Transcript Healing from genocide in Rwanda

Healing from genocide in
Rwanda
Alternatives to Violence Programs
March 13-15, 2008
By Linda Kreitzer and Mary Kay Jou
Map of Rwanda
Agenda of workshop
1. Historical background of both Rwanda
and the Congo and current situation.
2. Alternatives to Violence Programs (AVP)
3. Mary Kay’s work in Rwanda and the
Congo.
History of Rwanda
 Pre-colonial period – Tutsi cattle breeders arrived
in Central Africa and established a monarchy
headed by a king and a feudal hierarchy of Tutsi
nobles and gentry. Over the years race and class
were less distinct and there was peaceful times of
living together.
 End of 19th century – Nyiginya dynasty
 Hutus tended to be farmers, Tutsis were
stockbreeders and Twa were hunters or potters.
Colonialism
 First European, a German, came to what is
now Rwanda followed by the white fathers
or missionaries.
 Belgium rule – 1915-1962.

Hamitic hypothesis
 1959 revolt
 1960-61 – Hutu election victory
 1961 – 1967 – Tutsi massacres
After Independence
 First republic – 1962-1973 – Kept up with
racial profiling. This time the Hutus were
seen as the rightful inhabitants and the
Tutsis were foreigners.
 1972-1973 – Ethnic violence erupted with
more massacres.
 1973-1994 – Habyarimana government
 1994 – Second genocide
History of Rwanda cont.
 The 1994 genocide in Rwanda was
unprecedented and over 800,000 men,
women and children were murdered. Within
4 months, 1.75 million people had fled.
 Work has been going on in Rwanda after the
genocide to promote sustainability with
economic and social development.
History of Congo
 Pre-colonial
 Colonizaton (1908-1960)
 Republic of Congo (1960-65)
 Zaire (1965-1996)
 DR of Congo (1997)
DR of Congo’s relationship to
Rwanda
 1996 – Rwandan war and genocide had spilled
over to Zaire.
 Use of refugee camps for Hutu military.
 Hutus and Zairian military join to fight Congolese
ethnic Tutsis.
 Tutsi militia was supported by Rwanda and
Uganda to oust Mobutu. Kabila named himself
president when Mobutu left.
 1997 – renamed the DR of Congo
DR of Congo’s relationship to
Rwanda
 Several peace deals were brokered between
Rwanda and Uganda but more fighting continued.
 By June 2003 all foreign troops except Rwanda
pulled out of the Congo
 2006 – Multi-party elections were held and Kabila
was sworn in as president.
 There are still Rwandan refugees in the Congo and
a ceasefire was again obtained between Rwanda
and the Congo in 2007. Rwanda continues to
chase down Hutu on the Congolese side and
tensions remain high between the countries.
Rwanda today
 Visit to Rwanda
 Economic situation
 Political situation
 Psychological healing from the genocide.
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

a. International Criminal Tribunal for
Rwanda
b. Gacaca system
Rwanda Today


c. Memorialization
d. Solidarity camps
Genocide healing and
reconcilation
 True healing of a country includes addressing the
social, economic, political and emotional needs of
a country. Development activities can help reduce
mental health problems due to the war. On the
other hand, trauma healing can help to strengthen
people to contribute to development.
 NGO’s
Projects and interventions
 International Rescue Committee
 UNICEF
Projects and interventions
 There has been research and programs set
up to deal with trauma from the genocide.
 One particular work has been by Ervin
Staub, Laurie Pearlman and Vachel Miller.
 Another is by Annemiek Richters, Cora
Dekker and Klaas de Jonge.
Staub, Pearlman and Miller
 Work looks at the relationship between
reconciliation and forgiveness.
 Reconciliation
 Forgiveness
Staub, Pearlman and Miller
1. Developing an intervention that could be
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
used by groups after researchers left.
Two-week seminar with Rwandans from
local and international NGO’.
Seminars for national leaders.
Evaluation of the Gacaca system.
Seminars with journalists
Radio programs
Richters, Dekker and de Jonge
 Socio-therapy
 Focuses less on terrible memories of the
past and focuses primarily on the here and
now situation.
 Main goal is increasing safety and trust
within a group
References
 A. Richters, C. Dekker & K. deJonge
(2005). Reconciliation in the aftermath of
violent conflict in Rwanda. Intervention, 3,
3, 203-221.
 E. Staub, L.A. Pearlman & V. Miller (2003).
Healing the roots of genocide in Rwanda,
Peace Review, 15, 3, 287-294.
References
 E. Staub, L.A. Pearlman, A. Gubin & A.
Hagengimana (2005). Healing, reconciliation,
forgiving and the prevention of violence after
genocide or mass killing: An intervention and its
experimental evaluation in Rwanda. Journal of
social and clinical psychology, 24, 3, 297-334.
 A. Dyregrov, L. Gupta, R. Gjestad & E.
Mukanoheli (2000). Trauma exposure and
psychological reactions to genocide among
Rwandan children. Journal of traumatic stress, 13,
1, 3-21.