The staff at I&M Bank visited Kigali Genocide Memorial on June 9 to pay their respects to victims of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. They held discussions regarding the 1994 genocide, how the country healed from it, and what lessons are learned from the country’s dark history. The commemoration ceremony kicked off at I&M Bank Head offices, where the Bank’s directors, management, and families laid wreaths beneath a tombstone with the names of the 25 employees of former BCR killed during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. The Chief Executive Officer of I&M Bank, Robin Bairstow, acknowledged the 25 employees of former BCR that lost their lives during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi and commended the efforts of the Rwandan government in rebuilding the nation. He conveyed the Bank’s support of initiatives that foster development and commemoration. Bairstow said: “The progress and transformation we have witnessed in Rwanda are a testament to the strong spirit of its people and their unwavering determination to create a society rooted in peace, prosperity and unity. “We pledge our unwavering support to the government of Rwanda as they continue to shape a nation that exemplifies progress, inclusion and unity.” The commemoration ceremony then continued at Kigali Genocide Memorial in Gisozi, where I&M employees toured the Memorial, and laid wreaths on the graves of over 250,000 victims of the genocide. Shortly after the I&M team was guided into a discussion at the Mamorial’s amphitheater that featured the testimony of a genocide survivor, Jean-Maurice Gasasira, who testified about how difficult life was in April and May 1994. Gasasira lost his parents and many of his other relatives during the 1994 genocide. After the Genocide, Gasasira explained how too conflicting the topic of reconciliation had been to understand. But he eventually forgave the people responsible for the deaths of his family so as to find inner peace, and help maintain the peaceful nation Rwanda aspired to become. Proceeding the testimony Sen. Jean-Pierre Dusingizemungu, the guest of honor, shed light on how the genocide was planned, and the role of colonialism. The lawmaker who is the former president of Ibuka, the umbrella organisation for genocide survivors’ associations, especially emphasized the importance of remembrance. “It is important that we remember and commemorate the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi because denial is not an option, and denial erases the progress we have made as a country,” Dusingizemungu said. I&M Bank Chairman Bonaventure Niyibizi shed light on the role that RPF-Inkotanyi played in ending the genocide, citing an occasion where less than 20 RPF/A rebel soldiers were able to save 1,000 lives in one instant at St Paul, with some of the soldiers losing their lives for the cause. Commending their heroism, he said: Although there are people that aim to destroy, those whose desire is to rescue and rebuild are also there, and we will continue to build the futures of many.”
