Post-genocide Narratives of Reconciliation in Rwanda develops a 'narrative approach to reconciliation', with Rwanda as case study. Many books on Rwanda have focused on a 'high level analysis' of the political context of the country, while many others have, in a less academic register, explored the stories of ordinary people. This book, with a particular focus on reconciliation, uniquely brings together the 'official' government narratives of reconciliation with the personal narratives of ordinary people. Drawing from fieldwork in Rwanda that has spanned almost ten years Post-genocide Narratives of Reconciliation in Rwanda explores the negative potential of narratives, through Rwanda's pre-genocide, genocide and post-genocide periods, as well as the positive potential of narratives in Rwanda's reconciliation process. Reconciliation has become an integral part of post conflict recovery processes which are largely facilitated by high level actors. For this reason, an approach that examines the intersection between personal and 'official' narratives seems pertinent in order to better understand reconciliation processes.
The theoretical framework draws from both narrative and reconciliation theory, and a 'narrative theory of reconciliation' is thoroughly developed. This title will appeal to specialists interested in Africa, the Great Lakes region and more specifically, Rwanda, as well as those interested in reconciliation, transitional justice and post conflict recovery processes. Because the book explores the narratives of ordinary people, non-academics may also be interested.