’94 Genocide Survivors to be honoured in New York

NEW YORK - Survivor Corps, a global network of survivors, together with the Niarchos Foundation, will today honour the survivors of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi during a luncheon ceremony to be held in New York. In a statement the organisation also states that President Paul Kagame sent a delegation of three survivors to the award giving ceremony to receive the award, on his and the country’s behalf. According to Survivor Corps the Rwandan survivors will be honoured for their resilience, by being awarded the fourth annual Niarchos Prize for Survivorship. Survivor Corps is an organisation that brings together different survivors to help them overcome the pains of war and violence to transform their communities. “During the awards ceremony, the people of Rwanda especially the survivors will be honoured with the Niarchos prize for their resilience during the 15 years after the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi,” reads part of the statement. Speaking over the phone with The New Times, the country coordinator of Survivor Corps Albert Nzamukwereka, revealed that some of the corps’ board members visited Rwanda early this year and expressed the possibility of survivors getting this award. “The necessity of Rwandan survivors getting this award was first hinted at during the board members visit to Rwanda after observing the courage and resilience with which they have faced the aftermath of the 1994 Genocide, which cruelly took most of their loved ones from them,” said Nzamukwereka. He added that the Rwandan survivors being honoured with this award is in recognition of the people and government of Rwanda for the commendable strides they have taken in terms of peace and reconciliation and forging a way forward after the Genocide. Survivor corps recognizes the strength it takes to embrace reconciliation rather than calling for revenge, a position the Rwandan government and people as a whole have adopted in dealing with the post-genocide period. Additional Niarchos prize honourees include Gaza Doctor Izzeldin Abuelaish, a peace advocate despite facing the deaths of his daughters during the winter conflict in Palestine, and Israeli Nomika Zion who champions peace through the power of the written word. Ends

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’94 Genocide Survivors to be honoured in New York