April 2019 marks 25 years since nearly 1 million Tutsi and politically moderate Hutu were murdered in Rwanda over the course of 100 days. As much as 20 percent of the country’s population was lost. Events throughout April will be held across Michigan State University’s campus to honor the victims and commemorate the anniversary of the genocide.
Schedule of events:
• Remembering the Rwanda Genocide Against the Tutsi 25 Years Later
April 1 to 30, MSU Library, second floor.
As part of MSU's Year of Global Africa Celebration, this exhibit commemorates the 1994 Rwanda genocide against the Tutsi and seeks to increase awareness and understanding of the root causes and the effects of the genocide.
• Together We Remember
11 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 5, MSU Library, Cesar A. Chavez Collection.
The vigil will begin with the names of people murdered in Rwanda. The arts will be weaved into the program and will include: a poem about the genocide against the Tutsi by undergraduate students Ingabire Gasana Elyvine and Bakuramutsa Sandrine Divine; a filmed art performance piece about the Holocaust and sexual violence by MFA candidate Chelsea Markuson; and a poem in Armenian by faculty member Tamar Boyadjian.
• Sites of Memory: Reflecting on the 1994 Genocide Against the Tutsi in Rwanda
April 9 to 30, MSU Library, Digital Scholarship Lab
The exhibit explores the history of the genocide through the use of a virtual tour of several prominent genocide memorial cites in Rwanda using 360-degree video technology which includes testimonial interviews with survivors of the genocide.
• "Keepers of Memory,” film screening and panel discussion
7 p.m. April 16, MSU Library, Green Room.
Through eyewitness accounts and gripping footage, acclaimed director Eric Kabera takes the viewer on an emotional journey into the 1994 Rwandan genocide, its survivors and the memorials created in the victims' honor. The film focuses on the personal accounts of men and women who watch over the sacred burial sites keeping the memories alive for future generations.
• Rwandan Genocide Testimonies in the USC Shoah Visual History Archive Workshop
11 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 17, MSU Library, Beaumont West Instruction Room.
Learn how to search for and access the nearly 90 video interviews with Tutsi survivors, rescuers and other groups with librarians Erik Ponder and Deborah Margolis. Issues related to the origin and translation of these testimonies will be discussed. Lunch is provided. RSVP’s are required by Friday, April 12 to deborahm@msu.edu. Please bring your own earbuds/headphones.
• International Symposium on Genocide: Confronting the Past and Understanding the Present
8 a.m. to 8 p.m. April 19, MSU Union, Ballroom.
The goal of the symposium is to bring in international scholars on genocide to discuss and share their knowledge on the causes and consequences of genocides, and on social transformations after genocides. We are inviting interdisciplinary scholars on genocide who will highlight the social, historical and political contexts and detailed social processes of genocide.
• The 25th Commemoration of Genocide against the Tutsi – Kwibuka 25
2 p.m. to 6 p.m. April 20, Kellogg Center, Big Ten Room.
Every year Rwandans around the world remember their loved ones who perished in the genocide. We celebrate their lives, honor them and cherish memories and times we spent together, their kindness, laughter, valuable lessons and values they taught us.