Sun 27 June: Victoria-Rwandan Community Abroad livestream our 2021 Kwibuka Commemoration of the 1994 Genocide Against the Tutsi

I’ve been working on the Kwibuka Committee of the Victoria-Rwandan Community Abroad association to create an online Kwibuka this year. ‘Remember’ is the translation of ‘Kwibuka’ in Kinyarwanda, Rwanda’s national language. It describes the annual commemoration of the 1994 Genocide Against the Tutsi. 2021 marks 27 years.

Kwibuka provides an important opportunity to honour the memory of more than one million Rwandans who were killed during a hundred days of the Genocide Against the Tutsi, preserve its evidence and educate about its history as well as lessons that Rwanda and the world has learned. In Rwanda, commemoration activities run between April 7 until July 4 reflecting the 100 days of genocide.

In the diaspora, Rwandan groups have begun to open their Kwibuka commemorations to the broader public, so people may attend and learn about this important event in the history of their Rwandan neighbours and community members. The Victorian Rwandese community follow this lead, and for the first time in 2021 the doors to our Kwibuka are open to all via our live online commemoration.

As is the tradition in Kwibuka across the world, we centre at the heart of proceedings a testimony from a Genocide survivor: this year we welcome Consolee Nishimwe. We also share moments in song, images of family members lost and the lighting of candles in honour of their memory. Concluding the formal part of proceedings, Genocide survivor Omar Ndizeye will host a Q & A to address questions from attendees in the spirit of truth-telling and knowledge sharing.

SUNDAY 27 JUNE

11:00AM – 12:30PM AEST

Our event is online, streamed via Zoom in Australian Eastern Standard Time.

Register your attendance via www.trybooking.com/BROPD.

Once registration is complete, the Zoom link will be emailed to you.