'Walk to Remember' and the fight against Genocide denial

Robert Kayihura, 20, on Sunday afternoon joined over 2,000 young people for a 30-minute walk from Parliament Building to Amahoro Stadium, dubbed ‘Walk to Remember’. The walk, led by the First Lady, Jeannette Kagame, aimed at honouring the over one million victims of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi as well as demonstrating a firm stand against Genocide denial. For Kayihura and other participants, it was a silent acknowledgement of the reality of the Genocide which resonates with this year’s theme; “Remember, unite, renew” with a special focus on fighting Genocide denial and revisionism. The walk, which was taking place for the 7th year running, has become a common feature in commemoration events not only in Rwanda but across the globe, with the majority of participants being young people. Like Kayihura, thousands of Rwandans and friends of Rwanda have been taking part in similar walks since the commencement of the annual commemoration week, with an aim of ensuring that the memory of the Genocide lives on. One of the co-founders of the initiative, Marc Gwamaka, said that though the initiative aimed at giving meaning to the ‘Never Again’ pledge, it has over the years played a critical role in making a stand against genocide ideology. Noting that mass education about the 1994 Genocide was one of the most effective tools to deal with its denial, Gwamaka said that the walks provide a platform for teaching people across the world about the Genocide. Gwamaka said that taking part in the walk is an acknowledgement of the occurrence of the tragedy and taking a stand against its ideology. “Whenever young people walk, whether in Rwanda or across the world, it serves as education to people in various communities about the Genocide and its effects. The walk is in itself a tool for education,” Gwamaka said. He added that scaling up the activity in Rwanda and other parts of the world will help in the fight against Genocide denial. Last years Walk to remember. (File) Clarisse Umutoni, a mother of two boys, participated in the walk in Kigali on Sunday, with her two sons, so that they can not only learn about the Genocide but also reflect on the fate of their relatives. This, she is optimistic, will mold them into activists against genocide ideology. “They may not have been born when the Genocide occurred or even know those who perished in the Genocide but participation shows respect for those who died and a stand that we should never watch on as Rwanda or any other nation plunge into atrocities,” Umutoni said. In London, United Kingdom, the Rwandan Community Association on April 7 walked to the British Broadcasting Corporation as a sign of standing up against Genocide denial. The broadcasting corporation, in October last year aired a controversial documentary ‘Rwanda’s Untold Story’ which has widely been condemned as a tool to denigrate the 1994 Genocide. The demonstrators in London presented a protest letter addressed to the Director General of the corporation, Tony Hall, which challenged the kind of journalism that “brutalises, traumatises and belittles Genocide survivors.” The initiatives role in fighting Genocide denial and ideology was also commended by scholars and academics who noted that it would help prevent distortion of history. Dr Alice Karekezi, a senior lecturer and researcher University of Rwanda’s College of Arts and Social Sciences– Centre for Conflict Management, said during the annual walks, participants also make a commitment to do all it takes to get past the tragedy. “We walk to pass on the memory of Rwanda’s pre-Genocide history. Memory manipulation and (mis)management has been a critical tool in seeking legitimacy for political power. It is important that memory practices find their due place in the collective effort of post-conflict rehabilitation,” Dr Karekezi said.

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'Walk to Remember' and the fight against Genocide denial