Kenya | rwanda | Learning | Peacebuilding | Genocide prevention
Dr Joseph Ryarasa Nkurunziza, our Executive Director, yesterday received a delegation of 14 officials from the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC), Kenya and the National Assembly (Parliament). The delegation is on an official benchmarking visit, to learn about Rwanda’s experience on the consequences of negative ethnicity and efforts made towards promoting peace and national cohesion. The officials sought to enhance their understanding of the social dynamics that cause societies to move to the brink of extinction and the necessary actions that restore post-conflict relationships between different communities.
While at Never Again Rwanda head offices, the officials watched a film on the “journey to healing”, showing the different interventions that were introduced in communities in a bid to restore the unity and trust that was lost during the 1994 genocide against Tutsis. The officials got interested in the community dialogues and exchanges and how they have been sustained to ensure that national cohesion becomes a reality. Dr. Nkurunziza said that Rwanda has come a long way and although some strides have been made, there shouldn’t be complacency, rather more efforts need to be concerted to preserve what has been achieved, but also to work hard to attain the desired goal. IMG_1204.jpg
Citing the ethnic violence in Rwanda from 1959 to 1961 and the genocide in 1994, the officials asked what is being done to ensure that the gruesome events do not happen again after a few years. “Youth makeup our biggest number of beneficiaries, about 60%, we are equipping them with critical thinking and peace building skills, so that if anyone tries to sell the genocide ideology to them, they are able to analyses what they are told, not following blindly, but determining which values and discipline they want to follow” Dr. Nkurunziza said. Dr. Nkurunziza added that the youth need to be engaged in democratic processes.
The head of the Kenyan delegation, Hon. Dan Wanyama lauded the organization for what has been attained so far in peace building and pledged to champion for oneness and unity, by applying someone of the initiatives they have seen in Rwanda, back in their country.