By Robert Kigongo. During the 32nd Kwibuka prayers, my thoughts got louder than a slicking sound of rain on pavements, as we held a moment of silence to remember the souls of the 1994 Rwanda genocide.
Every year, I join Rwandese community in Uganda trek to Ggolo memorial site, where we hold prayers for the fallen genocide victims as part of marking the 100 days of Kwibuka.
Lest we forget, approximately 4771 bodies were laid at Ggolo in Mpigi, 2,875 at Kasensero in Rakai, 3,337 at Lambu in Masaka districts all tallying to a total of 10,983 genocide victims.
The Ugandan sites are part of the over 250 genocide memorial sites across Uganda and Rwanda that contribute to over 1 million mascaraed victims, of which we remember every year.
In an Exceptional way, the 32nd Kwibuka commemorations were also held at the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa with commendable remarks that caught my attention coming from Mahmoud Ali Youssouf the chairperson of African Union.
In his remarks, the AU chairperson called for ‘stronger action against hate speech and divisions’ as he launched the African Union Human Rights virtual memorial. I absolutely conquer with AU Chiefs clarion call to combat hate speech and divisions that continue to escalate like wild fire through social media, broadcasts in this artificial Intelligence and smart phone age.
As long as hate speech still lingers in our societies, the ‘Never Again’ commitment may end up as rhetoric or unguaranteed.
Through the lenses, even the current geo political turbulences in Iran, Lebanon, Gaza, Ukraine and the civil unrest in Sudan, DRC and South Sudan, plus the xenophobia and white genocide undertones in South Africa are directly influenced by hate speech.
A stake reminder, the United Nations define hate speech has discriminatory communication in form of a speech, writing, cartoon drawings or intended behaviors that attacks a particular group or individuals based on race, skin color, gender, ethnicity, political and religious ideologies.
Hate speech springs from prejudice, intolerance, bias, misconceptions, bigot, contemptuous, land wrangles, social inequalities and ideological indifferences. Hate speech has shaped human beliefs, ideologies and discriminative practices without realising how detrimental they can be to humanity.
Let me be crystal clear, much as world leaders, genocide survivors, writers, religious leaders and the entire world say ‘Never Again’ to another Genocide or holocausts but as long as hate speech persists, it’s a matter of time before we return to the ugly past.
‘Never again’ can only be guaranteed, first by deescalating hate speech that is threatening world peace, cohesion and co-existence.
Imagine to date, in the neighborhoods of Rwanda, hate speech undertones between Baganda and Bahima in Uganda, Tutsi and others ethnicities, Hema and Lendu in Democratic Republic of Congo continue unabated. Beyond Rwanda neighborhoods, hate speech undertones have escalated into violent xenophobic and afro phobic tensions in South Africa between nations and foreigners; Yet in South Sudan hate speech has escalated into civil unrest between Dinka’s and Nuer ethnicities.
We can’t comfortably say ‘Never Again’ when the Muslims are saying horrible, reprehensible and using quasi offensive discriminative things about Christians in Nigeria and other parts of the world. We can’t say ‘Never Again’ if diatribe, anger, vengeance, ethnic bickering and discrimination continues to escalate quietly in many parts of the world as it was in Rwanda between 1960’s and 1994.
Have we forgotten that the Rwanda genocide (as a result of hate speech) left over 1 million lives were lost, trauma, refugee influx, economic setbacks and human displacement?
Let’s be reminded by the wisdom of Nelson Mandela “No one is born hating another person because of skin color, religion and gender, if people must learn to hate and they can be taught to love, no one is born hating another”. Indeed “Everything human beings are or practice is just learned from their environment, parents and life experiences, because the human mind is born completely empty with no such ideologies and emotions like love or hate” according to blank slate empiricism philosophy of John Locke.
The golden opportunity is ‘people are dynamic, evolve with time and can be redeemed’ from hate mongering and hate watch upon which hate speech thrives’. I appreciate the United Nations and member states with efforts to reconcile rival ethnic communities, repealing discriminative colonial laws like apartheid laws, bridging gender gaps and panel code acts criminalising hate speech.
However, entrenched Ideologies such as ethnic supremacy, racial supremacy, religion and political ideals still deter the progress against hate speech.
Therefore, we must construct a matrix of reshaping these seemingly static ideologies and social challenges.
First, governments must provide equal opportunities to different ethnicities and equally solve cattle raiding issues, land and natural resources disputes.
Engage tech companies to stiffen the algorithm against hate speech and extremism undertones circulating like wild fire on social media apps.
Leveraging on music, animation adverts, high level inter political and inter religious dialogues, grassroot community engagements for awareness against the dangers of hate speech.
Leveraging on sports, intermarriages to construct a social fabric that can break the racial, cultural, religious, political, ideological jinxes.
The United Nations and regional bodies must boldly call out politicians who facilitate and milk ethnic divisions for self-interests and power consolidation.
Wherefore, the sustainable pathway to ‘Never again’ commitment must begin with deescalating Hate speech to achieve lasting global peace, Unity and co-existence.
Robert Kigongo is a sustainable development analyst.