08.06.2004
LWF Photo Exhibition on Genocide Makes Impact in Rwanda
The Search for Truth, Signs of Hope and ReconciliationKIGALI, Rwanda/GENEVA, 8 June 2004 (LWI) - The photo exhibition "Rwanda - Back to Life, Ten Years after the Genocide" that officially opened in Rwanda's south eastern province of Kibungo on 7 April 2004, concludes its tour of various districts in the country with a June 21-25 display at the Kigali Institute of Science and Technology.
Its opening in Rwanda coincided with the launching of nationwide activities to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the genocide in which over 800,000 people died in a period of 100 days, triggered by the 6 April 1994 shooting down of a plane carrying the country's president then.
The 30 panels mounted with 80 photos taken between 2000 and 2003 by photographer Thomas Lohnes portray genocide victims and perpetrators, the arduous search for truth during the Gacacas (community-run courts), problems encountered by returnees, and the situation of street children and people living with HIV/AIDS. Photographs depicting activities of the LWF Department for World Service (DWS) in Rwanda focus on signs of reconstruction and hope, reconciliation and new life.
The exhibition was prepared by the LWF German National Committee in collaboration with German aid organizations Bread for the World and Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe, Protestant press service – epd, and Action by Churches Together (ACT) International, the Geneva-based global alliance of churches and aid agencies working to save lives and support communities during emergencies. It was also presented in Finland and Germany. (See LWI 2004-029 Photo-Exhibition: "Rwanda - Back to Life. Ten Years after the Genocide")
Ms Anne Masterson, LWF representative in Rwanda and director of the DWS program there says there has been a lot of interest in the exhibition displayed at community halls in three languages – English, French and Kinyarwanda. In Gitarama alone, one of the three provinces in which DWS Rwanda has development projects, around 1,300 people visited the exhibition. She considers this figure significant as such artwork is not a common feature in the rural areas.
Equally important is the involvement of local authorities. Provincial governors inaugurate the exhibition and use the opportunity to talk openly to the general public about what occurred during the genocide. They stress the need to recognize that what happened a decade ago was wrong. Their message to audiences that include school groups, representatives of various local organizations including churches, as well as genocide survivors' associations, underline the need for justice and reconciliation, and urge people to focus on creating a common Rwandan identity that is not based on ethnic division.
Discussions about the exhibition's future documentation include a proposal to donate it to the Lutheran Church of Rwanda or archive it at the University of Butare museum. Masterson points out that all universities in Rwanda have a cross-cutting theme on peace and reconciliation.
The display "has turned out to be a historic document to be used in the future by the Rwandan people," she stresses. (500 words)
The following features are part of the photo exhibition "Rwanda - Back to Life, Ten Years after the Genocide."
Please see:
Innocent - Marked Forever
Marianne's Longing to See Her Youngest Son at School
A First Step: Water for Thousands
Half a Friend - Bicycles for His Pastors
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