Commemoration is an everyone’s duty – Dr. Naason

During a conference  themed : “Rebuilding Rwanda, Preservation of memory – 20 years after the Genocide Perpetrated against the Tutsi,” organized by ‘the Never Again Rwanda’, Dr. Munyandamutsa Naasson , a psychologist told the participants that the fact that certain youth exit Rwanda and go in the neighboring countries during the mourning period, should not be considered as abnormal.

Dr Munyandamutsa was reacting to a question raised by a participant named Bagabo Joseph, who considered this departure as a serious issue.

For  Mugabo who heads the  Never Again Club in Lycée de Kigali  secondary school, measures should be taken to hinder that youth from departing to neighboring countries during the  mourning period, a period set by the Rwandan government.

Dr. Naasson, a researcher in the Institut de Recherche pouir oe development et la paix (IRDP) responded that none shoud be obliged to commerate his beloved ones because commemorating is an personal affair which requires time and willingness.

Why do you want them to not travel? Don’t judge them! Everyone has his way of commemorating his/her beloved ones who passed away. Commemorating requires time, Dr Naason said.

For Dr. Munyandamutsa, the tragic history that characterized Rwanda in recent years should not discourage Rwandans and hinder them from progressing.

Quoting the Philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche what does not kill one makes him/her stronger. This should be the milestone upon which Rwandans should build the future of the nation.

He said that all societies in the world have deviant people who are fearless to kill their fellow.

For Dr Munyandamutsa there are characteristics that go together with the commemoration, namely a date, discussions on the history of the genocide and the justice towards the survivors, and finally burying bodies of the victims.

The theme of the lecture of Dr Naason was: “How can we engage the post-genocide generation in upholding the constructive memory conservation?” a motion that intended to sensitize the youth to take measures for the better future for the nation.

From the forthcoming Monday, April, 7 Rwanda will start commemorating the 20^th commemoration of the Genocide perpetrated the Tutsi in 1994.

UM– USEKE.RW