In April 2019 we mark 25 years since the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda. This remembrance period begins on April 7^th with a national week of mourning and lasts for a hundred days. Rwandans call this time Kwibuka, which means remember in Kinyarwanda.

The commemoration period offers Rwandans a chance to remember genocide victims, reflect on the past and focus on building a united country. People across the world will consider the lessons that can be learned from Rwanda, the responsibilities of the international community and the ongoing need for vigilance in a world negotiating increasingly polarised positions, intolerance and genocide denial.

CNLG, the Rwandan National Commission for the Fight Against Genocide, has carried over an ongoing theme for Kwibuka 25: Remember, Unite, Renew.

• We REMEMBER by honouring the memory of over one million victims of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi
• We UNITE through the strength, dignity and resilience of all Rwandans
• We RENEW our determination to build a prosperous future for generations to come.

The Ishami Foundation is involved in a range of activities for Kwibuka 25, including:

• Providing Rwandan speakers to attend a range of memorial events across the UK
• Producing schools resources featuring personal stories and historical information
• Running a participatory schools programme with 25 schools based in the London area
• Convening a commemoration for Rwandans, friends of Rwanda and London schools at City Hall on May 20^th
• And organising our annual Play2Remember football matches in Rwanda and the UK in June.

Few young people in the UK today know anything about the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi. But the lessons we learn from Rwanda about the dangers of polarisation and propaganda and the courage required to resist violence and build peace, are relevant for all of us. Teaching students about what happened in Rwanda is also a way to extend and enrich existing work around the Holocaust and the Genocide Convention.

Our Ishami Foundation resources for Kwibuka 25 provide schools with personal stories about experiences of genocide, from a range of different perspectives. They also include a two-page history of the genocide and a Q&A with Ishami Founder Eric Murangwa Eugene MBE. There are activity ideas throughout the pack and further resources on the final page.

Download the pack here

If you would like a Rwandan speaker to visit your school please complete the online form.

We’re currently inviting schools in and around London to join us in commemorating the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda. Schools will:

• Learn about the genocide, drawing on our resources pack
• Produce a page of reflections for our multi-school book of remembrance
• Participate in our event at City Hall on May 20^th
• And share insights from the project with other students at school

We have a special edition of our resources pack for London schools that you can download here

We’re a small organisation with limited resources so we won’t be able to write to all schools in the London area. If you haven’t received an invitation and would like to participate please e-mail: info@ishamifoundation.org