Twenty years ago, over a space of 100 days, Rwanda was engulfed in a senseless massacre as more than one million innocent Rwandan lives were snuffed out in the heinous Genocide against the Tutsi. Starting January this year and culminating on the 7th of April, 2014, Rwandans will commemorate the twentieth year since that tragic period in its history.
Why not do something different on your tour this year and stand with Rwandans as we honor the innocent lives that were snuffed out in the tragic 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi? It is an important occasion to remember the lives that were lost, show solidarity with survivors, and unite to ensure it never happens again – in Rwanda or elsewhere.
Now, commemorating a tragic event may not sound like your typical idea of ways to spend your time while you are on tour, but sometimes there is no better way to express our human solidarity with our brothers and sisters than to join them in mourning their loss and, even better, celebrating their remarkable recovery from one of the greatest disasters of the 20th century. Because that is what this year’s commemoration of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi is all about: remembering those who died; uniting through reconciliation and renewing and transforming Rwanda and the world by sharing experiences.
This year’s commemoration is dubbed Kwibuka20. Kwibuka means ‘remember’ in Kinyarwanda, Rwanda’s language, and is used to describe the annual commemoration of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. It is also a chance to learn about Rwanda’s story of reconciliation and nation-building. How you can participate A series of events will mark the twentieth commemoration of the Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda.
You can join the Flame of Remembrance tour that started a countrywide tour on the 7th January 2014 and will end on 7th April at Gisozi Genocide memorial; or you can participate in one of the international events such as Global Umuganda or Walk to Remember, watch ceremonies and conferences as they are streamed live through the Kwibuka website. At the same time, international conversations about genocide will take place in Kigali, New York, London, Addis Ababa, and Washington DC.
Finally, you can also participate in the online One million Voices campaign and share your thoughts on Kwibuka20 under the theme “Remember-Unite-Renew”
Traveling the world need not be limited to having fun and adventure. Sometimes the best thing for you may be to have a truly transforming life experience. And few can beat the bond that comes from having a truly human experience with fellow human beings thousands of miles away from home.
For more information on how you can participate in Kwibuka20, please visit
