By Seif Gracien Hasingizwimana/Kigali, Rwanda
Can a society that has endured one of the darkest chapters in modern history rediscover the sacred as a force for reconciliation rather than division? This is the central question explored in “The Journey of Religions: From the Sacred of the Ancestors to Universal Faith,” a cultural media project designed and written by Ntagengwa Servil Omar, a cultural program producer and designer based in Charleroi, Belgium.
Rather than advocating for a particular religion or challenging the legitimacy of any belief system, the project invites audiences to reflect on how changing understandings of the sacred continue to shape identity, memory and peaceful coexistence in contemporary Rwanda.
According to the concept paper, the initiative “does not seek to determine which religion possesses the truth. Rather, it seeks to create a space in which people can engage in a shared reflection around a fundamental question: How do contemporary transformations of the sacred influence the ways in which identity, memory, and living together are understood in Rwanda today?”
The project emerged from a deeply personal process of reflection. In the concept paper, Ntagengwa Omar explains that the idea grew out of years of questioning the relationship between religion, violence and the human condition.
“How could a deeply religious country descend into extreme violence? What role does the sacred truly play in the construction or destruction of human bonds? And how do old and new belief systems continue to shape human consciousness today?” the concept asks.
According to the document, these reflections are rooted in personal and family experience, community engagement and long-term observation of religious and spiritual transformations in contemporary Rwanda.
The project places these questions within the context of Rwanda’s recovery following the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. It notes that although nearly 98 percent of the population identified as religious before the genocide, the country nevertheless experienced one of the twentieth century’s greatest human tragedies.
The concept argues that this contradiction triggered not only a crisis of personal faith but also a broader crisis of confidence in religious institutions that had long presented themselves as guardians of morality, fraternity and social cohesion.
At the same time, the document observes that Rwanda has experienced significant spiritual and cultural changes. These include renewed interest in ancestral traditions such as Kubandwa, Guterekera and Ubwiru, alongside the continued presence of Christianity and Islam, as well as the emergence of new forms of spirituality influenced by globalization, individualism and technological change.
Rather than presenting these developments as competing realities, the project proposes dialogue as a path toward deeper understanding.
“It is dialogical because it seeks neither to impose a truth, nor to rank beliefs, nor to oppose traditions to one another. Rather, it proposes a space of encounter where different experiences of the sacred can be brought into dialogue in order to foster mutual understanding,” the concept states.
The document further emphasizes that “No individual possesses the whole truth. Every tradition, every human experience, and every individual or collective memory carries a share of insight into reality.”
To explore these ideas, the project is structured as a nine-episode series. The journey begins with humanity’s universal search for meaning before examining the coexistence of different belief systems, the relationship between ancestor veneration and monotheism, the interaction between religion and political authority, the role of myths, symbols and rituals, the tensions between tradition and modernity, and the resurgence of the sacred in post-genocide Rwanda. The series concludes with a reflection on ethics and the values that can strengthen peaceful coexistence in a religiously and culturally diverse society.
Throughout the series, audiences are encouraged to reflect on the ways religious beliefs, cultural traditions and contemporary realities continue to shape collective identity, historical memory and social relationships.
The final section of the concept presents the sacred not simply as a matter of religious doctrine but as a transformative human experience. Drawing on the work of Rudolf Otto and the philosophy of Mpingagasani developed by Laurien Ntezimana, the project argues that genuine human fulfillment depends on harmonizing the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual dimensions of life.
For Ntagengwa Omar, the sacred should never become a tool of domination, exclusion or fear. Instead, the concept concludes with a vision of the sacred as a source of human dignity and mutual respect.
“The truly sacred is that which inspires without enslaving, which connects without imprisoning, and which enables us to see, in the face of another person, not a threat, but a mystery worthy of respect.”
Ultimately, “The Journey of Religions: From the Sacred of the Ancestors to Universal Faith” presents the sacred as a potential foundation for dialogue, shared responsibility and peaceful coexistence. Rather than seeking to identify a single religious truth, the project encourages reflection on how faith, culture, memory and humanity can contribute to a more inclusive and compassionate society in Rwanda today.
