Narratives of Rwandan youth on post-genocide reconciliation: contesting discourses and identities in the making

ABSTRACT

Drawing on ethnographic research conducted in 2019 with secondary school students in Kigali, Rwanda, this paper aims to shed light on the stance of Rwandan youth on recent policies and discussions about post-genocide reconciliation and peacebuilding. This article discusses the narratives articulated by Rwandan youth on three levels: positioning in relation to the Rwandan government, positioning the self and others in their communities and positioning the self in relation to ‘Ndi Umunyarwanda’ (I am Rwandan). The discussion of these narratives is based on the concepts of participatory spaces and positioning theory. The findings show that the legacy of the genocide, as well as the reconciliation process, is being performed through everyday actions by the youth. However, the limitations of participatory spaces prevent Rwandan youth from having their positions communicated, negotiated and diversified.

KEYWORDS:

• Youth
• Rwanda
• positioning
• participation
• identity
• participatory spaces

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 Kinyarwanda is one of the official languages and the most widely spoken language in Rwanda.

2 Kwibuka means ‘to remember’ in Kinyarwanda and signifies the annual commemoration of the 1994 genocide.

3 To conduct research in Rwanda, researchers are required to have an affiliation with a local organization. During my fieldwork, I collaborated with the Institute of Research and Dialogue for Peace (IRDP).

4 Digital projects used in the workshops are Love Radio - Rwanda (http://www.loveradio-rwanda.org/), Portraits from a Changing Rwanda (http://www.rwanda20ansapres.net/en/the-webdoc/), Scars of Cambodia (http://scarsofcambodia.com/) and Granito: Every Memory Matters (http://www.granitomem.com/).

5 AERG is an organization of student survivors of the 1994 genocide (see https://aerg.org.rw/).

6 Leaders of administrative sectors in Rwanda.

7 PLP is a youth-led organization that aims for youth empowerment (see http://peaceloveproclaimers.org/).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Agència de Gestió d’Ajuts Universitaris i de Recerca (AGAUR).