The As We Forgive Rwanda Initiative is a non-profit public/private partnership to encourage a greater public dialogue about the process of repentance, forgiveness, and reconciliation using the award-winning documentary film, As We Forgive, as an educational tool. As We Forgive tells the true story of two Rwandan survivors, Rosaria and Chantale, who come face-to-face with their families’ killers and choose the painful but hopeful journey of reconciliation. Directed by Laura Waters Hinson, the film has won numerous awards in the United States, portraying the new face of Rwanda and its people rebuilding after tragedy. The As We Forgive Rwanda Initiative is launching in July 2009 and will encompass a nationwide film tour and discussion program, aimed at encouraging honest and healing conversations about this difficult subject. Our goal is to reach all corners of Rwanda through a dynamic new partnership among key government and non-profit leaders of reconciliation. This initiative is partnered with the National Unity and Reconciliation Commission and the Ministry of Sports and Culture, as well as numerous other government agencies and non-profits, all of which serve on the project’s steering committee. Our objective is to present the movie in all of Rwanda’s 30 districts–in schools, prisons, churches and villages, followed by a complete discussion program. Our Rwandan-led team will train facilitators who are working within existing reconciliation projects to supplement current efforts. Focusing heavily on youth and leaders, we are dedicated to gathering feedback and tracking measurable results among audiences across the country, as we tailor the discussion program to each specific context.

Read more about As We Forgive and the Rwanda Initiative here.