Igihe

Category: Arts & Culture

  • ISOKO Theatre relives the genocide through drama

    There’s a scene near the end of The Monument, Colleen Wagner’s searing 1995 drama about wartime atrocities, when a young soldier is forced to remember in detail the 23 women he has raped and murdered. “I killed a girl named Mini. Fifteen. She had a sun-burned face,” he recalls. “A girl named Sara. She wore glasses. She was short and chubby… Eva. She was a swimmer in training for the Olympics.…”

    The list goes on and, as it does, the anonymous, half-rotten corpses in a mass grave begin to take on names and, however rudimentary, identities. It’s an act of resurrection and reclamation that lies at the heart of Wagner’s Governor-General’s Award-winning play. And it becomes the resonant centrepiece of the touring production by Rwanda’s ISÔKO Theatre, which closes Harbourfront Centre’s World Stage season.

    As the soldier, Stetko (Jean Paul Uwayezu), recollects his victims, he draws their personal effects from amid the exhumed bodies – a bracelet, some pimple cream, a crucifix, a bra. Each item is snatched away in turn by a pair of female phantoms (Solange Liza Umuhire and Ruth Nirere) clad in dresses the colour of dried blood. We’re in Rwanda in the aftermath of the 1994 genocide. But we’re also in Bosnia, the original setting of Wagner’s play, and these personal items – the most poignant touch in director Jennifer H. Capraru’s stark staging – may also remind you of the ones that were raked from the ashes of the Nazi ovens.

    Wagner’s play begins with suggestions of a revenge fantasy. Stetko, about to be executed for his war crimes, is offered a reprieve by a mysterious older woman named Mejra (Jaqueline Umubyeyi). The catch is that he must obey her for the rest of his life.

    After slicing off one of his ears and nearly beating him to a pulp, Mejra turns Stetko into her slave and torments him with mind games concerning the fate of his virgin girlfriend. But it turns out she desires something more than vengeance – it’s that famous casualty of wartime, the truth.

    Leaving aside the characters’ east European names, it would be easy to believe The Monument was originally written about the systematic rape that occurred during the Rwandan genocide, with Stetko as a Hutu fighter and his victims as minority Tutsi. The play’s truth-and-reconciliation theme also jibes with Rwanda’s postwar policies. Capraru, a Canadian, obviously recognized these parallels when she founded ISÔKO a few years ago in Kigali. Her production originated there and has toured Rwanda prior to its North American debut at World Stage.

    The dialogue – performed in Kinyarwanda, with English surtitles – stays faithful to Wagner’s text, but the trappings are entirely East African. The show, in Harbourfront’s flexible Brigantine Room, is presented as intimately as a village storytelling, with the audience seated in a circle around the candlelit playing space. The Rwandan cast members are musicians as well, and there is a cappella singing and drumming during scene transitions. The drums also furnish the few sound effects – Stetko’s beating, a gunshot – while Sandra Marcroft’s subtle lighting does most of the scene-setting.

    The acting is spare and intense. Stetko is Wagner’s variation on the banality-of-evil theme – he’s the Devil as the boy next door – and the lean, handsome Uwayezu brings out the confused and immature kid under his soldier’s swagger. It’s Umubyeyi who most impresses, however. Her Mejra is a fierce enigma for much of the play, regarding Stetko with cold eyes. When at last she unfetters her grief, like a modern Andromache, it’s heart-rending.

    Capraru – who is also artistic director of Toronto’s Theatre Asylum – favours a stylized approach that de-emphasizes the play’s violence and physicality. Instead, we often feel like we are watching an ancient, cathartic ritual. That was probably the best way to offer the play to Rwandan audiences for whom the subject matter alone is bound to be painful. This is a chance to re-appreciate Wagner’s regrettably timeless tale from a fresh perspective.

    ISÔKO is a new intercultural theatre company founded July 4th, 2008 in Kigali, which creates contemporary theatre for human rights. ISÔKO contributes to civil society, social development, and creative economy in Rwanda. The company is founded in the spirit of exchange, to celebrate Rwandan artists and to further global peace building, while promoting equality for women and girls.

