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The Center for a Shared Society at Givat Haviva

Givat Haviva in delegation to Rwanda


Wreath ceremony at the Nyamata memorial, Kinazi. The remains of 50.000 victims of the Genocide are buried here. From left to right: Torsten Reibold, Representstive Europe Givat Haviva/Havatzelet
Bernhard Kukatzki, Director State Agency for Civic Education 
Dr. Beate Welter, Director Memorial SS Außenlager Hinzert, Rheinland-Pfalz
Roger Lewentz, Minister of Interior
Torsten Reibold, Givat Haviva´s Representative in Europe participated in the official 25th commemorations of the Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda. Torsten Reibold was part of an official delegation of the German Federal State of Rheinland-Pfalz – a decade-long partner, both to Givat Haviva and the Republic of Rwanda.

During their stay, the group visited several memorials, remembering the atrocities of summer 1994, spoke with politicians and official representatives as well as survivors´ organizations and civil society activists engaged in reconciliation efforts and preserving the memories of the victims.
On Sunday, April 7th, the delegation attended the central Kwibuka 25 remembrance ceremony in the convention center of Rwanda´s capital Kigali opening the official week-long mourning period. The group also participated in a neighbourhood ceremony and the Walk to Remember from the Parliament to Amahoro Stadium where a vigil was held.

Kwibuka (Remembrance in Kinyarwanda) is the official name for the commemoration of the Genocide against the Tutsi people, which took place between April 7th and mid-July 1994 and cost the life of more than a million people.

Additional to the commemoration events the delegation also visited projects working towards the building of a Shared Society in Rwanda which are supported by the Federal State of Rheinland-Pfalz. Amongst other things, one of the goals of the trip was also to explore possibilities of tri-lateral cooperation between Rheinland-Pfalz, Givat Haviva and Rwandan civil society organizations and local government institutions. Possible cooperation could include the building of networks for reconciliation and civil conflict resolution projects or the building of communal partnerships towards the building of a Shared Society in Rwanda, Israel and Germany.

Wreath ceremony at the Gisozi national genocide memorial in Kigali where 250.000 victims
of the Genocide are buried.  From left to right: Anne Westenberger, Office of the Minister of Interior
Roger Lewentz, Minister of Interior
Katja Gruber, Head of the Jumelage Rheinland-Pfalz-Rwanda
Bernhard Kukatzki, Director State Agency for Civic Education
Torsten Reibold, Representstive Europe Givat Haviva/Havatzelet
Dr. Beate Welter, Director Memorial SS Außenlager Hinzert, Rheinland-Pfalz
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