Executive Director Morgan DeNicola visited Rwanda as the Central African country marked the 30thanniversary of a monthslong rampage that killed some 8000,0000 people.
“Our journey has been long and tough, President Paul Kagame said on Sunday at a ceremony at an indoor arena. “Rwanda was completely humbled by the magnitude of our loss, and the lessons we learned are engraved in blood.”
Representatives from the regional and global institutions like the African Union, the European Union and the United Nations were presents at the ceremony, as well as ministerial; delegations and current and former leaders from some 60 nations.
Morgan DeNicola, DeNicola Family Foundations Executive Director ( Humpy Dumpty Institute Vice Chair) led a group including the Congressional Black Caucus to various events and remembrances.
“I was so humbled to recognize the horror that occurred and the subsequent growth and economic development that the last 30 years has spawned,” stated Morgan DeNicola.
Visitors included Bill Clinton, who was President of the United States at the time of genocide.
The daylong event in Kigali included the lighting of a remembrance flame, a night vigil and a wreath-laying ceremony at the Kigali Genocide Memorial, which is the final resting place for the remains of over 250,000 victims of the slaughter.
Since 1994, this hilly nation of about 14 million people has grown economically, significantly reduced maternal mortality and poverty and improved education and health access. Rwanda has also become a major conference and tourist destination, and each year it hots a star-studded gorilla-naming ceremony that has attracted people like Bill Gates, the Microsoft founder and philanthropist, and Idris Elda, the British actor.
For some in Rwanda, the solemn commemoration on Sunday also marks a day when humanity triumphed over hate.
The US delegation visited many Commemorative sites along with a fascinating visit to the Zipline Delivery Operations that uses drone technology to deliver aid to remote locations. There was also some time to visit the Volcanoes National Park and see Gorillas in their natural habitat.