In 1994, decades of politically motivated ethnic scapegoating culminated in a wholesale slaughter of the Rwanda's Tutsi minority, along with many Hutu moderates. Vast numbers of ordinary citizens became killers-some willingly and some by force. More than 800,000 lives were taken, and the country was left in a state of devastation.
Under a new government, Rwanda is rebuilding its infrastructure, but its most difficult task is to reconcile the Hutu and Tutsi. Venturing into the rural heart of the nation, GACACA, LIVING TOGETHER AGAIN IN RWANDA? follows the first steps in a bold experiment: the Gacaca (Ga-CHA-cha) Tribunals.
The Gacaca Tribunals represent a remarkable democratization of justice for a people accustomed to dictatorial authority. The Tribunals offer a voice, and perhaps a therapeutic catharsis, to survivors. However, the system is fraught with potential pitfalls: minimally trained judges will be assigned complex cases, false accusations or confessions are possible, revenge or fear of revenge will affect testimonies, inconsistent application of the law, etc.
