Experiencing Rwanda: Understanding Mass Atrocity at Nyamata

Abstract

This chapter analyzes a 360-degree virtual tour of the Nyamata Church memorial in Rwanda. The church commemorates the 1994 genocide by openly displaying the bones of the victims massacred there by Hutu militia. The act of being at and witnessing this emotive site has been transformed into an interactive online experience. This chapter assesses how representative this experience is compared to being physically present at the church and as an act of dark tourism. It concludes that, despite some limitations, the tour does much to capture the essence of the memorial. Furthermore, it identifies key educational benefits related to “teaching” the virtual participant about the atrocity that occurred.