More than 1,500 youth from across the City of Kigali convened at the Petit Stade to honour fellow youth killed in the Genocide against the Tutsi 22 years ago.

The commemoration event was held on Saturday and also marked the closure of week-long activities by the youth in which they helped vulnerable Genocide survivors countrywide.

Jean-Philbert Nsengimana, the Youth and ICT minister urged the youth to actively participate in activities that aspire to build the nation, but also take the initiative to fight against the genocide ideology.

"Today we are concluding the remembrance week that featured a number of activities mainly those that encourage youth to actively take part in actions that not only change their lives but also advance the country’s economy,” he said.

Adding that, "fighting genocide ideology among the youth was at the heart of our activities. We clearly understand that it’s one of the biggest issues that we are experiencing today. We have been teaching the young people to use different means to fight this prevalent issue especially using the social media tools.”

The event also featured music performance, reading and screening of the names of some of the youth who were killed in 1994, and also a short play depicting the story of Genocide which was presented by a youth organisation, Peace and Love Proclaimers (PLP).

Addressing the youth, the Executive Secretary of the National Commission for the Fight against Genocide (CNLG) Dr. Jean-Damascène Bizimana said; "Let us make the act of remembrance part of our lives, get involved in things that matter, take responsibilities to challenge those who deny the Genocide through different ways, and also be part of the transformative journey of our nation.”

He urged them to read widely about the country’s history particularly about the genocide, visit museums and also engage in various dialogues where they can learn about their identity.

"You really can’t be able to tell the world about Rwanda when you don’t have any idea about your history,” he added.

Bizimana also called upon schools to establish clubs like anti-genocide, never again, and others that educate students about the Genocide.