Generations and Memory: Knowledge of Genocide in Contemporary Rwanda

• In Event: 3255 - Human Rights

Abstract

This paper examines consequences of genocide and mass violence in the realm of memory with an eye on the case of contemporary Rwanda. Rwanda is undergoing a gradual shift in political and social power from the generation that directly experienced the 1994 genocide to the generation that came of age in its aftermath. Conceptually, this paper will address implications for this transition through two interconnected bodies of literature and corresponding discussion of generational dynamics. The first body examines theory regarding the content of knowledge which is constructed in the aftermath of violence. This includes overviews of collective memory and cultural trauma, as well narrower applications of these theories for victims and perpetrators. The second section explores mechanisms through which this knowledge is constructed, communicated, and renegotiated, with an emphasis on commemoration events. Discussion of these two interconnected theoretical realms is grounded in the contemporary Rwandan context. This includes examinations of Rwandan memory dynamics through distinct theoretical lenses and commentary on the role of generations in the Rwandan commemoration processes. Arguments draw from fieldwork I conducted in Rwanda during the summer of 2017, including 23 formal interviews with university students and memorial site staff, as well as visits to memorial sites and commemoration ceremonies. While this data is still in the early stages of analysis, emerging conceptual trends draw practical implications from discussion of generations and memory. In concluding, I will briefly discuss implications of this analysis for future research.

Author

• Brooke Chambers, University of Minnesota