Sharing & Learning visit to Rwanda
At the invitation of the Anglican Archbishop of Rwanda a team from Northern Ireland is currently in Rwanda on a ten day visit. During their time in Rwanda the group will split up and spend time in and around the capital, Kigali, visiting parishes; education, training and healing centres; genocide sites and a variety of diocesan projects. The team is also hoping to have an opportunity to attend a gacaca court (a village based court set up to provide justice for victims and also to aid reconciliation). During the second half of the visit, all the team members will join in a time specially set aside for sharing teaching and learning with local clergy, youth and women. These occasions will provide an opportunity for the sharing of personal conflict trauma and healing stories from both countries.
The Church of Ireland rector of Killyleagh, the Rev Jerome Munyangaju who is originally from Rwanda lost many of his family in the 1994 genocide. As a team member Jerome will play an important role in interpreting the situation here in Northern Ireland and also that pertaining to Rwanda. Rwanda has more people per square km than any other African country. In the 1994 genocide an estimated 800,000 people, mostly Tutsis, were slaughtered and around three million Hutu refugees fled to neighbouring countries. By the end of the civil war Rwanda was a country ravaged.
Bishop Harold Miller is also a member of the party which is made up of people coming from the Roman Catholic, Presbyterian, Church of England and Church of Ireland traditions. Prior to his departure Bishop Harold said: ‘Please pray for us, not only for safety in travel, but also that God will use us to learn from his people in Rwanda, and enable us to share what we have learned in our own situation of conflict here’.
During their visit the team plan to initiate a student link with the Anglican Theological College in Kigali. The aim is to fund a classroom for reconciliation and peace studies. On returning to Northern Ireland the team intend to produce material associated with their experiences in Rwanda for use as a fundraising tool for the College project.
The trip is partly funded by the Community Relations Council for N I, under their Small Grants scheme, with the reminder of the costs met by the individual team members.