As Rwanda commemorates for the 29th time the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, it is a time for reflection on the progress that has been made and the challenges that still lie ahead. One critical area of focus is the role of this generation in empowering the next to promote healing, reconciliation, and unity in the Rwandan society. To gain more understanding about this important topic, we spoke with Christian Intwari, the Founder and Director of Our Past Initiative.
Starting off discussing the purpose behind Our Past, Christian Intwari stated that they have three objectives. “Our first objective was to educate ourselves and other young people about the history of our country and especially on the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, we wanted to know about the root causes of the Genocide and what we can do as young people to help in the rebuilding process.” he said.
The mission of Our Past Initiative didn’t stop there. Christian explained that the second objective was to encourage parents to teach their kids about their history. The third was to involve the youth in activities of peacebuilding. By achieving these objectives, Our Past Initiative aims to empower young people with the knowledge and skills they need to build a more peaceful and united society.
During the interview, we wanted to delve deeper into the concept of empowerment, particularly in the context of Our Past Initiative’s work in educating young people about Rwandan history. We wanted to understand how Intwari defines and approaches empowerment and how it is integrated into their work. “Empowerment is a big word I think, in terms of who is empowering and what tools does the person need in order to empower the next generation.” he said.
Christian continued emphasizing the importance of exposing young people to accurate and credible sources of information. He said “In order to empower the next generation, we need to expose them to information using the right sources, because many people are being misled by social media and other sources of information that are wrong.”
So, as young people, what can we do to contribute to the empowerment of the next generation and build a more resilient society?
One crucial step is to educate ourselves and others about our country’s history and the root causes of conflicts like the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
We should seek out credible sources of information and participate in community engagement events like the Our Past initiative. Additionally, we can leverage our creativity and art to promote peacebuilding and reconciliation efforts among young people. As we commemorate the 29th anniversary of the Genocide, let us all take action and work towards a more peaceful and united society.
“Community engagements in Our Past have also emerged from 30 participants to 400 people per year,” Intwari noted. “We are working on improving the content we give to the youth.” Intwari said.
You might be wondering if all this hard work and dedication by the Our Past Initiative team is really making a difference. Well, according to Intwari, measuring the impact of their work is crucial.
The good news is that they’ve seen some great results so far! The Our Past events have sparked a growing interest in Rwandan history among young people. And that’s exactly what the organization is all about – empowering young people to take an active role in building a more cohesive society.
Misinformation and false narratives, however, remain a significant challenge to building a more cohesive society. “Believing in the wrong stories is the first effect of misinformation,” Intwari explained. “It goes to question what we are learning from our social media and what we need to do as leaders to put much effort into giving out information from credible sources.
The dedicated young man suggested that one way to combat misinformation is by ensuring that credible sources of information are readily available and accessible to the public. This includes promoting media literacy among young people and educating them on how to discern between credible and noncredible sources of information.
“All powerful institutions in the country should enforce these information as they are the best source, because I think misinformation is caused by an opposition force with wrong information that is powerful too. “ Ntwari stated.
As we were ending our conversation, the Director and Founder’s message to fellow Rwandans was a call to action, urging all citizens to work towards building a more peaceful and united society.
The youth have to continue this legacy of promoting healing and unity in Rwanda by taking an active role in understanding and preserving their country’s history. By engaging in educational events and community activities, young people can learn about the past and present challenges facing their society and work towards building a better future.
It is crucial to remember the importance of empowering the next generation and to build a more peaceful and united society. By exposing young people to accurate and credible sources of information and educating them about the history of their country, we can equip them with the tools they need to promote healing and unity. As the torchbearers of Rwanda’s future, it is our responsibility as the current generation to do all that we can to empower and support the next generation in building a brighter future for all Rwandans.
