The aim of this project is to preserve and document the ideas, stories and history of individuals who experienced the Rwandan civil war, and record and analyze how these experiences shaped their subsequent life paths.
The civil war in Rwanda and genocide that accompanied it are perhaps the most horrifying examples of brutality and violence displayed in the latter half of the twentieth century. The genocide, which is believed to have claimed the lives of more than 800,000 Rwandans in just 100 days was observed by the world at large with minimal intervention or action. In the years following the war, the few stories that publicized the events of 1994 tend to highlight death and destruction rather than the determination and resolve of those who fought to not only survive, but thrive in the aftermath of this calamity. It is these untold stories that the project focuses on. The best method for recording and uncovering these untold stories is oral history.
The oral history interviews for this project take the guided life history approach, using several broad questions to encourage a discussion of the events that occurred during the civil war and how the war impacted post-war lives. The duration of interviews range between 30 minutes and 1 hour. Upon the completion of an interview, it is transcribed and returned to the participant as a written record of their experiences. After conducting all the necessary interviews, the transcribed accounts will be analyzed and comparing for similarities and trends, leading to broad conclusions based on the findings.
The histories collected thus far have been incredible. The experience has been humbling as individuals speak candidly about the traumas of the war and the impact the war has had on their lives over the last two decades. The responses have been overwhelmingly positive, as individuals speak about the strength, charity and love that developed within them as a result of the tragedies experienced during the war.
