Oklahoma students Walk to Remember

Rwandan students at the Oklahoma Christian University were joined by fellow students in a ‘Walk to Remember’ in memory of victims of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. The students also heard testimonies from survivors and discussed the role of the youth in re-building Rwanda. The key speaker, Tom Ndahiro, a Rwandan journalist and researcher, explained to the students that the 1994 events were an end-product of the teachings of hatred, which started years prior to the Genocide. “The image of God that people were created in was gradually destroyed by the government that institutionalised discrimination and the victims were transformed into inhuman objects,” he said. “This dehumanisation process enabled humans to subject other fellow humans to torture, rape and other forms of extreme violence. We must draw lessons from the past, fight evil and say never again.” One of the Rwandan students at Oklahoma University, Gaspard Twagirayezu, said that Rwandans in the Diaspora were proud to come from a well-led country, stating that: “Rwanda knows how to stand up and stay on its feet whenever it is knocked down.” “Rwanda has not only successfully maintained peace within its borders, but also pledged to rescue persecuted people from other countries through peacekeeping missions.” He urged fellow youth to support the survivors and tell the truth to fight against Genocide denial. Ends

National

Oklahoma students Walk to Remember