Of death and rebirth: Life histories of Rwandan female genocide survivors

Plaatsingsdatum: 6-apr-2014 14:57:21

6 April 2014

Recent publication:

Annemiek Richters and Grace Kagoyire, eds.

Of death and rebirth: Life histories of Rwandan female genocide survivors

Torture: Journal on Rehabilitation of Torture Victims and Prevention of Torture

Volume 24, Supplementum 1, 2014

Rwanda is preparing for the 20th commemoration of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, which will start tomorrow, 7 April 2014. Later this month, I will share on this website how the women, who tell their life histories in the Supplementum of the Torture journal, will have experienced the first week of commemoration; commemoration that altogether will last one hundred days.

In their published stories the women speak about their pain during previous annual commemorations. In a recent meeting with them they assured me that this year, unlike previous years, they have no fear to be psychologically overwhelmed by the upcoming commemoration. Their participation in sociotherapy and their togetherness as a result of sociotherapy have strengthened them. They are now ready to comfort others who will feel overwhelmed by painful memories the coming week.