Youth are victims of biased past stories, says CVR consultant

In a workshop on memory management towards young people that was organized by “Initiative et Changement”, a local NGO in partnership with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission-CVR this April 25, the youth have said they are most often victims of the narratives they hear from their families.

Emmanuel Ntakarutimana: “Youth are most often victims of biased stories they hear from their families”.

Alain Bertrand Tunezerwe, a young man in his late twenties, says the national truth and reconciliation commission should write an impartial story based on the testimonies it has got. “Young people from Hutu ethnic group are told that Tutsi are criminals and vice versa. It is high time youth challenged these kinds of narration. CVR should write an unbiased story that would make everyone know the truth of what happened in the country”.

He also says youth need to develop a spirit of discernment. « Young people should distinguish between right and wrong and focus on development instead of referring to the past for the sake of revenge,” he says.

Olivier Ininahazwe, a young man from UPRONA party, says the history of Burundi should serve as the best example to the youth and the coming generation. “Burundian history is tragic and all Burundians especially the youth ought to learn from it to value a human being”.

Emmanuel Ntakarutimana, a consultant on CVR activities says partial stories told to young people make them victims of hatred. “Youth are most of the time victims of biased stories they hear from their families”.

He says young people have to develop a sense of criticism so as to help their country move forward. “Youth must be critical of the narratives about the past history. Most of the narratives push young people to take revenge, what constitutes a stumbling block to transforming the society”.

Protais Nteziriba, a former university lecturer appeals to young people to assume their responsibilities. “Wisdom never enters a wicked soul. Youth ought to behave responsibly”.

He reminds the participants that there are examples of young people who have behaved wisely and are still recognized in Burundi like the heroes of independence and democracy.