KIGALI, Sept. 21 (Xinhua) -- Rwanda on Thursday joined the rest of world in marking the International Day of Peace with much attention on strengthening unity and reconciliation among Rwandans and the future generation.
The celebrations were held at the parliamentary buildings in the capital city of Kigali, which attracted government officials, youth, members of civil society organizations and the academia.
Speaking at the event, President of the National Unity and Reconciliation Commission (NURC) John Rucyahana said that the level of peace, unity and reconciliation achieved so far must be properly guarded and built upon in order to realize a better and prosperous future for Rwanda.
"The common and uniting factor for all Rwandans is peace, reconciliation and forgiveness. Rwanda went through terrible and dark period in 1994. We managed to move on and build a better and peaceful country based on unity, forgiveness and reconciliation," he added.
Rucyahana pointed out that some challenges that still undermine unity and reconciliation like people who still define themselves or define others on the basis of ethnicity and genocide ideology should be dealt with quickly and harshly for the better future of Rwanda.
NURC was set up in 1999 to promote unity and reconciliation among Rwandans in the aftermath of the devastating genocide and it plays a fundamental role in the process of unity and reconciliation policy implementation, social trust and social cohesion towards the main goal of building a united country.
Globally, this year's theme was "Together for Peace: Respect, Safety and Dignity for All."
