Heroes of the Past and the Collective Memory of Helpers: The Case of Rescue in Rwanda

• In Event: 40209 - The Drivers and Deterrents of Collective Action

Abstract

In 1994 genocide unfolded in the small East African country of Rwanda, and many civilians, mobilized by militia and political parties, took part in mass atrocities. However, some chose another path, and did not participate in violence, and instead, risked their lives to save others, some they have never met prior, during genocide. Based on interviews with 175 Rwandans that engaged in rescue acts, this paper asks, why did some resist participation in genocidal violence when the stakes were so high and risk everything to save others? This paper argues that one factor that shaped such action is that those that saved others had family members that saved people in previous episodes of mass violence. These findings lead to questions of prosocial behavior and the intergenerational transmission of collective memory, social values and violence intervention.

Authors

• Nicole Fox, California State University-Sacramento

• Hollie Nyseth Nzitatira, The Ohio State University