Title: Responding to Genocide in Rwanda: Local Knowledge and Counter-stories
Abstract: a genocide perpetrated against the Tutsi people in Rwanda claimed over one million human lives.It is now 18 years later and the survivors of the genocide continue to face profound hardships in relation to housing, health, education, extreme poverty, and security.The vast majority of survivors still live in great suffering and with nightmares of the traumatic past.The genocide aimed to eliminate the Tutsi, and this entailed the elimination of families-fathers, mothers, and children.After the genocide, the survivors regrouped on the basis of kinship, friendship, or just kind-heartedness of spirit.Associations fighting for victims' rights are constantly committed.Ibuka is a national organisation in Rwanda that represents survivor associations throughout the country (see Kaboyi, 2007).Six years ago, the authors first met with Kaboyi Benoit, at that time the executive secretary of Ibuka.After initial introductions, and in response to our 'down under' accents, Benoit said 'Ah, Australia…there's a country that knows all about genocide.'This recognition and our conversation following signalled the beginning of a partnership between Ibuka and Dulwich Centre Foundation International, an Australian-based organisation which responds to groups and communities who have experienced significant hardship.Much of our work involves cultural partnerships and building the capacity of local workers through the use of narrative practices to elicit and richly describe local knowledge.Within any community experiencing social suffering, community members will be