Unity and Reconciliation

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RWANDAN UNITY AND RECONCILIATION DURING
POST-GENOCIDE RECONSTRUCTION WITH MAJOR FOCUS ON
RECONCILIATION INITIATIVES BY NURC ,


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Background to RwandanUnity and Reconciliation
Process
For decades Rwanda was run by repressive
regimes which for their survival resulted to
practicing divisive and discriminatory policies.
This resulted eventually in massive violations of
human right that culminated in the mass killing,
1959 massive refugees in the world and April 1994
Tutsi Genocide.
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Background to RwandanUnity and Reconciliation
Process
The Arusha peace accords, signed in August
1993 between the then Rwandan government and
Rwandan Patriotic Front, considered unity and
reconciliation as a process that is fundamental
for the stability and the development of Rwanda.
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CHALLENGES OF PEACE BUILDING IN RWANDAS POST
GENOCIDE RECONSTRUCTION
This was the glaring state of affair in Rwanda
after the 1994 genocide. The country had been
Totally destructed/ destroyed to the level where
some people believed Rwanda was never going to
be a nation any more.
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CHALLENGES OF PEACE BUILDING IN RWANDAS POST
GENOCIDE RECONSTRUCTION..

• 3 million refugees and this at the time accounted
  for the half of the countrys population

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CHALLENGES OF PEACE BUILDING IN RWANDAS POST
GENOCIDE RECONSTRUCTION..

• 300.000 orphans and non accompanied minors
• 500 000 Widows

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CHALLENGES OF PEACE BUILDING IN RWANDAS POST
GENOCIDE RECONSTRUCTION..

• Thousands of handicapped, horrified and
  vulnerable
• A highly divided, suspicious and traumatized
  population
• The whole economy and existing physical
  infrastructure had been destroyed
• There was rampant insecurity resulting from
  perpetrators of genocide.

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CHALLENGES OF PEACE BUILDING IN RWANDAS POST
GENOCIDE RECONSTRUCTION..

• The countrys capacity to enforce law and order
  had completely been shattered
• The judicial system and other state management
  mechanisms had been totally destroyed
• 120,000 suspects of genocide in prisons.

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Way forwad.

• Each conflict has root causes and dynamics
  peculiar to it, which in turn determine the
  subsequent post-conflict character of the state,
  shapes its reconstruction and the relevant peace
  building strategy.
• Conflicts also have varying effects in terms of
  destruction magnitude, but they all lead to a
  state of moral, social, economic and political
  degeneration. In extreme cases conflict lead to a
  situation of total failed states.

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Mahatma Gandhi, the Father of the Indian
Nation in his most famous book Satyagraha in
South Africa, writes
There is no place and no race on earth, which is
not capable of producing the finest types of
humanity, given suitable opportunities and
education.
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My vision of Rwanda is a united country that
feels itself as an integrated into the sub region
Family of nations, a country that is developed
and has eradicated poverty, a country that is
democratic, and above all, a stable country at
peace with itself as well as with its neighbors.
Rwandas president Paul KAGAME
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Rwandan Reconciliation Model
The Rwandan model for unity and reconciliation
is inspired and founded on national vision,
Rwanda constitution, Political will and positive
cultural values that have become vast in
conflict resolution mechanisms, citizenship
capacity building, good governance and economic
empowerment
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Rwandan Reconciliation Model

• Redefining the Rwandan identity and building a
  shared sense of Rwandan ness is at the centre of
  reconciliation in Rwanda.
• Memory, truth, justice, confessions and
  forgiveness have been the core threads of
  reconciliation process in Rwanda.

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Rwandan Reconciliation Model

• Human transformation founded on home-grown
  approach to the building of national unity and
  reconciliation, national identity and patriotism,
  and participatory conflict resolution mechanisms.
• Unity and reconciliation, inclusiveness of
  everyone in the process of national
  reconstruction were inevitable ingredients for
  sustainable peace building

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The National Unity and Reconciliation Commission
(NURC)

• The National Unity and Reconciliation Commission
  (NURC) was there for instituted by the parliament
  in 1999 which was later in 2003 according to new
  Rwanda constitution, the objectives of NURC
  include particularly the following
• Preparing and coordinating the national programs
  for the promotion of national unity and
  reconciliation
• Putting in place and developing ways and means to
  restore and consolidate unity and reconciliation
  among Rwandans

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The Objective of National Unity and
Reconciliation Commission (NURC)

• Educating and mobilizing the population on
  matters relating to national unity and
  reconciliation
• Carrying out research, organizing debates,
  disseminating ideas and making publications
  relating to peace, national unity and
  reconciliation
• Making proposals on measures that can eradicate
  divisions among Rwandans and to reinforce
  national unity and reconciliation

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The National Unity and Reconciliation Commission
(NURC)

• Denouncing and fighting against acts, writings
  and utterances which are intended to promote any
  kind of discrimination, intolerance or
  xenophobia
• Making an annual report and such other reports as
  may be necessary on the situation of national
  unity and reconciliation.

