CEU Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2013
| Author | Ramos, Carse |
|---|---|
| Title | TRANSITIONAL JUSTICE, VICTIMHOOD AND COLLECTIVE NARRATIVE IN POST-GENOCIDE RWANDA |
| Summary | One basic conceptual aim of transitional justice is the formation of a post-conflict narrative, through which collective memories are fixed in the public consciousness, group and individual identities reinforced, and experiences (de)legitimized. Discussions surrounding transitional justice initiatives are usually couched in the language of “victim” and “perpetrator”. In adopting this terminology, however, academics and practitioners across fields largely presuppose that "victim" is a clear and “natural” classification. Grounded in the case of Rwanda, this paper argues that victimhood should instead be understood and applied as a socially constructed category, which is reinforced, if not created, by the transitional justice framework itself. Understanding victimhood in this way recognizes that the inclusion or exclusion of an individual or group under this designation is the result of choice and asks us to consider both the consequences and alternative categorization schemes. Being designated a victim has both symbolic and tangible implications, all of which have bearing on the way that the post-conflict narratives are structured and internalized (or rejected), and this process affects the prospects for reconciliation and stability. Put simply, how can people come to terms with the past and each other, if entire sectors of the population are effectively told that their experiences do not matter? Examining this relationship presents new opportunities in genocide prevention efforts. Most basically, closely following (monitoring) a given “script” in a particular situation allows sensitivity to early warning signals. More radically, working with narratives can provide another point of intervention, both during a “transitional” period and after. |
| Supervisor | Pap, Andras |
| Department | Nationalism Studies MA |
| Full text | https://www.etd.ceu.edu/2013/ramos_carse.pdf |
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