On Tuesday, August 1-5, 2023, Presbyterian Church in Rwanda hosted the 4th World Conference of the International Association for Reconciliation Studies at Karongi in Bethany Hotel, located in the Southern province of Rwanda , and EPR is one of the members. This conference involved the following partners: Protestant Institute of Arts and Social Sciences (PIASS), JENA Center for Reconciliation Studies, RUHR Universität BOCHUM (RUB)and  attended by 80 participants from Africa, Europe, America and Asia.

Africa : Participants from Rwanda, From Democratic Republic of Congo-DRC, Zimbabwe
Europe : Participants from Germany, Switzerland, Norway, England, France
Asia   : Participants from Japan, south Korea, Nepal
America : Participants from USA ( United States of America), Colombia who will participate on line.

The 4th IARS Conference was officially opened by Rev. Dr. Pascal Bataringaya, the President and Legal Representative of the Presbyterian Church in Rwanda (EPR), who in his welcoming remarks , said that :’’ Gospel is peace and Christ himself is peace, Christians are also called to be peacemakers. Jesus came to bring about peace between humans and God and this kind of Peace extends to peace among humans and between humans and nature’’  About the reconciliation in Rwanda after  Genocide against the Tutsi in 1994. EPR President presented the process of reconciliation and showed the role of the church in process of reconciliation especially the Presbyterian Church in Rwanda is very involved and very committed for reconciliation work and Peace.  Together the church and the Rwanda Government  worked for reconstructing the Rwandan Identity “Ndi Umunyarwanda” (I am a Rwandan). Other opening remarks and key notes were given by Martin Leiner, Karina Korostelina, Tayomi Asano, Laura and Villanueva.

The Guest Honor was  Kayirangwa Anita, serves as the Executive Director for National Unity, Itorero and Citizenship Education in the Ministry of National Unity and Civic Engagement (MINUBUMWE). She talked about preserving the nation’s unity and preventing division that allows us for maintaining peace. She also appreciated the great collaboration of the Presbyterian Church in Rwanda in promoting unity and reconciliation in Rwanda and worldwide, especially by organizing such conferences which raise the awareness of Rwanda and people from other continents

During the conference, Theologians from worldwide and researchers from different domains presented their reflections on the topic of reconciliation in different contexts focusing on some themes such as : 

1>  Theologies and Church practices of Reconciliation in Rwanda:
   - The role of Presbyterian Church in Rwanda after the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, 
2>  Reconciliation in Africa: How conflict Resolution Processes influence in conflict repetitions circles? The case of
    Mozambique, 
3>  Decoloniality  in healing centred peace building. A zimbabwean made, community based, survivor-led trauma healing
    program, 
4>  Exploring the impact and legacy German and Belgian colonization and reconciliation and reconciliation in Rwanda,
5>  Reparation for violation of economic, social and cultural Human Rights:A condition for Effective Reconciliation in
    Eastern DR Congo,
6>  Opposing the official law for saving lives, similarities between Dietrich Bonhoeffer and’’ Umurinzi w’igihango in
    Rwanda’’
7>  Identity reconstruction in post –genocide Rwanda,
8>  The Relation between Forgiveness and Justice, 
9>  The Civil Society Organizations contribute to the reconciliation process? The role of Korean NGOs in Ethiopian
    ethnic conflict,
10> Many paths of territorization of reconciliation in Colombia, towards a strategic relational approach to
    reconciliations.