Kigali Genocide Memorial
We viewed the Genocide Memorial in Kigali this afternoon. It was a very harrowing but moving experience. The Kigali Genocide Memorial is the final resting place for more than 250,000 victims of the Genocide against the Tutsi. It is an important place of remembrance and learning and receives visitors from all around the world.
We started with a video introduction to the Genocide and then followed a series of displays in the Rwandan language, French and English. It started with displays of Rwanda before the genocide and slowly build up the evidence chain
Here is a comment from a survivor of the Genocide. I saw a video of his testimony and it was very real and immensely moving and human.
The Kigali Genocide Memorial is like my home. It is where i go to be with my relatives. You feel happy being close to your loved ones.But then it becomes a place of grief because they are gone. I go home after visiting the memorial and leave them there.
By Theoneste Karenzi, Genocide survivor
The memorial has five primary objectives:
- To provide a dignified place of burial for victims of the Genocide against the Tutsi
- To inform and educate visitors about the causes, implementation and consequences of the genocide, and other genocides in history.
- To teach visitors about what we can do to prevent future genocides.
- To provide a documentation centre to record evidence of the genocide, testimonies of genocide survivors and details of genocide victims.
- To provide support for survivors, in particular orphans and widows.
About Author