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THE NURCS STRATEGY

• To sustain peace building and reconciliation
  process indigenous participatory home-grown
  approaches became inevitable
• Community consultative meetings
• National summit(diaspora, friends of Rwanda)
• To work closely with MINEDU and integration
• of civic education valves (Life skills) into
  school curriculum

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THE NURCS STRATEGY

• For sustainable reconciliation, community
  capacity building was essential since post
  genocide reconstruction required every
  individuals participation.
• Promote community and national dialogue.
• Civic education and conflict resolution skills
  with the special focus on the youth, leaders,
  x-combatants, released prisoners, etc
• Advocacy for social inclusion
• Research for policy guidance.(community
  conflict,impact assessment on UR,land propert
  reco

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THE NURCS STRATEGY

• Participation of gacaca in rec process,soc
  cohesion, cause of violence after genocide,
  origin of conflict,process of decentralization
  and democracy, social re-integration of X
  genocide prison, impact assessment of
  Ingando,reconciliation barometer...........).
• Promoting partnership with public, and civil
  society institutions for integrating
  reconciliation in their work.
• Empower communities to initiate reconciliation
  and economic initiatives (Associations, Student
  reconciliation clubs, Reconciliation volunteers).
• Use of culture in promoting reconciliation,
  governance and economic development.

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THE NURCS STRATEGY

• To sustain peace building and reconciliation
  process indigenous participatory home-grown
  approaches became inevitable

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HOME GROWN APPROACHES.

1. Ingando Taken from the Rwandese verb Kugandika
   that refers to halting normal activities to
   reflect on, and find solutions to existing
   challenges. Ingando have been used at various
   levels of the community enhance citizenship for
   peace building and economic prosperity.

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HOME GROWN APPROACHES.

1. Ingando

Ingando for Students going to university Born
of(SCUR)
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HOME GROWN APPROACHES.

1. Ingando These forums of civic education have
   facilitated the smooth reintegration of former
   returnees including X-FAR armies, sexual workers,
   provisional released prisoners back into their
   communities . Ingando have also been organized
   for a cross section of Rwandan youth, women,
   students, teachers and community leaders.

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HOME GROWN APPROACHES.

1. Ingando held at grassroots levels have
   facilitated Rwandans to come to terms with the
   past by facing history, forging a common vision
   for a united future, and created a forum for
   trust building and critical analysis of national
   challenges with a view to search for solutions to
   address them.

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HOME GROWN APPROACHES.

1. Ingando

Former NURC Executive Secretary at Ingando for
former sexual workers
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HOME GROWN APPROACHES.

1. Ingando

Ingando for released Prisoners constructing
houses for victims of genocide
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HOME GROWN APPROACHES.
2. GACACA A traditional Rwandan conflict and
disputes resolution procedure designed to be
participatory and reconciliatory justice has been
renovated and used to deal with a backlog of
genocide cases. Inyangamugayo (Persons of
integrity) taken from the local community make up
the jury of that traditional jurisdiction.
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HOME GROWN APPROACHES.
2. GACACA
Rwandan Prime minister attending a Gacaca
court
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HOME GROWN APPROACHES.
2. GACACA
A witness delivering testimony
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HOME GROWN APPROACHES.
3. ABUNZI Community mediators. They are elected
by the population on the basis of integrity to
resolve day to day conflicts before referring
them to conventional courts. This has reduced the
number of cases that would otherwise have to go
to conventional court, and has reinforced unity
and reconciliation.
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HOME GROWN APPROACHES.
3. ABUNZI
Residence in a village participate in the
mediation session
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HOME GROWN APPROACHES.
4. NJYANAMA (Advisory Council), Elected
democratic Councils that promote inclusion,
participation and representation of Rwandans of
all categories. They are used as forums for
articulating interests, concerns in problem
identification, planning and implementation of
plans, programs and projects from village to
district levels. They are a simplified community
parliament.
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HOME GROWN APPROACHES.
4. NJYANAMA (Advisory Council),
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HOME GROWN APPROACHES.
5. ABAKANGURAMBAGA Community reconciliation
Volunteers after a one week training in conflict
resolution skills and community empowerment.
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HOME GROWN APPROACHES.
6. UBWISUNGANE (solidarity) e.g. reconciliation,
cooperatives, health insurance and micro-credit
schemes.
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HOME GROWN APPROACHES.
7. UBUDEHE An approach of community support
and solidarity used in poverty reduction.
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HOME GROWN APPROACHES.
8.UBUSABANE Get together festivals aimed at
fostering unity and reconciliation and
promoting partnership among communities.
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HOME GROWN APPROACHES.
9. GUTARAMA Entertainment through history,
proverbs, songs, dance, poems, intergenerational
dialogue between young and old aimed at enhancing
unity and learning about Rwandan culture.
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HOME GROWN APPROACHES.
10. UMUGANDA A traditional community support to
both individual and national cause has been
revived in the interest of national
reconstruction. This support comes in form of
general cleaning, tree planting, road works,
building houses for vulnerable groups,
construction of schools, health centers etc.
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HOME GROWN APPROACHES.
10. UMUGANDA
Residents plant trees
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HOME GROWN APPROACHES.
11. Community and National Dialogue
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HOME GROWN APPROACHES 12. Performance contract

