11 April, 2008:  This week marked the 14th anniversary of the beginning of the Rwandan Genocide, which lasted several months and claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands of people while also causing instability and conflict in surrounding African nations. For one week this month, as has been done every year since 1994, there is a period of national mourning and remembrance. Flags are flown at half-mast, weddings and other celebrations are generally avoided, and conferences and debates are hosted across the country. In the last few years it has also served as an occasion to issue a call to action in Darfur, a chance to learn from the tragedies of the past. While these occasions are generally a time to look at the past and remind the world of a terrible event, for many Rwandans it serves as a chance to evaluate how far their country has come in terms of healing and reconciliation and focus on the hope for a peaceful and prosperous future.

Not only are Rwandan citizens occupied with these questions and considerations—international institutions and actors have become increasingly interested in working to help the country recover. The Trauma Research Education and Training Program based at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, for example, seeks to understand the root causes and effects of mass violence and then prepare materials that may help local organizations to provide counseling and support to survivors. According to their website, their Rwanda Project “is a response to a fundamental question that arises in the aftermath of genocide: after such violence, how can two groups that continue to live together build a better, non violent future?” In an address made to the Rwandan parliament in January, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon declared that “thanks to the courage and determination of the Rwandan people, and with the help of the United Nations and the international community… significant progress has been made in national reconciliation.”

One of the many lessons, which the Rwandan experience has taught the world, however, is that the good will and support of the international community cannot always be counted on in times of crisis. Within the Rwandan government the National Unity and Reconciliation Commission (NURC) is a national institution created in 1999 which has been charged with leading the reconciliation. The NURC is primarily focused on education and community service and, according to its website strives to become “a platform where Rwandans of all social conditions can meet and discuss the real problems of the Nation, especially those related to the unity and reconciliation, culture of peace, tolerance, justice, democracy, and development.”

Some of the steps that have been taken in the pursuit of reconciliation include attempts to establish a monolithic, undisputed historical truth about the nation’s history and cracking down on the promotion of “genocidal” ideas. Like many European countries have done following the Holocaust, Rwanda has also taken steps toward making it a criminal offence to promote genocidal ideology, incite racial tensions, and to deny the official historical record of events.

This year’s official motto for the week of remembrance is Let us commemorate genocide while fighting against genocide ideology; render assistance to survivors while working for development. This motto acknowledges one of the tangible measures of recovery and healing in Rwanda, and arguably one of the most successful: rapid, sustainable, economic recovery. The economic recovery of Rwanda has been remarkable. Secretary-General Ki-moon has praised the country for its efforts to reach its Millennium Goals.  

In times of conflict women suffer greatly and when the fighting is done there are often a disproportionate number of women left in the area and an increase in the number of female-headed households. Rwanda has taken this as an opportunity and has truly excelled in its attempts to promote women’s empowerment and gender equality as part of its reconciliation goals.  

Rwanda leads the world in terms of percentage of women in parliament—far ahead of many more developed countries—with nearly half of the seats currently being held by women. This is especially impressive considering that the constitution only mandates that 30% of government positions be held by women. These female legislators have come together to form the Forum of Rwandan Women Parliamentarians, which has drafted important laws dealing with female property, inheritance rights, and the criminalization of sexual violence against women. While women are still generally missing from local governments, progress continues to be made. Within civil society, the Rwandan’s Women’s Network has made significant strides in the areas of healthcare, human and legal rights education, and socio-economic issues.

The main legal component of Rwanda’s time of transition has been the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR). This international court was set up by the United Nations in late 1994 in order to prosecute the perpetrators of crimes against humanity and war crimes. To date, a number of cases have been tried before the court, resulting in 28 convictions and 5 acquittals, with 27 cases currently in progress and 7 more awaiting trial. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has praised the work of the ICTR and noted that Rwanda’s commitment to supporting its efforts “has not only helped to foster national reconciliation, it has also played a critical role in the development of jurisprudence in international criminal law.”

While there is clearly a long way to go and a lot of work left to be done, it is important in this week set aside to look back on Rwanda’s tragic past to also acknowledge how far the nation has come towards reconciliation and recovery and where the country is headed in the future.