    ISÔKO THEATRE is a local NGO based in Rwandaand is partnered withTheatre Asylum, Canada. We are members of Theatres Against War, Dramatool, and Theatre Without Borders, and collaborators each year in the Centre x Centre Kigali International Theatre Festival at Ishyo Arts Centre.

    The Monument

    • Written by Colleen Wagner
    • Directed by Jennifer H. Capraru
    • Starring Jaqueline Umubyeyi, Jean Paul Uwayezu, Ruth Nirere and Solange Liza Umuhire
    • Produced by ISÔKO Theatre and presented by World Stage

     

  • Learning from the past: Building the future

    Many people flock to the motivational and inspiring Kigali Genocide Memorial, operated by Aegis Trust. What many don’t learn on their visit is that there is an educational program running on this site that draws youth from around the country. Igihe.com’s Fiona Gasana learned about the educational experience when interviewing Mr. Jean Nepo Ndahimana, an education officer in Aegis Rwanda’s educational program that is delivered at Kigali Genocide Memorial. 

     IGIHE.com : What is the education program ?

    Mr. Ndahimana : The Aegis Education Program at Kigali Genocide Memorial provides secondary school students a one-day workshop experience. Our program is called ‘learning from the past : Building the future. The program provides an overview of Rwandan history related to the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi, including a tour of the exhibitions at the Kigali Genocide Memorial. The program also provides a global perspective on genocide using various examples of genocide around the world to explore the causes of genocide and ways of prevention. Finally, the program looks forward, with a focus on critical thinking, problem resolution, working together to build trust among the Rwandans, all of these to achieve social cohesion.

    What is your correlation with the genocide memorial sites ?

     Currently the education program is delivered by Aegis only at the Kigali Genocide Memorial although there are plans to expand the program into all regions of the country and possibly across the borders. Our neighbouring countries have lessons to learn from Rwanda in order to prevent genocide. Visits to regional memorial sites could be incorporated into that outreach program.

    Could you tell us when the education program was put into action and whether it is a permanent program ? 

    The program began in January 2009 and is a permanent program of Aegis Rwanda.

    What are the main purposes of the genocide education ?

    The future of any society depends on its ability to understand and reconcile with its past. Education that provides an opportunity for young Rwandans to learn about their history in a safe and structured manner ; education that supports the values and skills necessary for an inclusive future ; and education that inspires, makes a significant contribution towards peace and security.

    What are the goals and objectives of the education program ? 

    The goal of this program is to focus on social cohesion for the Rwandan society. This is done by fostering values and behaviors that lead to a unified Rwanda. Genocide education explores the past with the hope that a deepened understanding will lead to a Rwandan in which such an event can never again occur.

    Who are the people responsible for creating and sponsoring the educational program ? 

    Credit for this program must be given to Aegis Trust but this program would not be possible without funding by DFID and CIDA. Aegis also developed the exhibitions currently on display at the Kigali Genocide Memorial, manages the Kigali Genocide Memorial site, hosts the Genocide Archive of Rwanda, and has a social program that assists orphan and widow genocide survivors. 

    Which organs do you work with to ensure you fulfill your goals and how do you collaborate ? What roles do these partners play in helping the centre achieve its goals ?

    We operate independently, but with much support within all levels of the educational sector. For example MINEDUC and CNLG are fully supporting our program. Very important to our success is the interest amongst school districts and headmasters in bringing their students to the program. Every year we host information sessions for chosen school districts, after which the headmasters sign on to bring a class. It is this commitment from the school officials that makes it possible for us to achieve our goal.

     Who are the members of the educational team and what are their duties ?

    We have two qualified secondary teachers who deliver the program in the classroom, and are also responsible for the day-to-day administrative tasks required to keep the program going. The educational team also includes the Country Director of Aegis Rwanda, Freddy Mutanguha who himself has a background in education and the CEO of Aegis Trust, James Smith to oversee the program and advise in education regarding prevention of crimes against humanity. 

    The youth of Rwanda are the future of the country. How do you think they benefit from the education program ?

