Young people in Rwanda have been urged to use social media to promote peace, unity and resilience while rejecting hate speech, misinformation and messages that can create division. The call was made on Friday, September 18, 2026, during a youth dialogue held at the Kigali Genocide Memorial.
The dialogue, organised by Vision Jeunesse Nouvelle under the theme Building resilience against hate speech and promoting peace through technology, brought together young social media users and members of organisations working for peace and unity. The meeting aimed to strengthen their ability to identify harmful content and use digital platforms for peacebuilding.
Participants said hate speech and divisive messages remain a concern online, with some young people allegedly using fake accounts to spread harmful content.
Izampabyose Innocent said: “Based on what I see and experience, I believe promoting hate has become a job for some young people. But what I can do is reject misleading messages, while also ensuring that love is taught from childhood.”
Umuhire Carine called for continuous education on responsible use of social media and Rwandan values. She said: “There is a need for continuous discussions that teach young people love, Rwandan cultural values and how to use social media without misleading others, because some people do harmful things believing that this is what will make them gain followers.”
Vision Jeunesse Nouvelle Executive Director Frère Vital Ringuyeneza said even a small number of people spreading hate can have a significant impact on society. He said: “There are people who use hate speech, but even one person can spread something harmful and cause a lot of damage to society. That is why, even though they are few, we should not say they do not affect us. We should work together to educate them and help them change.”
MINUBUMWE Permanent Secretary Mahoro Eric said young people have an important role in countering harmful online content because messages shared by influential social media users can reach large audiences quickly.
He said: “When you follow evil, you head towards a bad place. That is why we are focusing on working with young people who use social media so that they first change themselves, become peace-loving and positive, and join efforts to protect Rwandan values and taboos.”
Mahoro also encouraged young people to use digital platforms to connect communities and promote positive values rather than content that can harm society.
He said: “Our government wants young people who are healthy, who reject promiscuity, drug abuse and the misuse of social media. Social media can be a powerful tool for development, but it can also destroy, as we saw in our recent history when newspapers were used to spread hatred and division, contributing to the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.”
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