On May 24 (Sat.), ICU and the Embassy of Rwanda in Japan hosted "Rwanda Genocide 20^thAnniversary Memorial Lecture" on the ICU campus.

During the genocide in Rwanda, it is said that approximately 800,000 people became victims in just 100 days, from April to July 1994. To make sure such a tragedy is not repeated, Dr. Ervin Staub and Dr. Laurie Pearlman, who have experience working in Rwanda, were invited as guests to discuss the reconciliation process.

Dr. Staub was the first to speak. In his lecture, entitled "Principles and Practices of Reconciliation and Building Harmonious Societies," he said, "The end of violence does not mean an immediate change in people's behavior. With reconciliation, what is important is whether two groups that have been in opposition can accept each other and share the image of a bright future."

Dr. Pearlman's theme was "Understanding and Addressing the Impact of Collective Trauma on Reconciliation Processes." She raised four keywords for society to recover from collective violence and emotional trauma: "respect," "information," "connection," and "hope". According to Dr. Pearlman, "First, it is important to understand the facts i.e. what happened and where the roots [of the conflict] lay. Second, it is important to encourage people's active participation in collaborative projects directed toward the creation of a bright future. Third, it is important to recover methods of interaction with groups that differ from one's own and relationships of trust within the community."

Lastly, Charles Murigande, Ambassador of Rwanda to Japan, stated, "I am very happy to have been able to share the tragedy that happened in Rwanda with everyone here today, and I thank you for your support of our long path to reconciliation" and wrapped up the lecture.