    The students are of the opinion that this is a program that is of benefit to everyone. By following the program they acquire knowledge and skills about the past of their country and help them to take their own responsibility at early age to shape their future and build a much more cohesive Rwandan society. They repeatedly suggest an expansion of the program, mentioning that it should be available to all the students in their school, to youth not attending school, to parents, and all other parts of society, including prisoners. They say that they learn things about their history that they didn’t know and that they feel more able to talk about this with others. One of our students said, “You are sensitising people to have the willingness to build the Rwandan community.” As mentioned earlier, the sessions are of one day in length and I think some of the activities have also been described. I could add that we also have counsellors on our staff, who prepare the youth for their visit to the genocide exhibition and conduct debriefing activities afterwards.

    Could you tell us if any of the students have personally benefited from any of the centres program ?

    Of course we have many examples of students who tell us how they have personally benefited from this program, one student for example told us that he wished he could have the opportunity to bring his mother to the centre, because the history he learnt at home about the genocide was very biased and ill informed compared to the teaching he receives here at the centre.

    How will the centre be working with schools ?

     Once the headmasters have signed up for the program, the school goes through a process of choosing students. Because space is limited, the expectation is that senior students with some leadership experience are given this opportunity on the understanding that they will take what they have learned and share with others.

    How is the education program helpful resource to the national curriculum ? 

    The education program is a resource that enables schools to provide an opportunity to focus on genocide education. Delivering the program at a memorial site and with the exhibitions as a resource, provides an opportunity not only for the students but for the accompanying teachers and head teachers who then are more equipped to address these issues in their classrooms.

    Could you elaborate on how the program helps in the development of the civic education curriculum ? 

    Civic education in Rwanda teaches children from a very young age that in order to have a peaceful nation, a country must first acknowledge its history both past and present and learn how the atrocities that happened here in 1994 can be prevented from ever happening again. However, I must say again our program sits besides the national curriculum but is not integrated into it. We are planning also to develop an outreach program that will provides in-service training to teachers with the hope that it will provide the sensitisationand the skills for them to be as effective as possible in teaching curriculum related to genocide and social cohesion.

    How does the education program contribute to peace and reconciliation in Rwanda ?

    By educating these students we are building a stronger and wiser generation in our country. These students will be the ones to make sure their country maintains peace and unity and reconciliation. We make a contribution by raising awareness about the consequences of exclusion and division with the objective to encourage social cohesion and reconciliation in order to prevent the most extreme version of exclusion Genocide.

    Recently, a case was reported of a man claiming that the people were not responsible for the genocide instead claiming this should have been apportioned on the Habyarimana establishment. How do you deal with instances of genocide denial like this ?

     We make an appeal to our students to open their minds to our history and to open their hearts to each other. We also focus on critical thinking – encouraging the students to think for themselves what they hear about the past and what they hear in the present – and we also hold a value on individual responsibility for actions.

    What challenges do you encounter ?

    Financial challenges are large to keep this program running and to insure its expansion. Also, it’s a challenge for schools to have funds to bring the students here.

    How successful has the program been up to this day, Could you name some of the achievements the education program has successfully implemented since it began ?

    Since the first classes in January 2009 we have had more than 5000 students come and we are fully booked for the upcoming academic term. The daily evaluations are always positive, with comments on the respect with which every student is received, on a welcoming environment and on how important the class was for them. In the last term of this year we are implementing a follow-up evaluation and we look forward to measure what has been the impact of this program in terms of social cohesion and trust among the students and we are expecting to complete this evaluation by the end of the year.

  • Gisozi Memorial Site: Voices of the past immortalised

    Overlooking the terraces of Kigali lies a long stretch of road that leads from Gisozi to the Rwandan genocide memorial. As you walk along this road, you can feel the atmosphere in the air change. As you get closer to the gates, the sounds of the busy streets of Kigali begin to slowly drown out, and all you hear are the rustling of the leaves. Once you enter the gates, the first thing you notice as you start to descend the polished tiled steps is the torch carrying the eternal flame burning bright, reminding everyone who walks through, that this is not a tourist attraction but a memorial site.

    The memorial was officially opened on the 10th anniversary of the Rwandan genocide on the 7 April 2004 genocide, a burial site built to honour the 250,000 Tutsi’s who were killed during the genocide. The planning and management was handled by the UK based charity organisation known as Aegis trust in collaboration with the Kigali High Council.

