This Thursday,the Institut Catholique de Kabgayi (ICK) joined the nation in commemorating the 31st anniversary of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. The event brought together the institution’s leadership, lecturers, students, and staff in a solemn tribute to more than one million lives lost during one of the darkest chapters in Rwanda’s history.

The commemoration began at the Kabgayi Genocide Memorial, where participants laid wreaths and paid their respects to the 12,208 victims buried there. The day’s proceedings later continued at the ICK main campus with speeches, reflection, and messages of unity.

Father Prof. Fidèle Dushimimana, the Vice Chancellor of ICK, emphasized the responsibility of the educated to use their knowledge ethically and for the common good. He noted that many perpetrators of the Genocide were educated individuals who misled others who trust them to be more understanding and discerning.”

Father Prof. Fidèle Dushimimana, the Vice Chancellor of ICK

“The Genocide showed us that when knowledge does not touch the heart, it can destroy both the individual and many others,” he said.
“Properly applied knowledge becomes a light to many, and that is the mission of ICK.”

Father Dushimimana urged students to be custodians of truth and unity, using their education to promote peace and prevent future atrocities.

“You, the youth of ICK, are the hope of our nation. Commit yourselves to ensuring that what happened in 1994 never happens again,” he said.
“Use your education to analyze what you hear, read, and say. Seek the truth, share it with others, and stand for what protects life and builds our nation.”

The Vice Chancellor also called on the broader ICK community to reject all forms of division, hate speech, and genocide ideology, and to stand firm in unity and brotherhood.

Gaspard Shyaka from the IBUKA association, echoed these sentiments. Speaking on behalf of genocide survivors, he reminded students of their role in preserving the truth and building the country.

Gaspard Shyaka from IBUKA

“Those who rescued the Tutsi were also young people,” he said.
“Today, the fight continues against genocide denial and revisionism. You must take up this responsibility and protect the peace we have.”

Shyaka called on the youth to report anyone still hiding after committing genocide crimes and warned against the growing trend of genocide denial on social media platforms.

“Genocide planning went through phases, and today we are in the phase where perpetrators are denying or minimizing the Genocide,” he said.
“Our duty, especially as youth, is to confront this head-on.”

According to official figures, over one million people were killed during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.