Peace and Values Education
Peace and Values Education (PVE) began at the Kigali Genocide Memorial in 2008 before integrating with Rwanda’s national curriculum in 2016. The curriculum utilizes story-telling methodology to teach Rwandan history, genocide studies, and peacebuilding.
Rwandan History
Lesson 1: Historical Context
Created by Leigh-Anne Hendrick
Introduction
Begin with a brief overview of the definition of genocide and its historical occurrences.
Introduce Rwanda using a map (see page 4 of the Rwanda Basics document) and discuss its location in Africa.
Pre-Colonial Rwanda
Divide students into groups.
Assign each group a specific aspect of pre-colonial Rwandan society to research using the provided document and additional resources:
Group 1: Migration Theories and Early Society: Understand the theories of ethnic migration regarding the initial settlement of Rwanda, and discuss how the concept of “nativism” led to tensions between groups. (See page 6 of the Rwanda Basics document for Bantu Migration)
Group 2: Social Structure: Investigate the traditional social structure, including the roles of the Tutsi, Hutu, and Twa. (See page 7 of the Rwanda Basics document for the groups in Rwanda)
Group 3: Ubuhake: Research the Ubuhake system. (See page 8 of the Rwanda Basics document)
Groups will share their findings with the class.
Colonial Influence
Explain the impact of European colonization on Rwanda, focusing on the German and Belgian periods.
Use the provided document to guide the discussion:
German Colonization: Discuss the Berlin Conference, the Heligoland-Zanzibar Treaty, and German indirect rule. (See pages 9, 10, and 11 of the Rwanda Basics document)
Belgian Colonization: Explain the Mandate System, eugenics, and plantation quotas. (See page 12 of the Rwanda Basics document)
Emphasize how colonial policies exacerbated ethnic divisions and created a racial hierarchy.
Discussion
Discuss how the colonial legacy contributed to social stratification and ethnic tensions in Rwanda.
1994 Genocide Against the Tutsi in Rwanda
The 1994 Genocide Against the Tutsi in Rwanda was a three month period between April and July, 1994, in which one million people – primarily Tutsi and political moderates – were killed and a quarter of a million people were sexually assaulted by Hutu extremists.
Testimony Activity
Ask your students to identify a lesson they learned from each of the following stories.
Survivor: Immaculée Ilibagiza
A survivor is a member of a targeted group who lives through a genocide.
Immaculée Ilibagiza is a Tutsi survivor who lived through the 1994 Genocide.
The Rwandan Ministry of Social Affairs and IBUKA estimate that there are between 300,000 to 400,000 survivors of the Genocide Against the Tutsi.
Rescuer: Grace Uwamahoro
A rescuer is a person who saves the life of a member of a targeted group during a genocide. Similarly, an upstander is a person who “stands up” against genocide. They do not participate in genocidal acts; they actively resist them.
Grace Uwamahoro was a 10-year-old Hutu girl who saved the life of Vanessa Uwase, a Tutsi baby, during the 1994 Genocide.
Rescuing poses many risks to the individuals involved due to the constant threat of being caught. For this reason, it is often rare for a person to be a rescuer.
Witness: Edouard Bamporiki
A witness is a person who sees a genocide taking place around them. Another type of witness is a bystander, a person who “stands by” during a genocide. They do not participate in genocidal acts nor do they actively resist them.
Edouard Bamporiki was a 10-year-old Hutu boy who witnessed the 1994 Genocide.
During a genocide, one of the largest demographics are witnesses or bystanders.
Perpetrator: Jean de Dieu Twahirwa
A perpetrator is a person who participates in genocidal acts.
Jean de Dieu Twahirwa is a Hutu man who participated in the 1994 Genocide.
The United Nations estimates that more than 120,000 people committed genocide-related crimes during the Genocide Against the Tutsi.
The Continuum of Violence
United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Genocide: Article II
In the present Convention, genocide means any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethical, racial or religious group, as such:
(f) Killing members of the group;
(g) Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group;
(h) Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about it's physical destruction in whole or in part;
(i) Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group;
(j) Forcibly transferring children of the group to another group.
How do ordinary people become perpetrators?
Continuum of Violence Activity
1.Watch “Choosing Cruelty: The Psychology of Perpetrators“
2.Split into groups and match ten terms of the Continuum of Violence (PDF) with their definitions.
3.Discuss parallels between the Continuum of Violence and (historical or current) events in Germany, Rwanda, or the United States.
