We participated in a Mass and a walk to the commemoration center before returning to INATEK for songs of commemoration and testimonies. The AERG Club at INATEK also performed a dramatic skit on unity and reconciliation to show that even though bad history affected our country, there is hope.

Later in the evening, students with candles each shared about their experience during the genocide that they remember. Some told about how they lost everything – they don’t have anyone to care for them, they lost their moms, dads, sisters, brothers and cousins.
 

BBA donated a painting by Niyonkuru Omar Joshua, a BBA member, to AERG as a symbol of our partnering with, and being close to, the genocide survivors. The painting illustrates hope, that we can have a brilliant future by knowing where we’re from and where we’re going and learning from what happened those dark days.
 
In the history of genocide, some young people devoted themselves, their energy, for bad. During this commemoration, youth were encouraged to engage themselves, and to devote themselves, for good and positive change.

See more photos from this important day

What a party! There was dancing, singing, art, film, food and all around good times.

Thanks everyone for making our launch so great. We had over 3oo people attend including special guests such as Miss INATEK 2009 and Ngarambe, Dean of Students, and Silas, VP of Student Union.

The message of peace was passed through dance, music, painting and film. Thanks very much to our guest performers, dancers from INATEK, Fly BOI, Sister Emma, M new and DY, and Maurice for his live painting event. BBA has donated his painting to the university and it is now hanging in the academic lecture hall.

painting created at the launch event of BBA

The painting is a symbol of peace – if people come together, search for peace, do any effort no matter how small, we can build peace.

Thanks also to Almond Tree Films Rwanda for their challenging film, Maibobo, and to Michel Nsengi with A Peace of Life, for his inspiring speech on peace. See our facebook page for more photos from the launch.

COMING SOON: Our next peace club meeting is coming up. Join us as we look at planning an event in April as part of the Genocide Commemoration. More details will be posted shortly.