Rwanda

Anatomy of Genocide and Intra-State Conflict – syllabus
(AFRS3000 / 3 credits)

This course lays the foundation for the entire semester’s learning process by exploring the history that precipitated the genocide in Rwanda. Genocide and conflicts in general are construed as phenomena of political institutions of the modern era, and studying contemporary genocide, in part, casts a lens on modernity’s institutions and practices. And yet popular discourse associates conflict in African settings with the incompetence of African institutions and inability of various ethnicities to foster peaceful co-existence or as primordial ethnic conflict. Using the Rwandan genocide as case study, the course casts a critical lens upon the political institutions of the modern world, and critiques popular reductionist explanations that regard conflicts in Africa as driven simply by primordial ethnic tensions.

Post-Conflict Reconstruction and Peacebuilding – syllabus
(PEAC3000 / 3 credits)

Rwanda presents an excellent setting in which to examine the various measures, strategies, programs, and projects that have been put in place by the government of Rwanda, western organizations, NGOs, and communities to mitigate the impact of conflict and to rebuild, reconstruct, and revive fractured relations and displaced communities. What choices for reconciliation, reconstruction, and development have been made in Rwanda? What theoretical underpinnings shape these choices, and what are the implications of these choices for sustainable peace and development?

Drawing on the contemporary theories of peacebuilding and related processes, the course provides a platform for critical analysis of not only the challenges but also the opportunities related to post-genocide reconstruction, and the pursuit of positive peace in Rwanda. Carefully selected visits to NGOs, government agencies, and to urban as well as rural communities in Rwanda are complemented by lectures by Rwandan experts and selected reading assignments. An excursion to the southwestern part of Rwanda enables students to critically focus on the prospects for sustainable development and peace in Rwanda.

Kinyarwanda – syllabus
(KINY1003 / 3 credits)

The role of Kinyarwanda language training is to provide students with basic tools needed for entry into Rwandan culture. The language training is organized and carried out by a language instructor experienced in teaching Kinyarwanda to non-native speakers. Language study consists of 45 hours of formal instruction including experiential sessions on shopping, eating out, and Rwandan cooking and music. Language study is reinforced through the homestay experience and through interactive assignments. Language study also focuses on training students in post-genocide cross-cultural communication nuances, which further facilitates their ability to conduct field research or do an internship with a local NGO.

Research Methods and Ethics – syllabus
(ANTH3500 / 3 credits)

A qualitative research design course designed to provide an overview of methodological field study approaches within the local cultural context, affording students the tools necessary to conduct field research in Rwanda. The course has three main objectives. First, the course introduces students to the tools and methods of field study with a focus on how to do field research with victims of genocide and their descendants or violence perpetrators. In doing so, the course addresses the social and cultural dynamics in post-genocide Rwanda. Classes analyze institutional and cultural strategies used to prevent ethnic conflict and interrogate the role of the field researcher in a post-conflict environment. Second, the course details the ethics of field research and introduces students to the Human Subjects Review process. Third, the seminar devotes time to psychological orientation before site visits and to the processing of field experiences. Given the emotional weight of the program and the impact it may have on students, the program has weekly sessions to debrief, process, and talk about assigned readings, field visits, or testimonies of survivors of genocide. One function of these sessions is to reorient student focus toward positive examples of bravery, caring, and compassion that studies of genocide often reveal.

In addition to taking the above courses, students will also need to enroll in one of the following two courses:

Independent Study Project
Independent Study Project – syllabus
(ISPR3000 / 4 credits)

Conducted in Rwanda in an approved location appropriate to the project. Sample topic areas are:

• unity, justice, and reconciliation
• development and reconstruction
• refugees and displaced people in the Great Lakes region
• approaches to nation-building
• transnational justice mechanisms and their role in peacebuilding
• language and identity
• issues surrounding collective memory and memorials
• democracy and freedom of speech in post-genocide environments
• indigenous mechanisms of conflict resolution

Browse this program’s Independent Study Projects / undergraduate research.

OR

Internship and Seminar
Internship and Seminar – syllabus
(ITRN3000 / 4 credits)

You will gain valuable work experience and enhance your professional skill set in an international work environment, drawing on the wide network of community organizations, activists, entrepreneurs, business leaders, and academics connected to the program.

Sample internships include:

• Empowering young Rwandans to work toward sustainable peace and development at Never Again Rwanda
• Working to prevent genocide and overcome its consequences with the National Commission for the Fight against Genocide
• Supporting advocacy work for indigent and vulnerable groups at the Legal Aid Forum
• Assisting International Bridges to Justice’s work to protect the basic legal rights of individuals
• Analyzing inclusive peacebuilding in Rwanda in the context of LGBTQI human rights at Amahoro Human Respect