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In 2019, Building Bridges with Rwanda, Hogan’s Alley Society, and SFU’s Institute for Black and African Diaspora Research and Engagement launched the Remember Rwanda 25 Legacy Project (RR25). This powerful initiative was created to honor the resilience of the Rwandan people and to spark dialogue on sustainable development, justice, and reconciliation.

At the heart of RR25 are two goals:

1.Leading Reflection Tours to Rwanda – immersive journeys that allow participants to experience Rwanda’s transformation firsthand.

2.Hosting biannual conferences – gatherings that highlight Rwanda’s remarkable progress and explore lessons for global sustainable development.

In the summer of 2022, Dr. June Francis and Lama Mugabo traveled to Kigali to attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM). While there, they engaged with Rwanda’s history, culture, and development strategies.

Their journey inspired a documentary, set to premiere during Black History Month 2026, that tells the story of Rwanda’s rebirth.

Looking ahead, we are thrilled to announce that in the summer of 2026, twelve participants will embark on a Reflection Tour to Rwanda. This journey will offer young leaders and community members the chance to witness the extraordinary progress Rwanda has made since the darkest chapter of its history—the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi, when more than a million lives were lost in just 100 days as the world stood by.

Out of that devastation, Rwanda’s daughters and sons reclaimed their nation. Through vision, courage, and homegrown solutions, they rebuilt their society and laid the foundation for one of the most inspiring transformations in modern history.

The Reflection Tour is more than a trip—it is an opportunity to learn, grow, and be inspired by Rwanda’s renaissance. It invites participants to reflect on the meaning of resilience, to draw lessons from Rwanda’s path to peace and prosperity, and to carry those lessons home to strengthen our own communities.