Effects of Intergenerational Trauma on Attitudes Toward Reconciliation Among Genocide Survivors in Rwanda
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Date
2020-05
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The Ohio State University
Abstract
The 1994 Genocide Against the Tutsi in Rwanda was a one-hundred-day period of mass slaughter that culminated from decades of ethnic tension. It is estimated that over a million Rwandans lost their lives as a result of this violence. While the effects of traumatic events and government-sponsored programs on reconciliation have been studied in Rwanda, limited research has been conducted on the effects of intergenerational trauma on those born during or after the 1994 Genocide Against the Tutsi. This thesis determines and evaluates the attitudes of young genocide survivors toward reconciliation in Rwanda.
This thesis first reviews existing research on the effects of trauma on reconciliation following mass violence. It then discusses the methods used to identify participants and conduct interviews with 21 genocide survivors of varying ages and levels of exposure to trauma caused by the genocide.
This study found that young genocide survivors in Rwanda support the simplification of the Commemoration period, as well as marriage between people of differing backgrounds. Additionally, members of this cohort confidently believe that mass violence will not occur again in Rwanda. These findings indicate that, overall, young genocide survivors in Rwanda may have more positive attitudes toward reconciliation than their older counterparts.
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Keywords
reconciliation, intergenerational trauma, survivor, 1994 Genocide Against the Tutsi, Rwanda, intermarriage