A Workshop in Rwanda
I led an RC workshop in Kigali, Rwanda, in August 2013. Forty-five people attended. Twelve of them had been at my previous workshop. The rest were new to RC.
I taught a class on how society targets the various groups. I described how oppression is implemented through existing structures, how it blends in so “naturally” that even the target groups embrace it and carry it further, and how capitalist society builds on it.
There was a large group of men. We had a class on men’s and women’s and young people’s oppressions. We later separated into groups to discuss these issues further. Some of the outcomes were shared in the larger group. Men could notice where they needed to support the women’s re-emergence, and vice versa. There were lots of Co-Counseling sessions and demonstrations. Many participants commented on how important the demonstrations were in driving home1 the points.
We explored the topic of leadership—leadership within ourselves, in the family, in the community, and at the government level. We evaluated good and bad leadership and the consequences. We looked at leadership on the continent, the many challenges facing it, and how RC can address those challenges. There was much discharge related to the genocide,2 since many had been victims of it. We worked on where we go from here, given the distresses that have accumulated and affected so many people’s lives.
At the end of the workshop participants made some personal commitments to move forward—for example, on forgiving perceived enemies and even having Co-Counseling sessions with them.
This was a successful workshop. I was happy with the outcome and hopeful about RC growth in Rwanda and the commitment to see that the genocide gradually becomes a thing of the past. I want to thank Tim and Diane3 for the support that made this possible.
Wanjiku Kironyo
Regional Reference Person for Northern Africa
Nairobi, Kenya
1 “Driving home” means helping people really understand.
2 The Rwandan genocide of 1994, in which approximately eight hundred thousand people, mostly of the minority Tutsi ethnic group, were killed by members of the Hutu ethnic group, while the powerful nations of the world stood back and did not intervene
3 Tim Jackins and Diane Shisk