The National University of Rwanda [NUR] is in the final stage of setting up a Civic and Peace Education course, to be made compulsory for every student at the university.

In a power point presentation, Innocent Ndahiriwe, a NUR lecturer, yesterday at Prime Holdings, presented an outline of the components of the course unit.

Splitting them into two subtopics, he explained that Peace Education, "will be based on the philosophy that teaches non violence, love, compassion, trust, fairness, cooperation and reverence for human life and all life on our planet.”

On Civic education, Ndahiriwe said, ‘‘It will enable the students to build a sense of nationhood, help them recognise the importance of sharing a common vision and subsequently, identify with their country and its problems.”

Yesterday’s workshop was part of the final discussions on the module which is expected to be implemented next year. NUR Rector, Silas Lwakabamba, explained that there had been a long history of discussion intended to streamline the new programme.

"Civic education has been on the rocks for so long. I talked to the president about it. Many have been giving it lip service. Local Government and Education ministries discussed it. Then UN human rights officials visited and promised to help us.

They came up with a programme and had to get external professionals to look at it,” he recounted before urging other institutions to include the programme in their curriculum.

Education Minister, Daphrose Gahakwa, hailed the new course unit. Citing the country’s gruesome past, she said that students needed to be helped to understand and quell the after-effects of the 1994 Tutsi Genocide.

"….this knowledge will help them to interpret some of the contemporary issues our country may be facing such as the genocide ideology…. If our former leaders had respected the rights of others, we would not have had the genocide that took place in the country,” she said.  

 Anastase Shyaka, Executive Director Center for Conflict Management [CCM] at NUR, said that the preparations for the new course were started this year in June and that the university will soon incorporate two Masters programmes, Genocide and Prevention, and Peace and Development, into the curriculum.

Ends