Every 7th April, Rwanda and her friends start a 100-day journey to commemorate the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. During this period, we pay tribute to the million lives lost in the massacre, offer a decent burial to other innocent lives claimed, comfort survivors and re-affirm our joint commitment to ‘Never Again’.
Usually, Rwanda observes the commemoration with various national activities including; a highly attended event at the Genocide memorial site in Gisozi, a walk to remember and a night vigil at the Amahoro Stadium among many other events at the district, village, and organizational level. However, due to the lockdown imposed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 26th commemoration programs were held virtually on various digital/media platforms; labelling it the “digital commemoration”. Regardless of the changes, citizens have continued to use the commemoration period as a time to reflect on what we lost and the horrors we suffered as individuals and as a nation, as well as continuing the fight against genocide, its ideology, denial, and revisionism.
Organizational adaptation
For Never Again Rwanda, a local Non-governmental organization that was founded in response to the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, the commemoration is often a key period. We organize an annual conference on the commemoration of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. It is meant to increase awareness and understanding of the consequences of genocide; increase understanding of youth on genocide history and critical thinking and increase awareness on the linkages between memory, healing and reconciliation among other objectives. Although the pandemic has caused an unusual change, the objective has remained the same, to engage youth and to urge them to make their contribution towards combating genocide ideology, denial, and revisionism.
On Thursday 30th April, we held a televised conference with an overreaching theme; Remember, Unite, Renew: Understanding and establishing safe spaces for youth to prevent genocide denial through digital platforms. The talk show on Rwanda’s national broadcaster RTV, convened a diverse panel of experts and youth champions. Throughout the conversation, it was reiterated that it is the responsibility of the older generation to educate young people about the history of the Genocide against the Tutsi and its consequences, in order to enable youth to fight against genocide ideology, especially using the tools of modern technology. As said by Eric Mahoro “the young people are keen to learn about the history of Rwanda, reason why Never Again Rwanda organizes various spaces for dialogue that convene youth and experts….”
Dr. Darious Gishoma, a mental health expert, emphasized the danger of a one-source story. “Young people need to learn about their history, but it shouldn’t be at schools alone, youth need to read books, visit genocide memorial sites and attend different discussions, if they are to be fully equipped to counter any misleading stories from genocide deniers.” Assumpta Mugiraneza, the director of Iriba Center noted that, “the genocide was tragic and many parents are still reluctant to tell young people the truth. Therefore, safe spaces play a crucial role in helping the next negation to understand what they are not being told in their respective families.”
On the other hand, youth recognized their role in sharing Rwanda’s true stories regarding the history of the genocide. Akiteka Diane noted that, “as young people, we must also be committed to learning our history through reading and attending different spaces,” While Lionel Ndizeye emphasized that “genocide deniers take advantage of the laziness of the young people to read and write, on which they prey with misleading and revisionist messages.”
In the discussion, several interventions from social media platforms and phone calls recommended that it is everyone’s responsibility to continually and collectively fight against all forms of genocide denial, and that effective use of social media from the empowered young generation has been echoed as one of effective methods.
How youth can effectively use digital platforms
Covid-19 has cued a stark reminder of the need for cooperation and a requisite to quickly adjust to the new developments in technology. Due to the rapid changes in technology, there are many platforms where people can communicate and engage, which also provides for new forms through which people hide behind pseudo accounts to deny and revise genocide. Most people, especially youth consume information from social media platforms. Since they hold the torch for future generations, it’s vital to engage the youth on the digital platforms, focusing on teaching them about the history of the genocide, so they can demystify lies from deniers and revisionists.
- If youth are educated about genocide, they would know how to make good use of digital platforms to confront genocide deniers with facts.
- Youth can also greatly contribute towards changing the mindset of ill-intentioned individuals or even their fellow youth that lack a comparison base.
- Youth can share their experiences on how they have countered deniers in their communities and families
- Most people outside Rwanda sometimes do not understand and are not aware of the reality of genocide, which explains why they have skewed ideologies. Rwandan youth can use technology to inform their counterparts in other countries.
Rwanda slipped into its darkest time in the Genocide against the Tutsi that claimed over a million lives in just 100 days in 1994. There is hope of “Never Again” if youth are taught about the history of the genocide, the post-genocide society and the transitional justice, which will be facts to tackle genocide denial and ideology. Fighting against genocide denial ought to be a deliberate and continuous struggle from all fronts.