What you see on our logo is a traditional Rwandan basket, called agaseke in Kinyarwanda. They are common props in everyday life in Rwanda, especially for women who present the baskets to the audience in traditional dances.
After the genocide against the Tutsi in 1994, the agaseke was utilized to promote forgiveness and cultivate healing between victims and perpetrators. People met, and by weaving the baskets, created art together. Healing through creating art (no matter what kind) is one of the common threads in our episodes. That’s why we decided to use the basket in our logo.
When choosing the name of our podcast (Re)membering Rwanda. Conversations about our shared history, in reference to the famous Kenyan writer Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o, we wanted to plant African memories in Europe. We wanted to show that our histories are intertwined and interwoven. This is another reason why the woven baskets fit so perfectly to our matter. (On top of that, we talk about texts, always keeping in mind their woven texture too.)
The main purpose of agaseke-baskets is to hold food and gifts when going to a wedding or visiting someone. That’s why they became a symbol of peace and goodwill, but also of protection, due to the tight stitch and weaving pattern of the basket that protects its contents.
This podcast advocates for peace and a respectful and engaging examination of the topic. That’s a further argument for choosing the basket, the symbol of peace and reconciliation, as a sign board of our podcast.
Did we raise your interest in the agaseke-baskets? Do you even wish to have such a beautiful, decorative object in your room? Just close your eyes and try to imagine an agaseke next to you. Can you hear it shaking and swaying, creaking and crumbling? The sounds are the stories that want to come out, be spoken and listened to!
Curious to learn more? Click here to find a list of useful resources and links connected to the topics of our episodes:
(Re)membering Rwanda 
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