New Rwandan IWitness Activity Every Week in April

Starting today and continuing each Friday throughout the month of April, IWitness will publish a new activity geared for Rwandan students.

The first activity is How Genocide Starts, which addresses Rwandan National Curriculum standards in the subject areas of history, genocide studies, and Holocaust.

In this activity, students will learn about the history of genocide and the early stages of genocide. They will also be introduced to the testimonies of eyewitnesses who survived.

The activity release schedule for the rest of the month is: “Freddy Mutanguha Information Quest” on April 8, “Consequences of Genocide” on April 15, “Reconciliation and Forgiveness” on April 22, and “Hope in the Aftermath of Genocide” on April 29.

The activities are designed primarily for use in classrooms in Rwanda, where USC Shoah Foundation has worked extensively with educators through the Rwanda Peace Education Program (RPEP) and IWitness in Rwanda program for the last two years. However, students in grades 6-12 in the United States are encouraged to complete the activity as well.

April is Genocide Awareness Month. Kwibuka, the official anniversary of the Rwandan Tutsi Genocide, is observed every year on April 7.