An intellectual debate on irreplaceability of historic documents will take place today, October 25, from 6:30p.m at the Goethe-Institut’s grand studio in Kacyiru. The event, in line with the World Day for Audiovisual Heritage, an annual event observed on October 27 to build global awareness of issues on preserving audiovisual material, was organised by IRIBA Centre.This week’s brainstorming session will be attended by people whose professional or private work is intimately linked with the survival of historical documentation-during which participates will discuss about a culturally decisive subject: “Who will write the history of Rwanda in the future? Rwandans themselves or will Western historians continue to do it?”The panelists are, Emmanuel Bugingo, Director of Sports Federations in the Ministry of Sports and Culture; Emmanuel Rushingabigwi, a media expert; Aimable Twahirwa, an actor/musician; Albert Rudatsimburwa, Managing Director, Contact FM; and Assumpta Mugiraneza, co-founder/director Iriba Centre for multimedia heritage Rwanda. Goethe-Institut’s Peter Stepan is the moderator.It is believed that the process of appropriating history is essential to a nation’s identity: there can hardly be solidarity in collectively remembering the past, unless we have come to terms with history.