    Aegis which signifies ‘shield’ or ‘trust’ is an organisation which campaigns against crimes against humanity and genocide, which was established in 2000, their activities include research, policy, education, remembrance, media work and campaigns involving humanitarian support for victims.

    The memorial comprises of a main historical exhibition, a Children’s Memorial exhibition and an exhibition on comparative genocide, called Wasted Lives. It also has over four acres of memorial gardens containing ten mass graves, as well as, the National Genocide Documentation Centre.

     The majestic principal building has been structured by design to represent three different eras : before the genocide, during and after the genocide. The main building has three exhibitions, the first room entitled, ‘Our history’, introduces the world to the history of Rwanda with huge pictures showing people of all ages, depicting the cultural lifestyle of Rwanda before the genocide, women breastfeeding their children, old men playing traditional games, different hairstyles, attire and even an almost life-sized picture of Rwandan King Yuhi V Musinga standing tall and proud. Alongside these pictures is a stanza quoting, ‘this is about our past and our future, our nightmares and our dreams, our fear and our hope, which is why we begin where we end, with the country we love.’

    As you are guided from one showroom to the next, through a series of corridors lined with millions of short notes with detailed information, there is a feeling of going on a real journey through time, as though experiencing the genocide through your own eyes. Original and unedited videos of people being massacred, testimonies of survivors and perpetrators, Gacaca court proceedings are mounted on walls. Alongside them is a timeline of pictures of Rwanda’s history.

    From ‘Our history’ room, you are then lead to a room entitled ‘Descent to Genocide’ a dimly lit room full of graphic pictures of bones and dead bodies from all over Rwanda. On one side of the wall stands a 3ft image of a mass grave at Kigali’s Saint Famille, where over 30,000 people were burnt alive, with detailed information of how Rwandans priests, who were meant to be custodians, were responsible for the massacre of millions of Tutsi’s, who had sought refuge in their churches.

    You walk on as if turning the next page in a storybook, eager to reach the part where the criminal is caught and is forced to face justice, thinking that the worst is over, till you reach the room entitled ‘After the Genocide’,. Before you even cross over, the word ‘Reactions’ is emblazoned in huge capital letters. There is a picture worth a thousand words, a scene where thousands of children are gathered together all staring into the camera, all orphans.

    This leads to a circular corridor where a famous artist, Ardyn Halter, has created two stained glass windows, which not only shows, a link between the survivors of the holocaust and Rwanda, but a link between the beginning of the genocide with skulls craved at the bottom to the top that implies a new Rwanda looking to the future.

    There are rooms where people have put pictures of their loved ones, a room dedicated to children who perished in the genocide with a quote reading “we did not make ourselves orphans”. At the end of the tour, you enter into the beautiful and intricate memorial gardens.

    The gardens have fountains and waterfalls with a rose garden, where each rose represents a loved one lost now blossoming in our bright future. The gardens were put up in such a way that people could sit outside in reflection. A sense of calm and peace suddenly grips as you walk through the gardens. A sense of hope for the future, everywhere is green, everything is budding as though each leaf represents a new and brighter future, which lastly leads you to the documentation centre which actually is the best part of the tour.

    The centre is a place where many of the youth come together to debate, learn, acquire knowledge, and deal with issues on how they can help prevent Genocides like Rwanda’s from happening again, here at home as well as abroad. The best and most important part about the memorial is the programmes it is establishing for all to benefit from the development centre basing its main objective on reconciliation and unity. Indeed this is a place where those unfortunate souls can lay in peace and harmony.

    Besides the Gisozi Memorial Centre, there are over 200 genocide sites in Rwanda marking the places where nearly a million people were murdered. It is hoped that Rwanda would develop seven key sites into meaningful memorial centres including Murambi, Nyamata, Ntarama, Bisesero, Nyanza and Nyarabuye.

    As the memorial centre’s management aptly states, “these are everyone’s places as much as Rwanda’s. They should remain as a warning for future generations, both in Rwanda and in the rest of the world about the consequences of hatred and division. ”