Young Generation training in the area of Holocaust and genocide prevention is vital to creating a tolerant society and a bright future free of genocide ideology. It is in that perspective that Peace Education Initiative Rwanda trained youth representatives from clubs affiliated with Peacedu to raise their understanding about the Holocaust and 1994 Genocide against Tutsi and turn the world into a safe and peaceful place for all human beings. Youth that is equipped with enough knowledge and skills about Holocaust constitute the greatest inspiration to their fellows; so, Peacedu provides much support to the clubs’ representative in especially in the area of Holocaust and Genocide in order to equip them with knowledge and skills to eventually pass the information to other club members and fellow students as well. On 26th October 2018, Peace Education Initiative with youth representing clubs affiliated to it visited Kigali Genocide Memorial to learn and see the Holocaust memories.
Kigali Genocide Memorial not only contains pieces of evidence of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi but also history and pieces of evidence of the Jewish Holocaust. So, the Peace Education Initiative Rwanda took the club representatives to visit the Kigali Genocide Memorial to further their understanding of the Holocaust and the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
The participants explored the Holocaust memoirs and understood the important divisions of the Holocaust is important; those divisions are the period from 1933-1938, the period of 1939-1945 and the period after 1945. Also, participants learned more about the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi and they discussed the role played by propaganda in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. They also discussed major ways of preventing Genocide. They also learned about the reality, and consequences of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda as well as the importance of remembering genocide so that it can never happen again.
At the end of the visit, Albert Rutikanga, the Executive Director of Peace Education Initiative Rwanda called upon the participants to develop critical thinking and resist any manipulation of anyone who wants to bring any kind of discrimination. Again, the participants lit a flame of remembrance to build hope for a better future. Flame of Remembrance is a light that will shine on Rwanda’s path for eternity. It symbolizes the hope as a nation and the light we want to live in as a people. The participants decided to fight so that it always burns bright.