Youth have been advised to have self respect and motivation to work hard if sustainable peace, unity and reconciliation are to be achieved.

This was said Thursday by Fatuma Ndangiza, the Executive secretary of the National Unity and Reconciliation Commission (NURC). She was addressing youth representatives from all over the country, at Hotel Hilltop, Kigali.

She added that young people have various interests that should be contained in order to fully involve them in national peace building.

"That is why we have already started a countrywide campaign to create Unity and Reconciliation clubs in schools,” said Ndangiza ahead of the reconciliation week that runs from 17 to 21 November.

She explained the core principles of NURC that include desisting from segregation based on ethnicity and to bring to an end the dehumanisation that was widely practiced before and during the 1994 Tutsi Genocide. According to Ndangiza, due to poor government policy, it took Rwanda 30 years to have another university.

"Before the Genocide, there was only one university that offered education to a selected few. And in 30 years, less than 3,000 students were admitted,” she revealed.

She further disclosed that as a way of instilling one spirit in all youth, all Senior six leavers would be required to attend the traditional solidarity camp popularly known as Ingando.

"We are also working closely with university leaders to introduce books containing facts about Rwanda, especially her unpleasant history,” she added.

Ndangiza also said that the commission would employ different means like sports and music to implement the national policy at various levels thereby uprooting the Genocide ideology.

She concluded by encouraging youth to continue spearheading the fight against Aids and thanked all those who participated in the recently executed Youth General Cleanliness program.

Andrea Purdekora, a participant and PHD student in England said that this effort would promote general unity and reconciliation which, according to her, is the true foundation for peace and development.

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