History
On June 28th 2009, four Canadian students embarked on an incredible program to Rwanda. The students, who conceived, organized and funded the program, visited Rwanda for 2 weeks to meet with genocide survivors, view sites and memorials and tour the nation with the goal of creating a national program that would take 10-12 students there in 2010.
Summer 2010 (May 17th-29th)
In the summer of 2010, Reflections on Rwanda sent eleven Canadian University students to visit the Republic of Rwanda with the purpose of becoming witnesses to Rwanda’s history and to gain exposure to the factors that made the Rwandan genocide occur. The program, which lasted a total of 12 days, focused not only on the study of the country’s troubled past, but also dealt with the country’s current state and prospects for the future.
Though other devastating genocides occurred throughout the 20th century, and continue to occur today, the small African Republic of Rwanda is a unique case. The 1994 Rwanda genocide was the most “efficient” genocide of the 20th century. In the span of 100 days, an estimated 800,000 Tutsi and moderate Hutu were murdered. Meanwhile, the international community was concerned with matters elsewhere.
The reasons for traveling to Rwanda are numerous. Participating students will become witnesses to Rwanda’s history as they travel across the country visiting sites and hearing the stories of survivors and rescuers alike. Students will become ambassadors for Rwanda and its people, and in so doing will return to Canada with not only the courage, but also the first-hand knowledge to affect change. If the international community abandoned Rwanda fifteen years ago, this is our way of signaling to Rwandans and others alike that we want to learn from our collective mistakes. We cannot change history, but together we can work towards a more just future.
During travels throughout Rwanda, participants will be exposed to many facets of the country. Meetings will take place with high ranking Rwandan officials, non-governmental and civil society groups, local families, various student groups, and importantly, participants will be exposed to daily life in the beautiful country of Rwanda, endearingly known as the country of a thousand hills.
Participants must be flexible. Although Rwanda is a safe and well-functioning country, participants should not expect Canadian standards. Toilets are not always clean, there is not always running water and schedules are not always met. In short, while the ROR team will do everything possible to ensure that the program flows smoothly, participants need to be flexible at all times. Thus, we seek individuals who have a taste for adventure.
Contact information: reflectionsonrwanda@gmail.com
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