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Rwanda We Want understood that for the youth to become great leaders of tomorrow, they have to first understand their true identity which we all share as Rwandans; whom they are aspiring to lead.
This conference was organized in partnership with Bugesera District. It gathered all the secondary schools located in that district. In his opening remarks, the mayor of Bugesera district Mr. Richard Mutabazi welcomed everyone and commended Rwanda We Want organization for the initiative.
The panelists were Hon. Edouard Bamporiki who is the Chairman of National Itorero commission, the Deputy Director General of Imbuto Foundation Madam Geraldine Umutesi and the Nyamata Parish Priest Fr. Emmanuel Nsengiyumva; the moderator was Mr. Murenzi Tristan _Executive chairman & founder of Rwanda We Want Organization.
The panelists were asked why we discuss about our identity?
Hon. Bamporiki Edouard simply explained that we discuss about our identity because it was greatly affected by our past, and having a country like ours that passed through genocide, we have to pay attention to detail and take nothing for granted.
He continued saying that for our country to witness the genocide against Tutsi in 1994, it was because our ethnics were given much room and importance in our lives than our identity of being “Rwandan” therefore we have to help each other understand that before anything else, we are Rwandans.
The parish priest of Nyamata parish Fr. Emmanuel Nsengiyumva continued explaining the role of the catholic church (his parish in particular) in supporting the programme where he showed that for this to be achieved, Rwandans should reconcile first; those who committed Genocide with the genocide survivors.
He went ahead and described the reconciliation program that they have started in their parish where the Genocide perpetrators are taught to ask for forgiveness and cooperate with officials in unveiling where they put the bodies of those they killed, and on the other hand, the genocide survivors are taught to forgive and reconcile with Genocide perpetrators.
He concluded that it is only after reconciliation that they can understand better their true identity as Rwandans.
With that having been said, Mme Geraldine slightly took us a little bit back by telling us that for one to reconcile or to forgive others, you have to heal first.
She then illustrated some steps that may help someone to heal from the wounds caused by the Genocide; Acknowledging that you have those wounds, Mourning and then resilience.
Among some of the youth’s worries there recurred the problem of whether the current social categories “ibyiciro by’ubudehe” might not take us back to square one.
The mayor of Bugesera district Mr. Mutabazi Richard in his closing remarks, responded to the problem of social categories “ubudehe” saying that these social classes were put there to be in favor of Rwandans and to help the ones who are in poverty to access basic needs such as medical facilities and development programs therefore the problem is not social classes but rather using them wrongly against one another.