAR).NAR, in conjunction with local government authorities, have organised a series of learning retreats for local youth leaders throughout the country known as Peace Camps. The most recent camp which was held at Rwamagana’s Avega centre until Sept 6 attracted 60 participants chosen from local youth leaders, regional cooperatives, students and political leaders from the Eastern Province.At the Peace Camps, youth leaders are trained on the basics of project planning and designing. Nzamukwereka says they need such skills so that they can be a point of reference to the societies from which they come.Filbert Kankwenzire, a historian from Kigali Liberal University who lectured the youth leaders on the theme of Conflict Resolution, says, “History is learning from history. It does not matter how many people were murdered and by whom in 1994 or before. But we must [remain] conscious about what happened and consistently continue to prevent it from happening again.” Medal Rugerinyange of the National University of Rwanda lectured the youth on conflict resolution and peaceful co existence at the camp. He says that people should learn about Genocide not only for academic purposes but also for nation building. “We must follow all generational stages of the nation, be they children and adult people,” he says. “Never Again Rwanda’s idea of targeting the youth is a clear indication that they want to tap the energy and vigour of the young; not forgetting that they are flexible and most importantly have a future. Rugerinyange says youth can change the nation for better or for worse, depending on how their energies are utilised. During the training, Alphoncine Murekeraho, Rwamagana Municipality Vice-Mayor in charge of welfare, called upon the youth to be vigilant in seeking out development ideas and projects. Murekeraho said she believes the youth can use their time more appropriately by listening to the voice of reason instead of the murderous ideologies of the Genocidaires. “The preparation and execution of the 1994 Genocide was actively carried out by the youth,” she said. “If the youth are trained well….they will do well. The reverse is true. It is important to teach the youth properly so as to avoid a repeat of the dangerous misuse of their youthfulness.” According to Murekeraho, the Genocide ideology is still very active in Rwanda. It is a responsibility of the community leaders to teach their societies about the dangers of such thinking. The vice-mayor appealed to citizens and local leaders to take good care of genocide memorial sites, noting that the three memorials in Gishari are poorly maintained, with leaking roofs and decaying walls. “There are places where the dead have not been given a descent burial, as the bones displayed on the surface suggest,” she said with regret.Theogene Gashirabake, a primary school teacher and coordinator with the National Council of the Youth also attended the retreat. Gashirabake called upon the youth to join discussion groups with critical thinking, openness, and the promotion of freedom of expression to sharpen their mind. Gashirabake said that instead of letting young people be taken hostage by murderous ideologies they should be encouraged to learn to take leadership roles and debating skills. This way, they can join Parliament instead of militia groups, Gashirabake said referring to the Interahamwe which was comprised exclusively by the youth.Nzamukwereka explains that Never Again Peace Camp is one of several activities his organisation undertakes in complementing the peace and reconciliation initiatives of the Rwandan government. These initiatives are in cooperation with local and international partners such as GTZ, DED and SCUR Forum – a student organisation. Ensuring that Rwandan society exists peacefully, restoring life to normal, and working to ensure that genocide “never happens again” are key focus areas for Never Again Rwanda.In Rwamagana, the participants were asked to write issues that need to be tackled in order to solve genocide ideology permeating in the Rwandan society and how society can be socialized to avoid it. Cheering and dancing, the youth leaders, including representation from Christian denominations and Muslim leaders at community level, replied what they needed was knowledge. For them, knowledge is power.Gashirabake, speaking on behalf of participants, explained that these reconciliatory and peace building efforts must be supported alongside issues such as HIV/Aids so young people are given hope in all aspects of life.Ends
