On the 27th of November 2020, Community Based Sociotherapy Rwanda (CBS Rwanda), in partnership with Radio la Benevolencija (RLB), will be launching the Tujyane (Let’s Go Together) project. The project is funded by the European Union, and it will be implemented in the Nyabihu, Nyamasheke and Rusizi districts in the Western Province of Rwanda.
“The European Union is extremely happy to support this initiative, given our long involvement in Rwanda’s post-genocide reconciliation and peace-building journey. Notably, the EU was one of the largest supporters of the Gacaca system throughout the years of its implementation. Our support to home-grown systems of mediation and reconciliation continues today through ongoing support to Abunzi, as well as a number of civil society projects, among which, the Tujyane project.”
-Ambassador Nicola Bellomo, EU Head of Delegation to Rwanda
The Tujyane Project is a 24-month-project that aims to contribute to democratization processes and equitable development by supporting the psychosocial reintegration process of ex-prisoners, mitigating the negative impacts of intergenerational legacies of the genocide, including the transmission of trauma, violence and divisionism and building on the strengths within the communities.
“Tujyane project will focus on the psychosocial reintegration process of former prisoners, and on tackling issues related to the intergenerational legacies of the genocide. These themes are strongly interlinked and are important to address in order to support the reconciliation process and to facilitate resistance among the population to potential future incitement.”
-Lucie Nzaramba the executive director of CBS Rwanda-
According to the National Reconciliation and Unity Commission (NURC)’s statistics, a total of 14,824 genocidaires,between July 2018 and December 2021, have been, or will be released, and many of them are expected to go back to their respective communities. The government of Rwanda has developed reconciliation policies which provide clear guidance to actors at all levels with the aim of establishing a conducive environment for reconciliation.
The Tujyane Project intends to contribute to this environment, by using the community-based sociotherapy approach (in Kinyarwanda known as Mvura Nkuvure) to enhance feelings of safety, trust and social dignity, and support processes of reconciliation, social cohesion and family and community conflict resolution. In addition to that, grassroots advocacy initiatives will be stimulated and facilitated through the People’s Parliament for Peace (PP4P) meetings. These approaches will be complemented by the national radio drama Musekeweya, developed and produced by RLB. Musekeweya seeks to contribute to resilience, trust and social cohesion by increasing awareness of conflict triggers in national populations and countering stereotyping, hate speech, identity manipulation and incitement to violence. The drama will have a special focus on the psychology of reintegration of ex-prisoners as well as the negative consequences of the intergenerational legacies of the genocide. The storyline and scripts will be adapted to the evolving context and input and feedback from the sociotherapy groups and radio listening clubs.
About community-based sociotherapy, also known as Mvura Nkuvure: This is an approach that uses the group as a therapeutic medium to recover psychosocial wellbeing: the creation of an open environment for discussion and the formation of peer-support structures. Mvura Nkuvure groups facilitate members to identify, acknowledge, share, and manage together their everyday psychosocial problems to overcome individual psychosocial challenges that are likely to hamper reconciliation at the family or community level. It is promoted in communities by CBS Rwanda, in partnership with different partners stakeholders. For more information visit: cbsrwanda.org or contact us via info@cbsrwanda.org
