Third Meeting of the Rwanda Psychological Society (RPS), 7-8/01/2017, Best View Hotel, Musanze District

From 7th to 8th January 2017, members of the RPS Assembly of Representatives are gathered at Best View Hotel, Musanze District, for their third (3rd) bi-annual meeting and will discuss different issues, including a 2016-2017 activities progress report, approving new members and will resolve on the coming six months' priorities.

In his welcome note, Prof. Vincent Sezibera, the RPS President, highlighted the background, the mission and the activities of the organization. As a background of the RPS, Psychologists in Rwanda (i.e. Social Psychologists, Clinical Psychologists, Counselling Psychologists, etc) convened on 1st August 2015 for a Constituent Assembly and resolved to establish the "Rwanda Psychological Society", RPS, a national professional organization. As a main mission of the organization, the RPS was established to avail opportunities for continuous training to psychologists at work (RPS objective one), to enforce psychologists' core values and professionalism (RPS objective two) and to contribute to the awareness around mental health through community engagement and advocacy.

The meeting was started with talks delivered by senior officials and practitioners in psychosocial and mental health domains. Presentations included:

• Opening the 3rd Session of RPS Assembly of Representatives, by Hon Senator Dr Sebuhoro Celestin, Guest of Honor
• Rebuilding the country after the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda: Healing the wounds of the genocide, by Hon. Mukandera Iphigenie, Member of Parliement (MP)
• The holistic approach in mental health care and practice.Dr. Arthur Rukundo, Psychiatry, Musanze District Hospital.
• The Mental Health in post-genocide: trends, policies and strategies. Dr. Jean Damascene Iyamuremye, RBC/Mental Health Division.
• The training of mental health professionals in post-genocide Rwanda: achievements, challenges and lessons learned from the University of Kibungo, Department of Clinical Psychology. Prof. Dusingizemungu,Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Academic, University of Kibungo, & Dr. Cindi Cassady, Lecturer and Consultant, University of Kibungo.