Unity and reconciliation in Rwanda: A look at policy implications vis-à-vis social cohesion

This policy brief examines community perspectives on how the National Policy on Unity and Reconciliation can be used by decision-makers to address not just the existing gaps within the policy itself but other conflicts and tensions that continue to hamper unity and reconciliation in the country.

Since the genocide against the Tutsi in 1994, the Rwandan government has been working on setting a strategic direction for sustainable peace and socio-economic development in the country.

The government has put in place a number of policies and strategies, all aimed at fostering unity and social cohesion, and to ensure that Rwandans are treated equally regardless of individual difference. Rwanda’s constitution stipulates that peace, security, unity and reconciliation are essential pillars of development.

The document draws on experiences from a social cohesion project implemented by International Alert and Rwanda’s National Unity and Reconciliation Commission (NURC).