Local Public Speaking and Exchange
“Peace starts with me! How Can I use my creativity to tackle the issues hindering peace in our families, schools and communities?”
King David Academy located in Kicukiro district hosted the 5th edition of the Local Public Speaking and Exchange (LPSE) last weekend and this is a yearly event that is organized by Ejo! Youth Echo (EYE) and its partners Never Again Rwanda and Vision Jeunesse Nouvelle, with the support of GIZ/CPS.
This event brought together students and teachers from 13 secondary schools in Kigali to discuss and share views points on this year’s.“Peace starts with me! How Can I use my creativity to tackle the issues hindering peace in our families, schools and communities?”
This event aimed to create spaces for dialogue in schools to discuss on issues hindering peace and students themselves suggest potential solutions after acquiring capacities in Critical thinking to apply them in their daily lives.
Rwagasana Saidath 2016 PSE Participant said, “There is so much collaboration among participants which is different from our time when we used to present individually so it’s another good motivation to present as groups”
Through exchange, students also developed empathy and reduced negative stereotypes by raising their voices in private and public forums.
ISHIMWE Patrick-GS Kimisange/Photo: Mizero Chrispin
“I thought that I am here to compete with fellow students from other schools but in group with colleagues we don’t study together I realized that we need a work together and I really like that so much”
During the event each school were represented by two students who were separated right on the day one Saturday 23rd to be categorized into 6 groups where they joined students from other schools.
GS Akumunigo, GS Kimisange, ESSI Nyamirambo, George fox Kagarama, Saint Patrick, Martyrs, College Amis des enfant, Fawe Girls school, Ape Rugunga, King David Academy, AIPER Nyandungu, Lycee des Kigali, Riviera High School are the participated schools in Kigali.
As the students were divided into groups, also each of them had a name to indicate their work however during the event there were a group called INGENZI, LEADER IN PEACE, THRILLERS, RWIGEMA, THE VOICE and GIRA DIVYBLODE.
“One new thing that I have learnt from my colleagues in my group is that we should help each other to do everything no matter what.”
24th Sunday day two students presented in Kinyarwanda their opinions using speeches, poems and sketches related to the theme mentioned above and each group had 4 students from different schools and had only 15 minutes to present their opinions besides mentor and audience had a time to question right after each presentation.
After the presentations of this local public, mentors had to choose one group with great ideas which was THRILLERS but also decide a second group from the marking point of the audience which was INGENZI so only two students were to be chosen for the regional public speaking a third event in a series of three PSE that were being organized by never again Rwanda in South (Huye) and Vision Jeunesse Nouvelle in the western province (Rubavu)
Nziza Mike Chains from King David and Iradukunda Gemy Chelssy from LDK are the two students who were trusted by their colleagues from each group to represent group’s opinions in regional public speaking which will be hosted by Never Again Rwanda from August 5- 10, 2018 in Huye District, Southern province where they will exchange with other youth participants from Burundi, Uganda, DRC and Rwanda.
“I really thank my team INGENZI for this trust to represent our ideas in regional and now I am sure that critically thinking youth ourselves can tackle issues hindering peace everywhere.”
“Credit goes to my group team THRILLERS to grant me this favor of getting new experience about peace building in our great lakes region.”
Now all eyes in Huye District where students from neighboring great lakes countries will gather only with the purpose of how they can use their creativity to tackle the issues hindering peace in families, schools and communities and the main responsible hosting this regional public speaking and exchange organization changes every year among the Civil Peace Service (CPS) Partners Rwanda (EYE, VJN, and NAR).