Zola at the Memorial City
Project 05 · Vision

The Memorial City

A 5 km² living memorial to peace, reconciliation, and the future — honoring those lost in the Congo and Rwanda conflicts, and building a world where it never happens again.

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"Never Again in the DRC"

A solemn commitment by the women of the Democratic Republic of Congo — and the world — to ensure that the horrors of conflict are never repeated, and that peace is built to last.

The Vision

A City Built for Healing, Memory, and Hope

The conflicts in the Congo and Rwanda left millions of lives shattered. Entire communities were destroyed. Children lost parents. Parents lost children. The wounds are deep — and they deserve more than silence.

The Memorial City is not a monument to grief. It is a monument to resilience. A living, breathing space of 5 square kilometers where the past is honored, the present is healed, and the future is built. Hotels, museums, cultural centers, gardens, and memorials — all woven together into a destination that draws the world to witness, to learn, and to commit.

Led by the Universal Palm Tree Women (UPTW) in partnership with the DRC government, UN Women, UNICEF, UNESCO, and international foundations, this is one of the most significant humanitarian and cultural projects on the African continent.

The Scale of the Vision

5 km²
Memorial City Area
6
Major Facilities
UN
International Partners
∞
Generations of Legacy
Memorial City vision
"We do not build this city to dwell in sorrow. We build it so that every generation that comes after us will know what was lost — and will choose, every day, to build something better."

Universal Palm Tree Women (UPTW) · Democratic Republic of Congo

01 We remember.

A soaring peace monument. Walls of names. Gardens of remembrance.

At the heart of the Memorial City stands the Peace Monument — a 60-meter white marble obelisk inscribed with African geometric carvings, rising above a circular reflecting pool. It is visible from every corner of the city. It is the first thing visitors see. It is the last thing they remember.

Flanking the central axis: the Walls of Names — long marble panels bearing the names of those lost to conflict in the DRC and Rwanda. Not statistics. Not numbers. Names. Every one of them. Surrounded by indigenous Congolese and Rwandan flowering gardens, benches for contemplation, and quiet pathways for reflection.

Peace Monument at golden hour
Zola

"We say their names so they are never forgotten. That is the first act of peace."

Zola · Palm Leaf Partners
Museum of Peace and Reconciliation
02 We educate.

The Museum of Peace and Reconciliation — a world-class institution for truth and understanding.

The museum is not a place of accusation. It is a place of truth. Designed by African architects with African materials, it houses permanent and rotating exhibitions telling the full story of the Congo and Rwanda conflicts — from their roots to their resolution — with unflinching honesty and profound humanity.

Interactive galleries, oral history archives, children's education programs, and a research library serve students, scholars, diplomats, and families from across the world. UNESCO-partnered. Internationally accredited. Permanently staffed by Congolese and Rwandan historians and educators.

Zola

"The truth, told with dignity, is the most powerful tool for peace we have."

Zola · Palm Leaf Partners
03 We celebrate life.

Luxury hotels. A cultural amphitheater. Restaurants, galleries, and gardens alive with Congolese culture.

A memorial city that only mourns is incomplete. The Memorial City is also a destination — a place where the world comes to stay, to eat, to listen to music, to watch dance, to buy art, and to experience the extraordinary richness of Congolese and Central African culture.

The Memorial Hotel offers luxury accommodation with views over the memorial grounds. The open-air cultural amphitheater seats 2,000 and hosts Congolese music, dance, theater, and international performances year-round. Art galleries, craft markets, restaurants serving Congolese cuisine, and a conference center for international peace summits complete the vision.

This is how peace is sustained — not only through memory, but through joy. Through culture. Through the undeniable vitality of a people who survived, and who are building something extraordinary from what remains.

Cultural amphitheater at the Memorial City
Zola

"Joy is not the opposite of grief. It is the proof that life continues — and that it is worth protecting."

Zola · Palm Leaf Partners
Six Major Facilities

What the Memorial City Contains

Five square kilometers of purposefully designed space — each facility serving a distinct role in the mission of peace, memory, and renewal.

Peace Monument
01

Peace Monument & Reflecting Pool

A 60-meter marble obelisk with African carvings, circular reflecting pool, and the Walls of Names — the emotional and spiritual heart of the Memorial City.

Museum of Peace
02

Museum of Peace & Reconciliation

UNESCO-partnered world-class museum with permanent exhibitions, oral history archives, children's education programs, and an international research library.

Memorial Hotel
03

The Memorial Hotel

Luxury boutique accommodation with views over the memorial grounds, rooftop garden, African art collection, and a restaurant serving Congolese cuisine.

Cultural Amphitheater
04

Cultural Amphitheater & Arts Center

A 2,000-seat open-air amphitheater for Congolese music, dance, theater, and international performances. Art galleries, craft markets, and cultural programming year-round.

Gardens of Remembrance
05

Gardens of Remembrance

Extensive botanical gardens with indigenous Congolese and Rwandan plants, walking paths, meditation spaces, a children's garden, and an interfaith chapel.

International Peace Conference Center
06

International Peace Conference Center

A state-of-the-art conference facility hosting UN summits, peace dialogues, academic conferences, and diplomatic gatherings from across the world.

International Partners

The World Stands With the DRC

The Memorial City is not a local project. It is a global commitment. UPTW works alongside the world's leading humanitarian organizations to ensure this project meets the highest standards of accountability, cultural sensitivity, and lasting impact.

UN Women

United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women

UNICEF

United Nations Children's Fund — protecting children's rights in the DRC

UNESCO

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

UN Human Rights Office

Monitoring and reporting on human rights in the DRC

Ministry of Foreign Affairs · DRC

National coordination and government authorization for the Memorial City

Memorial Hotel

Governance & Accountability

UPTW operates through a transparent, multi-stakeholder governance structure with independent oversight from international fiduciaries (NANN), independent auditors, and international legal counsel — ensuring accountability at every level of the project.

Palm Leaf Partners' Role

The Infrastructure That Makes It Possible

Address Mapping

Every location within the Memorial City is registered in the national address system — enabling emergency services, logistics, and visitor navigation with precision.

Data Center

The museum's digital archives, oral history databases, and visitor management systems are hosted in the sovereign Tier-IV data center — secure, permanent, and on Congolese soil.

Fiber & Connectivity

High-speed fiber connectivity throughout the Memorial City enables live-streaming of events, digital exhibitions, international conference calls, and visitor WiFi across all 5 km².

Be Part of Something That Lasts

The Memorial City is a vision that requires partners, investors, and allies who believe that peace is worth building — and that the DRC deserves a monument worthy of its people.

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