Coexist: A Documentary

Glossary

AGLI
AVEGA
Gacaca Courts
Genocide
1994 Rwandan Genocide
Juvénal Habyarimana
Hutu & Tutsi
Healing and Rebuilding Our Communities (HROC)
Ibuka
Inkotanyi
Interahamwe
President Paul Kagame
Kigali, Rwanda
Kirehe, Rwanda
Maraba Coffee Plantation, Rwanda
Perpetrator
REACH
Rwandan Patriotic Front
Rwanda
Rwanda Youth Healing Center

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Genocide: The systematic killing of substantial numbers of people on the basis of ethnicity, religion, political opinion, social status, or other particularity.

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Perpetrator: One who commits an offense or crime.

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Rwanda: The Republic of Rwanda is the most densely populated country in Africa. Landlocked, with few natural resources, coffee and tea are primary exports with other countries. 90% of the population engages in food farming, but the country still requires agricultural imports to keep pace with population growth. (CIA World Fact Book)


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1994 Genocide: In 1959, three years before independence from Belgium, the majority ethnic group, the Hutus, overthrew the ruling Tutsi king. Over the next several years, thousands of Tutsis were killed, and some 150,000 driven into exile in neighboring countries. The children of these exiles later formed a rebel group, the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), and began a civil war in 1990 to end years of systematic ethnic cleansing of Tutsis by Hutus. In April 1994 the Rwandan military, along with militias organized by the military, and local government leaders perpetrated the genocide of roughly 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus. The predominantly Tutsi rebels defeated the Hutu regime and ended the genocide in July 1994, but approximately 2 million Hutu refugees – many fearing Tutsi retribution – fled to neighboring Burundi, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zaire. (CIA Word Fact Book)

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Hutu and Tutsi: The two ethnic groups at the heart of the 1994 genocide. The differences between Hutu and Tutsi are mostly cultural. European colonists once believed in a myth that the two groups come from different geographical origins, and were racially distinct. When German and Belgian scientists first encountered Rwandans in the early 20th century they noted perceived physical differences between herding groups and hunting groups. Using racialist theories, they pronounced the taller Tutsis as superior to the agricultural Hutus. The Beligans codified the differences into law and forced Hutus and Tutsis to carry ethnic identity cards and only allowed Tutsis to attain higher education and hold positions of power. (PBS)

Today, the difference between groups in Rwanda is largely economic. Speaking of the separation of the groups is considered a crime by the government under Rwandan unity laws. But many we spoke to say deep-seeded racism still exists down the same line that once divided Hutus and Tutsis.

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AGLI (African Great Lakes Initiative): A grassroots organization that responds to requests from communities throughout Rwanda and neighboring countries. They focus on conflict management, peace building, trauma healing and reconciliation.

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HROC (Healing and Rebuilding Our Communities): a program produced by AGLI which takes ten people from one side of a conflict, and ten from the other, into a three-day workshop to restore relationships. In Rwanda they focus on bringing together Tutsis and Hutus.

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Interahamwe: Perpetrators of the 1994 Rwandan Genocide along with the Armed Forces of Rwanda. Formed by a group of young Hutu men. Many fled to Zaire after the Genocide, and have merged with other groups to form the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), a group with members still fighting today along the eastern Congo. (Reference)

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Inkotanyi: During the genocide, a derogatory name for Tutsis. The Inkotanyi was the militia of a 19th century Tutsi feudal king who bludgeoned the majority Hutus into submission. The term Inkotanyi was widely used during the war by Hutu propagandists to link the Tutsi-led RPF in the minds of Hutus with memories of past Tutsi oppression. For Tutsis the term Inkotanyi conjures images of brave warriors sent to save Rwandans from genocide. Reference

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REACH: an organization seeking to support citizens of the Great Lakes region of Africa in their journey towards healing, reconciliation and sustainable development. Their goals: bringing together people involved in conflict, providing them with opportunities for learning, truth-telling, healing and forgiveness. (REACH’s Website)

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AVEGA-AGAHOZO: a non-profit organization created on January 15th 1995, by 50 widows who themselves are genocide survivors. They seek to support the children, women, elderly and handicapped who experience hardship as a result of the Genocide. (AVEGA-AGAHOZO’s Website)

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Gacaca Courts – Community justice tradition reestablished in the wake of the 1994 Genocide. Developed to promote healing and moving on. Originally, the Gacaca settled village or familial disputes. The courts were informal means of solving disputes around issues like theft, marital disputes, land rights, and property damage. Now the Gacaca Courts try lower-level genocide perpetrators and help historians reconstruct what happened during the 100 days of war in 1994. Those on trial are asked to confess. Witnesses are encouraged to come forward and the plaintiffs are encouraged to seek forgiveness from the families of their victims. Each Gacaca court has nine judges and has the power to sentence criminals up to life imprisonment, but not the death penalty, which has been outlawed in Rwanda. (Reference)

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Ibuka: umbrella organization for the survivor organizations in Rwanda, representing them at national and international levels. In the Kinyarwanda language ibuka means ‘remember’. Ibuka was created in 1995 in order to address issues of justice, memory, and social and economic problems faced by survivors. (Reference)

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Rwanda Youth Healing Center: Organization seeking to provide Rwandan youth with support to heal form psychological wounds of the Genocide. They are open to all young people no matter what side they were on during the conflict. (Official Website)

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Kirehe: district of Eastern Province, Rwanda. Capital is Rusumo (Kirehe Town). A densely populated area where most people grow food for subsistence and trade.(Official Website)

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Maraba Coffee Planation: Southern Province. An association of coffee growers formed in 1999 to increase the productivity, quality, and market price of Rwandan coffee. Profits are divided and reinvested in the plantation. Researchers from other parts of Africa, the U.K., and the U.S. have supported Maraba and found overseas distributors; even helping market a coffee beer from the region that won a gold medal at the 2006 World Beer Cup. (Reference)

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Kigali:Capital and largest city in Rwanda.

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Juvénal Habyarimana:
Hutu dictator that ruled Rwanda for 20 years. Assassinated in 1994, igniting long simmering racial tensions between Hutus and Tutsis, leading to the 1994 Genocide. At the time, Hutus said Habyarimana’s plane was shot down on orders by the leader of the RPF, Paul Kagame. Others, including the RPF, say Hutus shot down the plane themselves in order to start a war.

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Paul Kagame:
Current President of the Republic of Rwanda. Former leader of the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF). (BBC)

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Rwandan Patriotic Front: (RPF) Current ruling political party of Rwanda. Formed by refugee Tutsis in Uganda in 1987. Fought against the Interahamwe and other Hutu Power militias to recapture Rwanda and end the Genocide. (Reference)

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