LITR 5831 Colonial-Postcolonial Literature                                                        Research Posts 2011

Jessica Peterson

Historical Climate of Colonial and Post-Colonial Rwanda

In considering what topic to research for my research postings, I remembered a Human Rights and Social Justice course I took 2 years ago. Even before taking that class, I have had a passion for doing mission work in Africa, so I figured learning anything about the history and culture of that nation would be helpful in my future service work there. In that particular course, the topic of the Rwandan genocide that took place in 1994 was discussed and how the concept of guilt was relevant to that tragedy. My previous exposure to Rwanda and my professional interest in doing service work there in the future has made me decide to do further research on Rwanda. I have decided to research the history of colonial and post-colonial Rwanda. More specifically, how the historical experiences of this nation have a direct influence on Rwandan literature.

Finding information and articles on Rwanda was quite a daunting task, as there is much to discover regarding the history of this African nation. The extensive volume of resources available regarding the colonial and post-colonial history of Rwanda is overwhelming and quite a broad topic to even begin to research, much less discuss in a research posting. One of the first articles I read was a report from The Washington Post about a lack of reconciliation in post-colonial Rwanda. I found the Post article to both unsettling yet scarily accurate. The primary point I gathered from this article is that before Rwanda and Burundi became two separate nations, they were both part of German East Africa from 1897 to 1919. After World War I, Belgium took Germany’s place as European influence in German East Africa. Regardless of Belgium or German rule, both nations possessed their own agenda in influencing and creating a social hierarchy between the Hutus, imposed with middle class ranking, while their counterparts, the Tutsis, were given the privileged position. This article proposes that the ongoing tension between the two ethnic groups is fueled by colonial exploitation from decades ago with no end in sight.

In the aftermath of the Rwandan genocide in 1994, strong and persistent imagery continues to linger from Africa because of a large number of Rwandan natives fleeing from the homeland to avoid disaster. While admitting that many Rwandan refugees are now dealing with “coming home” which is a more complex term, according to David Newbury, than it sounds:

Not all displaced persons feel they are coming home after their sometimes tumultuous experiences in exile. The concept of coming home, therefore, often presumes a return to the past, to a home which has not yet changed. In fact, however, in social terms (and sometimes in physical terms), there is often no home to return to: this is simply unfamiliar social landscape, even when a person returns to the same town, the same street, the same house (253).

Newbury actually relates and makes a personal association with the refugee experience in his compelling article. Moore goes on to further discuss the deep personal relationship and connection that a refugee has with his or her “home” as a symbol for their past and close familiar ties to family, experiences, and memories.

Locating articles pertaining to my topic of colonial and post-colonial history in Rwanda proved to be a broad database of information and, at times, mentally taxing to research and sort through. While I did not pose a specific question, I did want to research more about Rwanda and its rich cultural and political history to make connections with a nation I knew little about but wish to have further experiences with in the future. My research findings have indicated to me that Rwanda has faced numerous hardships in the past, but plans implemented as recently as early 2011 indicate progress will be made in the next 5 to 10 years to decrease poverty and assist with job creation and education for Rwandan citizens. Their past may define who they are, but does not guarantee they have to stay there forever.  A new day is dawning for Rwanda, the hope is that the sun does not set until progress has been made for this nation.

Bibliography

 RWANDA: Progress on Poverty. Africa Research Bulletin: Economic, Financial and Technical Series, 48: 19052A–19052C.

Bromley, Richard. “After Such Knowledge, What Forgiveness? Cultural Representations of Reconciliation in Rwanda”. French Cultural Studies. 20.2 (May 2009). Sage Publications. 16 October 2011 http://libproxy.uhcl.edu:2855/content/20/2/181.full.pdf+html

Gourevitch, Phillip.  Interview by FRONTLINE. PBS Online, 1995-2011. Web. The Triumph of Evil.

Newbury, David. “Returning Refugees: Four Historical Patterns of Coming Home to Rwanda”. Comparative Studies in Society and History. Vol. 47, No. 2 (Apr., 2005), pp. 252-285. 19 Oct. 2011. http://libproxy.uhcl.edu:2093/stable/3879305?seq=2