At the Kigali Genocide Memorial – Peace School on Thursday Ubumuntu Digital Platform, an internet instructional portal that will promote delivery and extension of Peace and Value Education programs in Rwanda and beyond, was formally launched.
The Rwanda Education Board and Aegis Trust launched the platform, a global organization with a mission to avoid future genocides and encourage humanity.
Aegis built the Kigali Genocide Memorial in 2004 at the request of the Government of Rwanda and the City of Kigali and continues to operate it as a location of remembrance and learning on behalf of the National Commission for the Fight against Genocide (CNLG).
In 2009, Aegis Trust introduced an innovative methodology for education that breaks hate cycles, prevents violence and strengthens social bonds, including decreasing trauma symptoms that have now been implemented throughout Rwanda’s curriculum.
According to a statement, Ubumuntu Digital Platform is a product of the Ministry of Education’s efforts to incorporate peace and values education as a cross-cutting problem into the new National Competence-Based Curriculum (CBC).
The platform was intended for main users including teachers, youth, students, parents, and decision-makers who will benefit from the curated interactive content, practical education, and creative stories from this platform.
“The platform is indeed designed to help them acquire skills and attitudes about peace and positive values that will influence them in making a change towards sustainable peace in their communities,” reads the statement in part.
As part of the newly adopted curriculum, the application of Education for Sustainable Peace in Rwanda (ESPR) began on July 2016.
“We believe that the digitisation of the Teaching and Learning Materials about Peace and Values Education through the Ubumuntu Digital Platform will hugely contribute to the integration and supported application of Peace and Values Education in our schools.
I encourage teachers and indeed parents and youth to use this platform extensively and share their learning outcomes and success stories,” said Dr. IrénéeNdayambaje, the Director General of Rwanda Education Board.
For the past ten years, Aegis Trust has reached thousands of people through the Peace and Values Education training at the Kigali Genocide Memorial – Peace School, according to Freddy Mutanguha, Aegis Executive Director.
“Taking our Peace and Values Education model online is going to help us even reach many Rwandans, thus impact millions of lives. Our bigger vision is to continue to expand and take this platform beyond Rwanda to help communities in crisis today to overcome hatred, discrimination and build sustainable peace,” he said.