Jean Michel Habineza

Jean Michel Habineza has been involved in the work of genocide prevention and reconciliation for the past decade. In 2007, he was one of the founders of Peace and Love Proclaimers, a youth organization aimed at creating change in Rwanda and famous for being the creators of Walk To Remember, a commemorative walk that brings young people from all over the world to end mass atrocities.

He co-founded iDebate Rwanda, an organization that trains secondary students in Rwanda in the art of debate and public speaking with the aim of advancing civil discourse. iDebate currently works with 35 schools with the plan of working with 450 schools in five years.

In 2016, Jean Michel was awarded the Public Advocate of the Year Award by the Cross-Examination Debate Association, the largest intercollegiate debate program in the United States for his role in advancing important discussions in society.

Jean Michel holds a master’s degree in social entrepreneurship and change from Pepperdine University and a bachelor of arts in international relations from Towson University.