05:23
rwandaexpress
The Kigali Memorial Center: Aegis plans to construct a peace bulding center here
Aegis trust, an international organization which manages the Kigali Genocide memorial has kicked-off a fundraising campaign for the construction of a peace-building center at the Kigali memorial center.
The planned Center will offer anti-Genocide education programs with an initial target of two million young Rwandans.
Aegis’ peace-building programme helps young people to learn about the dangers of prejudice, and building trust between the children of survivors and perpetrators of the Genocide.
According to Aegis Trust, the idea of setting up the US$3 million complex was an inspiration from the White Rose movement, a student resistance group in Germany, which became known for an anonymous leaflet campaign that called for active opposition against the genocidal Nazi regime.
Through its peace building work, Aegis Trust education and peace-building work has taught over 11,000 students about the errors of the past and developing the kind of thinking that would ensure that it should never be repeated again.
Recent independent analysis has found that not only is the programme changing attitudes and behaviour among the students taking part, but also among the school communities from which they come – including fellow students who didn’t attend.
It is in this spirit that last Sunday the project received a boost when local business people in partnership with friends of Rwanda raised more than $100, 000 in both cash and pledges.
The fundraising took place during a White Rose Gala Dinner organised by Aegis Trust. The dinner was attended by the First lady Mrs. Jeannette Kagame.
In her speech, the First Lady emphasised the need for the programme to reach more people.
“I was very pleased to learn that, within the next five years, Kigali memorial centre will expand to become an African centre for genocide research and peace building.
This centre will provide a conducive platform for youth across the globe to learn about the underlying causes of conflicts and provide ways in which such conflicts can be prevented in the future,” she said.
She added that, to attain this ambitious vision, everybody must help nurture the youth into responsible leaders of the future.
Aegis Trust is planning to extend the same campaign to US and UK to raise funds for the construction of the peace centre.
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