The Minister of National Unity and Civic Engagement, Jean-Damascène Bizimana has urged members of Unity Club to take interest in the country’s history, saying that it’s their responsibility and it will boost their effort of being torch-bearers of national unity.
He was speaking during a commemoration event that took place at Kigali Genocide Memorial on May 30. It was organised by Unity Club Intwararumuri, an organisation that brings together current and former cabinet ministers and their spouses.
He noted that talking about the Rwandan history or making deep research about it should not be misinterpreted as holding grudges but rather a quest to understand where the country came from and the need to sustain and protect unity of Rwandans.
He delivered a dialogue titled; "We chose to be one” where he explained how unity of Rwandans existed before colonialists came, how it was destroyed by Genocide and how the country strives to build, sustain and protect it.
He quoted different missionaries to prove how Rwandans had unity between themselves and gave examples reflecting how colonialists divided them, how the government only served Hutu and abused the Tutsi which led to Genocide against the Tutsi, as well as how the liberation war was crucial for RPF Inkotanyi to claim their right and return in their country with an aim of bringing back the unity of Rwandans.
Unity Club was founded on February 28, 1996 by Jeannette KAGAME, the current First Lady of Rwanda.
It brought together spouses of male and female cabinet members with the aim of promoting cohesion amongst themselves and work together to enhance unity and peace while contributing to the socio-economic development of the country that was emerging from the Genocide against the Tutsi.
This then inspired the name; Unity Club INTWARARUMURI (Torch bearer).
According to Regine Iyamuremye, Executive and General Secretary of Unity Club, it is important for members to commemorate Genocide against the Tutsi because it makes them look back and embrace the history of the country.
"We cannot say that we come here to learn history because most of us know, understand and have lived it. But again, when we reflect on the role leaders played to destroy unity of Rwandans, failing to make them live together again, it makes us, who are in leadership positions and are parents and educators, reflect on what we can do and the responsibilities we have to nurture the children of the country well so that the Genocide cannot happen again,” she said.
She noted that it is also a space for them to reflect on the effects of the Genocide on people and on the country’s economy, adding that they have to embrace it as leaders because if they don’t, nobody else will do it for them.
Valentine Mujawamariya, Minister of Education who is also a member of Unity Club said that the activity urges them to evaluate themselves, what they do and the decisions they make as leaders and how all those are contributing to building unity among Rwandans.
"As we have seen, the leadership destroyed the country through the decisions leaders made. We have to evaluate ourselves in our daily work with the aim of prevention. As members of Unity Club, we also have to bow for those who lost their lives during the Genocide against the Tutsi and give them respect they lost hence being exemplars to others regarding what needs to be done to rebuild unity of Rwandans that was once destroyed,” she said.
The members visited Kigali Genocide Memorial and lay flowers on graves that lodge over 250,000 innocent victims who lost their lives during the Genocide against the Tutsi.