Yes, We Can Remember Our Loved Ones And Work At The Same Time

To ensure order and proper planning ahead of Kwibuka25 in April to commemorate our loved ones who were killed because of the way they were born, last Friday, February 8, the Executive Secretary of the National Commission to Fight Against Genocide Dr. Bizimana Jean Damascene announced changes to the commemoration schedule.

Besides ensuring that it is done at both the national and local levels─at the district and village (Umudugudu) levels, there will only be two, instead daily commemoration meetings in afternoon to enable people to work full days during the week.

Explaining the changes Dr. Bizimana said: “In the past,…we used to have daily commemoration meetings from 3pm to 5pm. We had reduced these meetings to only three but this year, there will be only two”

He added: “On the other days people will go about their daily activities as usual. We aim to put more efforts in commemoration but people need to also work and carry on with their life and work as usual because this is very important as the nation strives to grow and develop.”

To ensure commemoration is also done in a more planned manner across the country during 100 days of remembrance and at the same time allow work to go on, institutions and organization will this year carry out this noble honor only on April 9 to 10 instead of letting them choose which day to do so as has been the case in the past.

Justifying this decision, Dr. said: “What is clear here is that we have eliminated the situation where you would find ministries and other organisations closing offices and stopping work in the afternoon for employees to attend commemoration meetings…The outcome of one well-prepared and disseminated commemoration meeting can be much better than daily meetings where people attend begrudgingly because their business has been stopped”

At The Chronicles, we believe these changes are in order and will ensure that we will remember our loved ones who were taken away from us in the most dehumanizing manner without compromising work.

For if there is one enduring punishments that can be subjected to perpetrators of genocide and their defenders is to see survivors and Rwandans broadly becoming materially rich, physically strong, mentally fit; morally superior and living happy lives.

It is also through enduring wealth created through hard work, beside remembrance that Never Again can be made meaningful; for through work, we gain means to confront any schemes that would seek to undermine the reconciliation path we have chosen.