{The Memory keepers Association aligned with the entire World to commemorate the 1994 Genocide Against Tutsi of Rwanda for the 21st time worldwide and 3rd time in Edmonton area alongside the Rwandan Community of Edmonton and other fellow edmontonians through various activities undertaken on April 07th,2015 at University of Alberta /St Jean Campus and closed officially on Saturday April 11th ,2015 at Citadel theater ,Zeidler Hall located at 9828 101ave .}
On the official opening ceremony that took place on April 07th, 2015, many people among them high profiled guest speakers participated in the moment of silence, candle lighting and wreath deposit carried out to pay tribute to all innocent victims of that horrible tragedy .Besides, the attendants of different backgrounds that were present in very significant number also watched a testimonial movie so called ‘’our future lost’’ and followed diverse remarks given in by the President of MKA Mr Muhima Rubarake Seth, Mr Superintendent Rocchio Terry of Edmonton Police Services , Rabbi Shimon Mock and Honorable Bill Smith , Council of Rwanda in Alberta .What were the main causes of that Genocide ,why do we remember it and how to manage memories ? So many including the media questioned!.
Reacting to those repeated questions ,Mr Seth walked all participants through the chrolonology of Genocide against Tutsi in Rwanda since 1959 with some prominent references to the Rwandan History under the colonial system and clarified that nobody should ever consider what is mostly said that all happened due to the Crash of the former Rwandan President Juvenal Habyalimana’s Air plane.On his turn ,Superintendent Rocchio clarified that remembering our history is one of the very best effective way to mitigate its repetition and commended MKA for bringing that to the light .”it’s through remembering and involving people like me who haven’t experienced such a atrocious human heartbreak, that you raise awareness and get everyone to know what happened and stand against its repetition ‘’. He added . The Key note speaker Rabbi Shimon Mock of the Jewish Community whose family members were killed during the Jewish Holocaust, emphasized on the effective management of memories and urged that no one has to bias with our remembrance or commemoration .”All people have to understand that we first and foremost gather to remember not because we are guilty but because we have to remember ours ‘’ He undisputedly demystified. Honorable Bill Smith concluded the day with an extended invitation to visit Rwanda that he recently visited to be able to understand the new Rwanda and get to see its beautiful people and its incomparable beauty.
While closing that official week of commemoration on Saturday April 11th, 2015, members of the Rwandan community hand in hand with other Albertans held a walk to remember from Churchill Square located in the centre of the city of Edmonton and attended to other memorial activities such as testimonies, poem and songs ,vigil and key notes presentations, activities which were preceded by both Canadian and Rwandan National Anthems performed by Rwandan –Canadian Kids. Speaking to the audience, the president of Rwandese Community of Edmonton, Mrs. Nathalie Uwantege thanked the city of Edmonton and Albertan government for its unceasing solidarity with the community she Heads and the Chairperson of Edmonton African Centre Mrs Beatrice Ghettuba disclosed that the entire African community in Edmonton stands with Rwanda to commemorate and urged the entire international community to immediately take actions against all other forms of discrimination such as the systematic extermination of Aboriginal people and the dreadful incident that took 147 lives of innocent Kenyan Christian students instead of watching like the Way they watched the 1994 Genocide Against Tutsi of Rwanda.Taking on the stage ,Honorable DAVID Dorward, Associate Minister of Aboriginal Relations who was representing the government of Alberta in that historical event shared that the Government he is part of is pleased with having the beautiful and very hard working persons who have background roots in Rwanda among other communities .’’We are so grateful to you because it’s with People like you that our province keeps prospering ‘’he expressed.
Reaching the end, Mr. Will Ferguson, a Canadian literacy prize award winning author and a renowned Journalist who wrote about Rwanda in the National Post for instance and who was the Keynote speaker of the day pinned out that the rest of the World has so many lessons to learn from Rwanda in different sectors among them leadership, unity reconciliation and how to build a sustainable economy based on the people .He added on that visiting memorial sites in Rwanda would make everyone see and comprehend clearly what happened recalling that the Global community should never listen to those who minimize and deny the Genocide Against Tutsi of Rwanda as the trustworthy facts and evidence are out there.
The chairman of MKA wrapped the day up with a great gratitude to all soldiers who sacrificed their lives to stop the Genocide and save some of its victims and recommended everyone to hold on that legacy. Will Never Again that became like a song , come to life to be a realistic Never Again ?.It all depends on you and I. Let’s engage
Article Sent By MKA Edmonton
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