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Abstract
Post-conflict peacebuilding has been criticised as being too focused on macro-level economic development and institutional reform at the expense of a more people-centred, service-oriented process that promotes the transformation in relationships and life conditions necessary to support a sustainable peace. This article suggests that the essence of peace and the capacity for development at the individual and community level are being lost in the dominant state-centric model of peacebuilding. It also suggests that psychosocial services that address the need for individual and community capacity-building should be seen as an integral part of social services where people are struggling to engage meaningfully in life after experiencing mass violence. Using Rwanda as a case study, it argues for a greater emphasis on psychosocial interventions as part of a more holistic and transformative approach to peacebuilding that promotes resilience, social cohesion and sustainable development.
Notes
1 In July 2005, Lambourne interviewed gacaca judges, genocide survivors, accused/prisoners and their relatives, NGO representatives and officials of the NURC and Inkiko Gacaca in Kigali, Byumba, Butare and Kibuye (for further details, see Lambourne Citation2009; Citation2010). Gitau interviewed genocide survivors, representatives of NGOs working in peacebuilding, and the Vice Chairman of the NURC in Kigali, in February 2010. Lambourne attended a conference on ‘Memory, Conflict, and Reconciliation’ and the gacaca closing ceremonies, interviewed staff of the NURC and Inkiko Gacaca and visited memorial sites and a number of NGOs during 2012.
2 Where interviewees' experiences are referred to in this article, names have been changed to protect their privacy. The authors wish to express their appreciation to all those who shared their stories and opinions for this research, and to the University of Sydney, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology and United States International University — Africa, Nairobi, for their financial and other support.
3 The description of Rwanda as a ‘peaceful nation’ with its people ‘not at peace’ was articulated by Luke and a number of other genocide survivors interviewed in Kigali, in February 2010. This assessment was supported by subsequent field research conducted by Lambourne in June 2012, including comments about the lack of freedom of speech and the continuing need for trauma-healing and relationship-building in local communities to support peace and development.
4 These observations are drawn from presentations and comments made during the International Conference on Gacaca Courts and Official Closing Ceremony of Gacaca Courts, 17–18 June 2012, by the Executive Secretary of the National Service of Gacaca Courts, Domitilla Mukantaganzwa; Professor Anastase Shyaka, CEO of the Rwanda Governance Board; and H.E. the President of the Republic of Rwanda, Paul Kagame.
5 These observations are supported by research conducted by Karen Brounéus (Citation2010), about the impact on psychological health of providing witness testimony at gacaca hearings. She found that truth-telling was not conducive to healing, and that symptoms of trauma and depression were higher amongst witnesses than amongst non-witnesses.
6 Carole was interviewed in Kigali on 3 February 2010. Carole related her experiences with intense detail and clarity. She was at the time of the interview pursuing studies in psychological counselling and was involved in counselling genocide survivors in her community.
7 World Vision's National Healing, Peacebuilding and Reconciliation specialist was interviewed in Kigali on 5 February 2010.
8 The founder and staff of HROC were interviewed in Kigali on 19 June 2012 and in Bujumbura, Burundi on 13 December 2012.
9 The founder of Solace Ministries was interviewed in Kigali on 22 June 2012.
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Wendy Lambourne
DR WENDY LAMBOURNE is Deputy Director and Academic Coordinator, Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies, University of Sydney. Her research is concerned with transitional justice and reconciliation in the context of peacebuilding after mass violence, with a particular focus on countries in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia/Pacific.
Lydia Wanja Gitau
LYDIA WANJA GITAU is a PhD candidate at the Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies, University of Sydney, Australia. She has practised as a counselling psychologist in Kenya for 17 years. Her research interest is the link between trauma intervention for survivors of mass violence and peacebuilding in post-conflict societies.