EASTERN PROVINCE

GATSIBO — Members of Parliament have asked students to desist from hatred based on ethnic ideology because it plunged the country into Genocide.

Addressing students of Nyakayaga Secondary School last week, MPs Berthe Mukamusoni, Samuel Musabimana and Bernadette Mukarutabana called on students to instead concentrate on their academics "because they are the future leaders."

"Fortunately your school was not cited among those tainted by genocide ideology; but you have heard about it in other schools so you should try as much as possible to fight against it for a better future," Mukamusoni told the students during a three-hour interaction.

Reflecting on how the 1994 Genocide was planned and orchestrated, they told students to draw lessons from it to avoid a repeat of the same mistakes.

"The Genocide was orchestrated by bad leaders who spread hate propaganda, but today we should do whatever is necessary to stamp out genocide ideology," said Bernadette Mukarutabana.

Turning to teachers, Musabimana urged them to spend more time with the students and wipe out any bad ideologies sudents may have adopted from their societies.

When you spend more time with students, he said, you can shape them because you get to know their line of thinking.

He also cited some reasons that led to cases of genocide ideology in some schools including conflicts between the students and the school administration, lack of transparence in schools, negligence of the teachers and lack of constant interaction between students and teachers.

As a lasting solution, the MPs resolved, arrangements would be made for students and teachers to visit different Genocide memorial sites in the country to help them [students] have a clear picture of what happened during the Genocide.

Ends