Widows of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Eastern Province have started a campaign to teach the young generation about the Genocide. The widows made the disclosure on Monday while paying tribute to the more than 20,000 Tutsis who were killed during the Genocide in Musha, Rwamagana District. According to Savelina Mukakanyambo, 60, one of the women leaders, empowering the youth to take action and say ‘Never Again’ to genocide calls for the youth to have a clear understanding of the Genocide and its consequences. She told The New Times that they were involved in a new undertaking that would see them work in local communities targeting the young and their parents. “As survivors we know what we went through…the Genocide was prepared right from the top of government structures, to schools, up to our own homes,” she said, adding that it is these very homes that should be involved in the fight against genocide. Mukakanyambo, who survived the Tutsi massacres in Musha, said it was important to learn about the Genocide. ‘‘Informing and teaching Rwandans about it, especially the future generation, is one way of preventing it from re-occurring.’’ “It is important to note that the youth understand the Genocide because collective violence has to do with identity, stereotyping and group membership. These are some of the problems youth struggle to deal with”. Jean Damascene Rwasamirira a historian, who also survived the Genocide, spoke of the need for informal education among the youth, noting that if youth could get a clear understanding of what happened in Rwanda in 1994, it would be easier for them to identify measures they can take both as individuals and as groups. Rwasamirira, said the Government had put in alot of efforts in preaching reconciliation to ensure that genocide does not happen again. “Through informal education in homes, communities, churches, etc, the youth will learn about the need to take necessary steps to avoid anything that can cause a repeat of the genocide. “They need to understand that they have to prevent violence. Each individual has a role to play, and collectively, it makes a big difference,” he said. editorial@newtimes.co.rw
