Jean Michel Habineza
Using constructive debate as a peace building tool among low resource communities in Rwanda.
Rwanda
Jean Michel's journey in education and peacebuilding began during his teenage years as part of the first generation of Rwandans growing up in the aftermath of the country's 1994 genocide. The Rwandan Genocide was a brutal conflict that erupted from ethnic tensions between the Hutu majority and Tutsi minority, stemming from a history of colonial favoritism towards the Tutsi minority by the Belgians. The genocide involved a systematic campaign by extremist Hutu elements to exterminate the Tutsi population. Over 100 days, an estimated 1 million people were killed, accompanied by widespread brutality, mass rape, and destruction.
At the age of 19, Jean Michel founded a youth organization called Peace and Love Proclaimers (PLP) to spearhead initiatives aimed at promoting unity and reconciliation among the Post-Genocide Generation in Rwanda. This was in a setting where a significant amount of suspicion and hatred still lingered among different groups. In 2009, PLP developed the concept "Walk to Remember," dedicated to commemorating the victims of the genocide and empowering and engaging communities worldwide to take a stand against the divisive ideologies that can lead to genocide.
Jean Michel won a debate scholarship to study in the United States and, during his time abroad, volunteered with the Baltimore Urban Debate League. This experience had a profound impact on his future. He worked with disadvantaged African-American kids, teaching them how to debate, a skill that was typically reserved for privileged children aiming to enter law school. Jean Michel found significant purpose in working with these young people, many of whom held onto a lot of anger. He taught them how to find their voice, articulate their opinions, and challenge the oppressive systems they found themselves in.
Learning to debate powerfully, without conflict or division.
He remembers the energy of the sessions: "We had white kids coming in wearing suits and ties for tournaments, and then black kids would come wearing baggy jeans and do-rags. They were quoting Tupac, and I thought, that is amazing."
Upon his return to Rwanda, Jean Michel established iDebate Rwanda, the first national debate program to teach Rwandan youth how to think critically, solve problems creatively, and become active citizens in their own communities. Through debate training linked to the UN's Sustainable Development Goals, Jean Michel aims to nurture the next generation of leaders in Rwanda. Students debate issues like climate action and poverty eradication from an early age. For 2023, the theme will focus on SDG 1, ending poverty in all its forms everywhere. Students will debate policies and strategies related to poverty eradication through their debate clubs. Jean Michel recognises the importance of equipping today's youth with knowledge to tackle pressing issues, such as poverty facing Rwanda. He also incorporates peacebuilding elements, teaching students to disagree constructively and understand their shared history. Under Jean Michel's leadership, iDebate has now reached over 5,000 students.
Determined to make iDebate's program accessible for all, Jean Michel is currently adapting his successful urban model to suit Rwandan youth in rural areas with high instances of poverty. He is integrating other useful components into the program, such as financial education, with the hope that this more holistic approach will better equip underserved youth to become change agents in their communities.
And in moments when the vast problems humanity faces start to feel overwhelming, Jean Michel has been inspired by this quote from Obama: "Hope is the belief that destiny will not be written for us, but by us, by the men and women who are not content to settle for the world as it is, who have the courage to remake the world as it should be."
Jean Michel is actively working towards making the world as it should be. Every two years he leads speaking tours across the United States with a group of his Rwandan students. The groups hold talks all over the country, educating Americans on how all societies can work towards living together in peace and respect, despite the human realities of tension and conflict. This is a vital message that the world needs to hear now more than ever.
Children in Rwanda learn to speak up and tolerate difference.
Jean Michel shows the USA how respectful disagreements are possible.
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Contact jo@justpeoples.org to learn more about how you can support Jean Michel’s work.