Becoming Human Again

"Drawing on 260 interviews with Tutsi survivors of the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, this book examines the experience of orphans and widows, both during the 100 days of the genocide and later in their struggle to deal with trauma and the effort to rebuild their lives. Based on oral history testimony, issues related to healing, forgiveness, reconciliation, and justice are addressed in separate chapters-drawing directly on the experience and perceptions of survivors. The essence of genocide, argue the authors, is a rupture in the moral values that structure everyday life. Therefore, trauma must be addressed at both a personal and societal level, rebuilding structures of trust, compassion, and empathy within a political context that is safe, secure, and just. The contribution of this book is that it examines genocide holistically, describing patterns of discrimination before the genocide, political dynamics during the civil war, patterns of killing, including rape and sexual violence, and the attempt to regain one's humanity after the genocide"--