University of Washington student and Youth Connection contributor Donalda Brantley reflects on her recent trip to Rwanda and the power of art. She shares what she witnessed throughout her travels and the lessons she learned:
A few other students and I had the opportunity to interview Ngabo during our last week of our study abroad journey. We sat down with him in his studio, a place that feels like home to him. Ngabo told us about the story behind opening Museum INGABO. He stated, “when you are painting, writing poetry, making short stories, sometimes you think it is about you but at the end of the day it becomes for others. That is the mission of an artist. We put our emotions on canvas, we put our emotions to pen and paper… its for the people.” Reminding us that creation goes beyond personal expression. It is a gift.
Isolation has become a space of comfortability. Society has become comfortable with “protecting peace” by prioritizing their own lives over those who are struggling. While we are tucked away in our warm beds scrolling on our phones with a full stomach, people around the globe, in our nation, and in your local communities are struggling. The world is spinning and we are just scrolling. It has become an inconvenience to be kind, to give to others, and to be humble.
An error occurred while rendering a shortcode — media/figure_thumbnail.htmlAs “woke” as we claim to be as a nation, we close our eyes to those who need us. What is the value of wealth and prosperity if, in our own communities, individuals struggle to find food, stability, and safety? In the United States alone, 4.2 million youth (ages 13-25) experience homelessness each year. We expect generations to save the world, yet we cannot even ensure they have a seat at the table. And when they do, too often, the table is empty.
Globally, the suffering of food insecurity and lack of housing continues. Similar to Rwanda in 1994, genocides are currently occurring in places like Sudan, Gaza, and numerous other regions, often receiving little to no media coverage and support.
As long as we occupy this world in a position of privilege, we are living poorly regardless of how many riches we own. We click, we scroll, the world keeps spinning without our support. God knows our flesh is sick. I pray you feel it in your soul to create something that creates peace in your communities and the world.
I call on students, parents, the poor, wealthy, and all individuals to create or to support creators who are aiming to fight injustices in the world. Global conflict may seem like a hopeless issue too big to change on our own. That is a reality we contribute to when we sit back and do nothing. The change starts within.
Let your thoughts and prayers be heard. Changing ourselves creates societal wide awareness and motivates others which contributes to a greater change.
Stepping outside our personal comfort, engaging with art, and acknowledging what it reveals allows us to confront these realities. Art heightens our awareness, brings hidden struggles to the surface, and encourages us to act. Through creativity and collective recognition, we open pathways toward understanding and, ultimately, toward meaningful solutions. Although we struggle to find peace in our world, we must continue to work.
True justice is found with God. Let us use our God given gifts to uplift the world and find peace.
The Art of Togetherness
Art has long been a powerful force in resolving household, local, and even global conflicts. As a universal language with infinite interpretations, art speaks across boundaries of culture, experience, and perspective. Its openness allows people to understand the same piece in different ways.
Artist King Ngabo taps into this power by creating art that strengthens peace in Rwanda. Born in 1996, just two years after the Rwanda genocide against the Tutsi, Ngabo uses his art to focus on stories of resilience, survival, and prosperity. He is connected to the Museum for Campaign Against Genocide and ART FOR MEMORIES, a dedicated platform that preserves memories of the 1994 Genocide Against the Tutsi through art.
While studying abroad in Rwanda, I had the privilege of meeting Ngabo. Accompanied by students from the African Leadership University and the University of Washington, we were given a tour of Museum INGABO, Rwanda’s first private art museum. Students participated in learning about art and history, including attempting a traditional Rwandan dance led by dancer Indashyikirwapatricke.
As a world struggling with domestic and global conflict, genocide, hunger, and anxiety, we must seek effective ways outside of the current ineffective solutions we continue to rely on. To truly move forward, we must take action that reconnects us to one another, awakens empathy, and restores a shared sense of humanity. Ngabo shows us that art is one of the ways we can heal wounds.
The world today has been tainted by a message of radical individuality. In pushing independence to the extreme, we have drifted toward isolation–and in that isolation, we risk becoming creatures of cruelty. Yet throughout history, global education and art have stood as weapons against injustice and tools for human survival. True peace is something we can reach only together.
What we see stirs something within us, and what we touch echoes through our emotions. Through art, the external becomes internal. Art connects us–locally and globally. Let us learn from artists like Ngabo, whose work reminds us that art is not just expressive; it is powerful, unifying, and essential for healing our societies.