Content warning: Images of genocide victims and executions
Consequences of Genocide
Personal
Physical disabilities: loss of limbs, paralysis, head injuries
Malnutrition; chronic pain
Sensorial disabilities: sight, hearing
Emotional fragility
Chronic grief (traumatic)
Anxiety, depression
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), (witness of traumatic events)
Illness: infected wounds, increase of malaria, HIV/AIDS
Aftermath of rape: children born from rape (approx. 5000)
Stigmatized women and children. Loss of dignity, aversion to men
Loss of close relatives
Personality change and behavioral problems in adults and children
Excessive drinking that was not present before the genocide, and excessive aggression and irritability directed to anybody
Increase of domestic violence, abused children
Group of descendants with PTSD
Resentment (all groups)
Many face psychological stress of anticipating the recurrence of the mass slaughter
The stress and fear of reprisals
Socio-Economic
High number of orphans and widows
Child-headed households
Unfinished education for many young adults
Survivors have to find people who can stand-in for the dead parents
Lack of employable skills
Economic loss for families, loss of possessions, homes, lands
Entire families and extended families completely wiped out
Not having a chance to bury their relatives or perform mourning ceremonies
People fled or were displaced, many families lost connection with their relatives
Shame and guilt among family members of perpetrators
Mutual victimization and climate of mistrust
Survivors are targets of harassment and taunting
National
Destruction of past institutions
Loss of professional competencies
High demand and cost for judicial system, and the Gacaca courts; so many perpetrators
Difficulty in delivering “justice”
High numbers of prisoners in jail
Social and psychological problems, which hinder national unity and reconciliation
Reconciliation requires healing and justice – a huge challenge
Survivors’ desire for justice – and facing fact that they may never see justice
Rights of land conflict (return refugees)
Deforestation from national settlement policy and energy demands of households
Environmental degradation: mass immigration and need for housing means less farming and agricultural land
International
Tension with neighboring countries
Denial: double genocide/negationism
Suspicion about security – conflict from Rwandan diaspora
International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda
International criticism of efforts to stabilize and bring justice
Failure of international community
Lesson 3: Justice After Genocide
Created by Leigh-Anne Hendrick
Introduction
Before students arrive, create a “Justice Around the Room” silent activity.
Post some of the following prompts on paper or the board and have students answer the prompts that speak the most to them by either writing on paper or putting their answers on post-it notes and sticking them to the board.
“Is justice the same for everyone?”
“Can there be multiple forms of justice?”
“What is the difference between retributive and restorative justice?”
“What does ‘fairness’ mean to you?”
“Can justice and forgiveness coexist?”
“What are some examples of injustice you’ve seen or heard about?”
“Is justice about punishment, healing, or both?”
“What role does community play in justice?”
“What challenges are faced by individuals and society after genocide?”
“How can the consequences of genocide be addressed and overcome?”
“How is it possible to have sustainable peace after genocide?”
After most students are complete, ask a few students to share a thought or response that resonated with them.
Point out common themes or interesting ideas that emerged.
Stress the scale and brutality of the genocide and the need for accountability.
2. Comparing the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda and Gacaca
Split students into two groups:
Group 1: ICTR (International justice system)
Group 2: Gacaca (Community-based justice system)
Provide each group with primary sources to analyze:
ICTR: UN Security Council Resolution 955 establishing the tribunal.
Gacaca: Excerpt from “Rwanda: Gacaca Justice” by Penal Reform International.
Each group will analyze:
How does this type of court work? Who are the justices, the lawyers, and how are witnesses identified?
What is the goal and process of the program, or purpose of the system?
How long does it take for justice to be served?
What are the strengths and weaknesses of the program?
Do you think this is the best justice system for Rwanda?
Groups will partner with a student from the opposite group to complete a compare and contrast chart.
3. Writing Prompt
Upon completion of the research and chart, students should answer the following question:
“How do the ICTR and Gacaca courts reflect different understandings of justice, and to what extent did each system contribute to reconciliation and long-term stability in Rwanda?”
The Continuum of Benevolence
Continuum of Benevolence Activity
Hand out slips of paper with one of the ten stages of the Continuum of Benevolence (PDF).
Watch “Albert’s Story: The Power of Forgiveness” and/or “When a former Nazi meets a Holocaust survivor” with your students.
Ask your students to identify where in the videos their stage correlates to.
Content warning: Image of genocide victims.
Enduring Issues Essay
The New York State Global and English Regents exams ask students to write an argumentative essay on enduring issues. This is an opportunity for your students to reflect on the information you have taught them from Sophia’s Legacy, research other genocides and mass atrocities throughout the world, and tie their knowledge together to fulfill the requirements of the Regents exams.
Refer to the Genocide Against the Tutsi Resource List (PDF) for recommended documentaries, books, first-person narratives, oral testimonies, organizations, and curricula.
Refer back to the guidebook for more information and activities.