• All 30 district leaders, each signs a performance
  contact every year with the president of Rwanda.
• 30 district Leader's achievements are monitored
  and evaluated every after 3 m, 6m by the
  Provencal governors and the community people
• Feedback is presented and discussed during
  National dialogue at the end of the year and
  chaired by the president.

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13. ITORERO RYIGIHUGU was formerly a
traditional Rwandan school to instill moral
values of integrity, and capacity to deal with
Countries problems. It has today been revised to
promote Rwandan values of unity, truth, culture
of hard work,patriotism, Rwandan
identity,integrity,self respect....all aimed at
speeding up the attainment of Vision 2020, MDGS
and EDPRS.
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HOME GROWN APPROACHES.
14. Children pose a photo with President KAGAME
after a 2 days childrens summit
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LESSONS LEARNT

• Political will and leadership commitment are
  very critical to capacity building for peace.
• Analysis of the root causes of conflicts is
  critical
• Community inclusion and participation create
  ownership of national undertaking
• Education and popular participation in debates
  and dialogue of national interests is empowering
  in conflict transformation

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LESSONS LEARNT

• Ownership without capacity is always a recipe for
  unrealizable dreams
• Capacity without a clear vision, can only be a
  wasted opportunity.
• Unity and reconciliation is a cross-cutting
  endeavor, thus requiring holistic action and
  involvement of every stakeholder
• Home grown approaches are empowering less cost
  effective and sustainable

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LESSONS LEARNT.

• The crime of genocide destroys hope and trust, as
  well as dehumanizes people.
• Reconciliation is a painful process that
  requires the knitting of the torn social fabric,
  healing wounds, rebuilding a sense of
  togetherness and creation of institutions that
  promote national unity, accountability,

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LESSONS LEARNT.

• Trust building and trauma healing are critical to
  reconciliation.
• National unity and reconciliation is
  cross-cutting and requires holistic interventions
  in all aspects of political, social economic
  life.
• The resilience and determination of Rwandans to
  move on after genocide determines political,
  social and economic progress made so far.

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LESSONS LEARNT.

• A revisit to Rwandan culture has been at the
  Centre of our reconciliation process.
• Balancing the demands of justice and peace
  remains central to the process of reconciliation
  in Rwanda.
• Consultation and participatory approaches is key
  to enhancing reconciliation and democracy.
• Combating discrimination and genocide ideology is
  a complex and long-term struggle.

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CHALLENGES

• Limited capacities at local decentralized levels
• Monitoring divisivion, discrimination and
  conflicts,
• Cross-cutting nature of reconciliation
• There some people with genocide ideology and
  divisions

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CONCLUSION

• The uniqueness of Rwandan Reconciliation
  model lies in a number of factors
• Rwandas history is unique and requires unique
  problem solving mechanisms.
• Rwanda has had a protracted divisive system which
  require protracted remedial system.
• Rwandas conflict involves Rwandans, hence
  reconciliation approaches must be home grown and
  an onus of every Rwandan.

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Ntidushora gusubiza igihe inyuma cyangwa ngo
tuvaneho ibibi byatubayeho ariko dufite
ubushobozi bwo kugena ejo heza hazaza hu Rwanda
no gutuma ibyabaye bitazongera kuba ukundi Kuba
umunyarwanda muzima niyo politike twese dukwiye
kugenderaho. Politike yikinyoma yishe u Rwanda,
Afurika nisi muri rusange. Ntabwo twe
Abanyarwanda twapfa kabiri. Twapfuye rimwe kandi
rirahagije. Byaba ari ishyano twemeye gupfa
kabiri. Kudapfa bwa kabiri rero turashaka
abanyarwanda babayobozi bazima bumva ko tutapfa
kabiri.. Nyakubahwa KAGAME Paul, Perezida wa
Repubulika yu Rwanda
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Thank you very much for your attention.