Outreach Programme on the 1994 Genocide against
the Tutsi in Rwanda and the United Nations

Bujumbura
Burundi

Over 300 people attended a commemorative ceremony in Bujumbura, Burundi, on 7 April, organized by the UN Information Centre and the Embassy of Rwanda.

The ceremony included official remarks, songs of hope and reconciliation, a prayer, a minute of silence and candle lighting in memory of the genocide victims.

In addition, participants could view the “Lessons from Rwanda” exhibit and later attend a screening of the film, “Duhozanye: A community of resilience, hope and dignity".

Dhaka
Bangladesh

Together with the University of Information Technology and Sciences (UITS) and Daffodil International University (DIU), the United Nations Information Centre in Dhaka organized commemorative activities, including a seminar, poetry reading, theater performance and poster exhibition on 12 April.

Speakers included the Vice Chancellor and Pro-Vice Chancellor of UITS as well as faculty of DIU and Lt. Col. Khairul Bashar, Director of UITS who spoke about his experience serving in the Rwanda Peacekeeping Mission.

Lusaka
Zambia

The United Nations Information Centre in Zambia embarked on a two-day educational outreach tour to the provincial town of Kabwe on 8 and 9 April to mark the anniversary of the Rwanda genocide, reaching students at two educational institutions, the Nkrumah Teachers College and Mulungushi University.

On the tour, the documentary film “Duhozanye: A community of resilience, hope and dignity” was screened, followed by a discussion and a question-and-answer session.

Moscow
Russian Federation

The United Nations Information Centre in Moscow produced a DVD of the educational comic book “Tugire Ubumwe” which it had translated into Russian a few years ago.

To launch the new product, UNIC invited representatives of partner universities, research institutes, and libraries to a special event on 16 April.

The publication can also be downloaded on UNIC Moscow's website (www.unic.ru).

Nairobi
Kenya

Under the title of “Healing, Reconciliation and Reconstruction”, more than 200 students from various universities, secondary and primary schools in Kenya came together in Nairobi on 11 April to commemorate the 19th anniversary of the genocide.

The students participated in essay writing and the creation of art work on “imagining a country with no conflict", underlining the responsibility of everyone, including students, to prevent conflict. Sixteen pieces of art and 45 essays by students between 14 and 19 years of age were submitted and mounted as an exhibit in the UN lobby.

Tehran
Iran

In cooperation with the Iranian Association of UN Studies (IAUNS), the United Nations Information Centre in Tehran on 22 April held a conference on the occasion of the 19th anniversary of the genocide in Rwanda.

Speakers included UN Resident Coordinator Gary Lewis, IAUNS President Dr. Jamshid Momtaz, and IAUNS Secretary-General Dr. Farideh Shaygan.

The documentary film, "Duhozanye: A community of resilience, hope and dignity", was also screened, followed by a question-and-answer session.