Rwanda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Relations, Olivier Nduhungirehe, delivered a message on the dangers of hate speech during a fireside chat at the 79th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA79) on Wednesday, September 25.

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Hosted by Alice Wairimu Nderitu, UN Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide, the discussion focused on addressing the rising threat of hate speech globally.

Speaking from Rwanda’s history of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, Nduhungirehe warned that similar tragedies could occur in any nation where hate is allowed to flourish.

"Genocide can happen anywhere when hatred is allowed to overcome our shared humanity,” Nduhungirehe said, drawing on the Rwandan experience as the country commemorates the 30th anniversary of the Genocide against the Tutsi, which claimed more than one million lives.

"It all started with hate speech—victims were dehumanized, called ‘cockroaches’ and ‘snakes,’ and in just 100 days, over one million lives were lost,” he said.

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The minister said the world can draw two main lessons from the Rwandan experience.

"The first lesson is that genocide can happen anywhere, no country is immune when hate speech goes unchecked,” he said.

"The second lesson is that hate can be unlearned. It&039;s a reversible process if we take the right steps.”

Nduhungirehe shared insights into Rwanda’s efforts in dealing with the effects of the Genocide, and the fight against hate speech and genocide denialism and ideology.

"At the national level, we have grassroots initiatives and community dialogues aimed at educating the population about the dangers of hate speech and genocide ideology. Internationally, Rwanda continues to fight denial by advocating for accountability [ for perpetrators] and justice for the victims,” Nduhungirehe said.

Nduhungirehe also underscored the importance of involving young people in the fight against genocide denial and hate speech.

"Our youth are crucial in this fight. We must educate them about the dangers of hate so that they can carry the lessons forward and ensure such atrocities are never repeated,” he said.

A call for global action

The minister’s address comes at a time when hate speech is increasingly fueling violence and division in many parts of the world and in the Great Lakes Region in particular.

Nduhungirehe called for a united international effort to tackle this growing problem, reminding global leaders that preventing hate speech today is essential to preventing the atrocities of tomorrow.

"Today in eastern DR Congo, Congolese Tutsis are being targeted by the same hate speech that fueled the genocide in Rwanda decades ago. If nothing is done, history could repeat itself,” he said.

Later on, Nduhungirehe and Nderitu visited the newly installed "Kwibuka Flame of Hope” monument, which honours the commemoration of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.

Located at the UN Headquarters in New York, the monument, which was installed on September 11, serves as a reminder of the shared responsibility in preventing similar atrocities.