Class Updates- June 10th

Hey all,

Everything is good in Rwanda! The homestay is still going really well and the last couple of days have been class as usual. Getting to class from Corniele’s house is a trek, but luckily Corniele sends a driver from work to pick us up every morning. We had originally told Corniele not to worry and that we would take one of the minibus taxis, but he said it was all okay because the drivers supposedly brought one of the company cars into a garage and had all the new parts swapped with old parts and they are all about to get fired…who knows.

This week has been class as usual. In the morning we have been having lectures on international justice and the ICC with Donna and in the afternoon we have been meeting with Rwandan professors and government officials to discuss Rwanda’s pressing issues. On Monday we met with a professor from the National University of Rwanda who specializes in conflict management and resolution. He had been an integral part in the development of the Gacaca Courts here in Rwanda. Gacaca (pronounced ga-cha-cha) is a type of traditional community based justice that has existed in Rwanda for centuries, however in 2001 the government decided it would use Gacaca to handle the immense backlog of genocide cases…there were over 100,000 accused genocidaires still in prison and it would have taken over 120 years for the formal court system to hear each case. However, Gacaca is not only being used to expedite cases, it is a tool that the government hopes can spur national reconciliation and community building. In Gacaca, the entire community comes to listen and give testimony about events that occurred during the genocide. These courts are presided over by seven “judges” who have been elected by the community. The accused, if he or she admits his or her guilt, is usually released from prison or assigned some sort of community service/hard labor. The courts are also integral in the continued quest to document what occurred in 1994 and find the bodies of victims. So far, over a million genocide cases have been processed by Gacaca courts and the system seems to be working pretty well. That being said, there have been several issues that have arisen, most notably corruption amongst the judges, witness intimidation, and wide variation in judgments/punishments. Overall however, the Gacaca system is an important step in Rwanda’s post-genocide history. It is a system that draws inspiration from Rwandan history and culture and, most importantly, a Rwandan solution to a Rwandan problem. In other words, unlike the ICTR or the ICC, this is a system that Rwandans can own and participate in.

On Tuesday morning, we had a meeting with a representative from the National University of Rwanda’s School of Public Health. The professor outlined the major health challenges that face Rwanda and what the government is doing to address these issues. Malaria is by far the most pressing health issue in Rwanda…nearly 70% of hospital visits are malaria related. Luckily, the government and the international community have put a lot of resources into combating malaria. Bed nets are distributed to all children and pregnant women and the treatment for malaria is improving rapidly, even in the rural areas of Rwanda. HIV/AIDS is another major health issue in Rwanda with a prevalence rate of 3%. Interestingly, the prevalence rate is much higher amongst adults and especially among female survivors of the genocide (Tutsi women were often raped by men with HIV/AIDS). The government and several NGOs are working to improve the care provided to those with HIV/AIDS and are working on creating and implementing comprehensive sex education in schools to prevent further transmission. Overall, the health care system in Rwanda has made tremendous strides in the last fifteen years. That being said, the average lifespan in Rwanda is still just over 50 years, the mortality rates for infants, mothers, and children under five remain far to high (around 10-15%), and there are far too few doctors and nurses in this densely populated country.

After lunch, we came back to the commission to meet with the Minister for Local Government. After the genocide, the new government has made a concerted effort in localizing government in order to increased participation and make the government more accessible and transparent. As a result, the federal government has redrawn all provincial and district lines and has shifted many responsibilities down to local governments. Interestingly, the government is simultaneously making a concerted effort to increase national unity (for obvious reasons). While decentralization and increasing national unity appear to be incompatible goals, the government appears to be doing an admirable job. The minister was extreamly intelligent and is even rumored to be on the short list to succeed President Kagame in 2017.

On Wednesday, we met with representatives from USAID (United States Agency for International Development) and from the government’s Human Rights Commission. USAID is funded by Congress and funnels aid money to local NGOs that are working in a variety of fields. Most of USAID’s money goes towards health initiatives as well as “democracy building” programs and, overall, it seems to do really good work here in Rwanda and it’s good to see American money actually making a tangible difference. The commissioner from the Human Rights Commission was also extreamly interesting. She focused on issues facing women in Rwanda and specifically the obstacles that female students face. While Rwanda has become known for its gender equality (it is the only country in the world where women make up more than half of parliament), women are still severely underrepresented in higher education and, specifically, science and technology. As a result, the government is putting a lot of effort and money into encouraging girls to stay in school and attend university. Hopefully it will work!

So the last three days have been amazing! I’m about to head out to the secondary school for the schools “talent show”…should be interesting!

Miss everyone a lot,
Luke