DIVERCITIES: The Language of Propaganda

Wednesday, February 17, 2021 | 11:00 a.m.

In 1994, the Hutu-led government of Rwanda led a systematic campaign to wipe out members of the Tutsi minority. At first, the perpetrators were tied to the government, but ultimately, thousands of ordinary people took part in the killing. Instigated by radio propaganda, people slaughtered their own friends and neighbors, wiping out three quarters of the Tutsi population. Today, Musekeweya (New Dawn), a fictional Rwandan radio soap opera, aims to reclaim radio, build peace in the post-genocide country and empower groups to heal and foster empathy. In this interactive event, creators of Musekeweya will meet Afghan influencers fighting Islamic extremist propaganda, as well as cultural leaders in DC to understand how the language of propaganda works to infiltrate our belief systems and explore how it can be used to promote unity over division.