International Day of Reflection on the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda

65% of the Rwandan population was born after 1994. UNESCO has been supporting the country's authorities for several years to pass on the memory of the genocide to younger generations. This UNESCO initiative is part of its  International Programme on Holocaust and Genocide Education,  run in conjunction with the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. Already implemented in 30 countries worldwide, it will be extended to around 20 more this year, with the support of Canada and the United States. In this context, UNESCO has also published several tools for policy makers, teachers and education professionals. For example,  the guide ‘Teaching to Prevent Genocide: A Guide for Teachers in Africa’  (in English) provides concrete recommendations to teachers on the African continent on how to teach about violent pasts in and out of the classroom .

On the International Day of Reflection on the Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, UNESCO and the Rwandan government announced plans to strengthen the educational role of memorial sites, four of which have been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 2023. They will train managers and staff to receive school groups, enhance the exhibitions and create educational content for use in schools. " What happened in Rwanda concerns the whole of humanity. Education and the media were instrumentalized to transform ordinary citizens into killers. We must tirelessly transmit the history of the genocide, out of duty to the victims and to ensure that such atrocities never happen again. Everywhere, we must make education a powerful tool for remembrance, reconciliation and peace. " Audrey Azoulay; UNESCO Director-General. Commemorative event at Room II, UNESCO Headquarters, Paris. The UNESCO and Rwanda to step-up the role of education in the memorial sites .