A community of researchers, educators, policy makers and practitioners from different corners of Rwanda gathered at Kigali Genocide Memorial for the official launch of the Genocide Research Hub today, an online platform that aims to contribute to building a knowledge society around genocide prevention and peacebuilding policy and practice in Rwanda.
Gisele Iradukunda, Knowledge Exchange Officer at Aegis Trust, showed how the platform features a collection of quality research that is relevant to policy and practice, a directory of experts in genocide prevention and peace building, and a section on relevant news.
“The platform is intended to facilitate Rwandan, regional and global exchange of knowledge for researchers, policymakers, and practitioners, and is primarily focused on the Rwandan situation, placed in regional and global context”, said Iradukunda.
Guest of honour Fidel Ndayisaba, Executive Secretary of the National Unity and Reconciliation Commission, stated: “We are committed to building an evidence-based society and I warmly welcome this platform for research and data on genocide prevention and peace building. Our unity as a country has gone through times of tribulation and it is our duty to make sure that what we lived through shall be no more. Our policy is to bring Rwandans together as a people.”
Ndayisaba also called upon fellow policy makers to take full advantage of the hub, be part of discussions around produced research papers and policy briefs and where possible feed them into Government policy.
The UK’s Department for International Development (DFID) has provided funding for the development of this digital platform. Kenny Osborne, Deputy Head of DFID in Rwanda, reminded researchers to do quality research in a way that it is able to inform but more importantly influence decision makers in developing peacebuilding strategies and policies. He ended his remarks by thanking the Aegis Trust for initiating and running a Research, Policy and Higher Education programme which is making a huge contribution in informing policy and practice on peacebuilding and genocide prevention in Rwanda. Visit the Genocide Research Hub to learn more about the platform and view photos of the launch.
About the Aegis Trust’s Research, Policy and Higher Education Programme
Research, Policy and Higher Education (RPHE) is a programme run by Aegis, contributing to research for policy by providing grants to Rwandan researchers, facilitating tailored individual advisory services, building capacity through workshops on research methodologies, publication and dissemination for Rwandan peacebuilding stakeholders and facilitating knowledge exchange and dialogue between researchers, policymakers and practitioners in the field of peacebuilding.
