As Rwanda celebrated International Day of Peace on September 21st 2014, Eric Mahoro, the Executive Director of Never Again Rwanda in charge of program planning, management and organization for promoting peace, gives an insight into how the peace building process has been supported by the organization.

The genesis

Never Again Rwanda was started in 2002 by a group of university students. During that time the country was dealing with repatriation of refugees that had fled the country as a consequence of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsis and addressing co-existence challenges that were fragile at the time. The students, who were survivors, and vividly remembered the hate speeches, wanted to be at the fore of creating a new chapter of community bonding.

This situation called for the students to break the barriers that stood between people, led by example by demonstrating to the wider world that it is possible to live, work and study together.

They developed an integrated forum whereupon they discussed issues that could unite the Rwanda community, the history, the policies and environment among others.