Rwandan Students Commemorate Genocide Victims

Every April, Rwandan students peform the cathartic ritual of commemorating the victims of the Rwandan genocide, bringing to life the memories of those who were affected by the tragedy in 1994.

“We can’t forget them. We’re humans. We can’t just move on and forget them,” says Pauline Mutumwinka ’12. “They do not deserve to be forgotten.”

After a plane carrying Rwandan president Juvénal Habyarimana was shot down on April 6, 1994, violence erupted between the minority Tutsi and majority Hutu populations, resulting in the death of over 800,000 men, women, and children.

Thousands of miles and eight years removed from the tragedy, Rwandan students at Harvard continue to grapple with the pain of the dark moment in their country’s history, commemorating and raising awareness about the genocide each April at Harvard.

“I think that the country has many challenges that we have to face,” Mutumwinka says. “We need to constantly engage with our memory and see what it means for us.”

UNDERSTANDING CONFLICT

“I was in Kenya when the genocide happened. I was a young child,” Mutumwinka recalls. Her neighbors told her that there had been waves of ethnic violence in Rwanda. She asked her parents if it was true, and they told her it was. But they were reluctant to talk about what was going on.

“I heard horror stories, but it was never really clear to me,” Mutumwinka says. The first day she returned to Rwanda she saw a congregation that was displaying the skulls of victims. “That was the first time I had actually encountered death. The death of so many people.”

Mutumwinka says she was terrified and wanted to return to Kenya.

As she grew older, Mutumwinka says that she came to accept and understand the tragedy, and that it has shaped her views on the nature of conflict and violence.

“It has really built my interest in conflict in general. I think it makes me very sensitive to attitudes that could lead to conflicts—I’m very wary,” Mutumwinka says.

A COMMEMORATION FAR FROM HOME

For some Rwandan students, commemoration is a responsibility, as well as a ritual embedded with meaning.

“Commemorating is something that as a Rwandan, I have to do,” Juliet Musabeyezu ’15 says.

Musabeyezu helped to organize a commemoration in Holden Chapel for the victims of the Rwandan genocide earlier this month. The ceremony opened with a video that explained the history of the genocide. Afterward, a panel of students answered questions and facilitated a conversation about the genocide.

Samuel M. Galler ’12 says that the event was intended both to commemorate the victims of the genocide and to begin a dialogue on campus about Rwanda. The organizers want to encourage students to explore the country’s culture and rich history in addition to the darker moments, Galler says.

“Juliet told me a lot of misconceptions about genocide,” says Shunella G. Lumas ’15, who is also a Crimson photo editor. “I think other people should also know the true story.”

Both Musabeyezu and Mutumwinka felt that the event gave students a glimpse of the reality of Rwanda and the country’s recent progress.

“I feel like it was a great platform to discuss many of the issues and misgivings that Harvard students have about Rwanda, a chance to inform everyone of the reality, or in this case, the actuality of our past, as well as the reality of our present, which contrary to popular belief is very incredible,” Musabeyezu says.

BEING RWANDAN

At a College with students from over eighty countries, Musabeyezu says that she feels a responsibility to represent Rwanda when she is far from home.

“Being Rwandan at Harvard involves reminding people about the presence of this country that many of them have never heard about,” Musabeyezu says.

For most of the year, Mutumwinka identifies primarily as African. But when it comes to the annual April commemoration of the genocide, she becomes Rwandan.

“Around times like April, I feel Rwandan because I feel sort of what my country is going through,” Mutumwinka says.

Both Musabeyezu and Mutumwinka said that April is not just a moment reflect on the horror faced by Rwanda, but also a time to look forward.

“Being a Rwandan at this point in time also involves deliberating what my role in country building is, and how to accomplish that effectively,” Musabeyezu says.

Mutumwinka says she is optimistic about Rwanda’s future.

“I see my country going places,” Mutumwinka says. “The young people are also very energetic and interested in making the country better. It’s the kind of country I want to go back and live in. I see a lot of potential.”

—Staff writer Laya Anasu can be reached at layaanasu@college.harvard.edu.