Genocide and its Aftermath in Rwanda

My STEP signature project was the Genocide and its Aftermath in Rwanda education abroad program in the Sociology department. The program consisted of lectures in the classroom focusing on Rwanda’s cultural, political, social, and colonial history, the genocide, and how it has developed and changed since 1994 as well as testimonies and talks from Rwandans who survived the violence of the genocide, rescued others, and participated in it. We also explored the cities of Kigali, Huye, and Gisenyi throughout the program, engaging with the Rwandan community and important sites across the country.

During my time in Rwanda, my worldview was transformed on many levels. I became more critical of my Western viewpoint and was encouraged to recognize the significance of context when analyzing a situation and the responses to it. I was also strengthened in my belief of the importance of acknowledging and appreciating diversity and working to better understand differences in culture, religion, and ethnicity rather than ignoring them. I found that failing to dismantle the false, negative perceptions people have of the other and burying hostile feelings is problematic because the root of conflict goes unresolved. Finally, I further recognized the importance of responsibility and accountability. There is a thin line when it comes to the role foreign powers should play in other countries but when violence pervades and foreign powers have the ability to put an end to it, intervention is necessary. It is paramount, however, to seek to understand what a particular country needs before aid is provided. I plan to incorporate what I learned in Rwanda into my studies and future career.

During the program, our class visited a women’s cooperative where we heard from women whose husbands were killed during the genocide and whose husbands had participated in the violence. They shared their stories about how initially they were unable to even come into contact with women from the “other group” due to fear, anger, sadness, and shame. Over time they realized the need they had to be able to communicate and live together in their community peacefully. They spoke of the meetings they held and the help they received from a priest to encourage them to engage in conversation and work through their pasts. Over time they became able to speak and work with one another, eventually forming a cooperative together, creating strong relationships. Hearing their story of struggle, pain, persistence, and peace was inspiring and reminded me of the power dialogue can have in a community and the good that can come of speaking to one another, bringing down barriers, and understanding other perspectives to work through difference.

As we visited more organizations and heard the stories of Rwandans, our group became very close and engaged in conversation surrounding what we were learning and being exposed to during our time in Rwanda. On one particular day, Dr. Brehm organized an activity where she read various statements and each person had to decide whether they strongly agreed, agreed, disagreed, or strongly disagreed with that statement, moving to a respective corner of the room to convey their response. This activity triggered some strong reactions and conversations surrounding the issues of identity, race-ethnicity, education, and diversity, pushing us to see and understand the perspectives of others in our class and the speakers who had shed light on their experiences during the genocide and in Rwanda since the period of violence. This activity allowed me to see beyond my stance and recognize the importance of context. I began to detect the Western viewpoint I hold on politics and society and was encouraged to consider the statements from a viewpoint unattached to my experiences to better understand why particular policies were in place and why people held certain notions.

Our class also visited four major genocide memorials and learned about the colonial history of Rwanda from both Dr. Brehm and Rwandan scholars. The role that colonial or foreign powers played in Rwanda was emphasized in memorials and lectures, demonstrating the negative influence they had on the region. We discussed the role Belgium played in transforming the social classes in Rwanda to ethnic groups and how this created arbitrary yet strong divisions on the basis of physical appearance and assumed characteristics. Feelings of hatred were cultivated between the groups in large part due to colonial actions and rampant, false propaganda was spewed forth from the government, pitting Hutus and Tutsis against each other. Many factors, including this growing ethnic tension and fear that the other group posed a threat to well being and safety led to the genocide in 1994. A couple of the genocide memorials chose to outline this history and also shed light on the absence of foreign intervention in the country during the time of the genocide. I became increasingly angered as I uncovered more about the lack of action Western powers took to end the violence in Rwanda despite being aware of the events that were taking place. Foreign power was integral to the creation of division and tension but remained on the outside when this violence came to a head. As I reflected on this, I realized how important it is for countries in power to take responsibility for problems they create and intervene in a positive way when necessary.

The transformation I underwent over the course of my time in Rwanda is valuable to me because I began to recognize my interest in foreign policy and rediscover my passion for learning about and appreciating diversity. As I work with my fellow board members to lead our student organization, Allies for Diversity, this upcoming year, I hope to encourage people with various backgrounds and perspectives to engage in conversation on social issues prevalent in the world today and highlight the differences in culture and experiences people have to promote acceptance and appreciation. Following graduation, I hope to gain experience working for an international NGO and work in the realm of human rights to better understand how they can be applied at an international scale and work through the complexities that come with this. My experience in Rwanda has sparked increased interest in these areas of identity, diversity, and human rights and I will bring what I’ve learned and been exposed to with me as I move forward.

Class Blog:

http://ohiostaterwanda2018.blogspot.com/