NURC president Jean Baptist Habyarimana, flanked by the secretary general Fatuma Ndangiza, receives the award from Ambassador Musse Hailu, the regional coordinator of URI for Africa. (photo Timothy Kisambira)

According to NURC president Jean Baptist Habyarimana, the unity and reconciliation week was aimed at sensitizing Rwandans on the importance of unity and reconciliation as the pillar for peace, stability and development.

“The week will be a measure of the achievement that have so far been made in the process uniting and reconciling Rwandans,” Habyarimana said.

He pointed out that unity and reconciliation should be every Rwandan responsibility.

“The policy of unity and reconciliation among Rwandans is a fundamental process for peace and development. The success of this policy is above all a challenge for all political and other leaders, and the Rwandan intellectuals.”

Amongst the activities, he mentioned that youth had been building houses for the destitute genocide as well as repairing of genocide memorial sites. The week further involved the visiting of prisons by the NURC officials where inmates were urged to tell the truth about what happened so as to encourage reconciliation among Rwandans.

NURC also held meetings between the genocide suspects who are serving the last half of their sentence through community service with the citizens, which aims at reintroducing them to the Rwandan community.

There were also talks with government institutions and local authorities, as well as rallies so as to engage Rwandans in debating about the role and importance of the unity and reconciliation week.

New targets

At the end of the week NURC received an international award from the United Religions Initiative (URI) for its efforts in the promotion of unity and reconciliation.

Speaking at the event, Prime Minister Bernard Makuza pointed out that it was a time of satisfaction at the achievements made in the unity and reconciliation process.

He also pointed out that the special week should be used to set new targets in the process of uniting Rwandans after the 1994 genocide.

“Unity and reconciliation is a tool that will lead us to development and thus requires every Rwandan input,” Makuza said, adding that it gives Rwandans the strength to overcome their problems.

“We cannot unite with other countries in the process of finding solutions to our common problems if we have not yet united and reconciled at home,” he added.

He further said that Rwandans were not involved in unity and reconciliation process in order to receive an award, but because it is necessary.

The secretary general of NURC, Fatuma Ndangiza, pointed out that the national unity and reconciliation week, which will be an annual celebration, will lead to greater community outreach and thus more Rwandans will realize their roles in the process.

Next year NURC is set to celebrate a decade since its inception, but Ndangiza said this should not be a reason to slow down, but to work even harder towards greater achievements.

Concerning the fact that the United Nations is set to declare 2009 as the year of reconciliation, the secretary general pointed out that this process began in Rwanda and has now been internationally recognized.

“If the UN can recognize the importance of unity and reconciliation as a way of bringing about peace, it gives us the pride,” she said.

Tale of courage

Ambassador Musse Hailu, the regional coordinator of URI for Africa, remarked that Rwanda’s efforts in unity and reconciliation over the past 14 years have been a tale of courage of the Rwandan leadership and the Rwandan people.

URI is an international peace organization which is working around the world to promote enduring daily interfaith cooperation, to end religiously motivated violence and to create a culture of peace, justice and healing for the entire world.

Ambassador Hailu said that the country has registered impressive achievements in promoting a culture of peace and healing, reconciliation and creating a new basis for the rule of law as well as putting a halt to the culture of impunity that climaxed in genocide.

“URI has been impressed by the forum of popular debate and dialogue aimed at identifying, fostering and consolidating factors that promote unity and reconciliation,” Ambassador Hailu said.

URI was further impressed by the comprehensive nature of the unity and reconciliation process which allows Rwandans to actively participate in the collective effort of reflection over the factors that unite them and further build peace, unity and reconciliation, Musse Hailu said.

“I take this opportunity to call the United Nations to launch the reconciliation year in Rwanda in partnership with the government as well as NURC, as Rwanda is the right place and country to lead the way in practice of reconciliation,” he added.

Religious groups

Ambassador Hailu further remarked that the effort by Rwanda in promoting peace on a daily basis is one of the contributing factors for the declaration of the international reconciliation year by the United Nations.

He pointed out that different religions have an important role to play in healing the wounds and bring reconciliation and a culture of peace. “Dialogue among followers of different religions builds trust and building trust is an essential element in creating a culture of peace,” Ambassador Musse Hailu said.

Rwanda’s Mufti Sheikh Saleh Harelimana used the opportunity to present the resolutions from the meeting between NURC and the association of religious groups in Rwanda.

Among the resolutions passed are working hard to achieve unity and reconciliation among Rwandans, knowing and understanding the role of religious groups in promoting unity and reconciliation.  

The resolutions also indicate that genocide survivors need to be helped, especially orphans and widows, promoting the truth as well as forgiveness, and call for NURC and religions to meet regularly and discuss better ways to promote peace and reconciliation.

For those doing community service, the religious groups will sensitize them on the importance of telling the truth and forgiving.