Rwanda / Justice & youth campaigns
Justice forms a special focus of the Great Lakes Reconciliation Radio project in Rwanda . Throughout this country, more than 10,000 village tribunals operated by more than 100,000 lay judges are currently in full operation. In the beginning of 2007, the number of perpetrators to be judged by these tribunals could be as many as 800,000. With every layer of Rwandese society involved in this process, there is great risk of re-traumatization and recurrence of violence. It is clearly impossible to try so many people in the usual manner. For this reason, the Rwandan authorities have returned to an old, traditional form of justice known as Gacaca, in which the accused are taken back to their own communities to be brought before the elders. Starting at the beginning of 2005, Rwanda is now in the middle of the implementation of this enormous judicial experiment.
Because such an enormous number of accused has never been tried in a traditional manner before by members of their own local community, no one knows how this process will go or what possible side effects can be expected. According to experts and those who monitored the pilot phase of Gacaca proceedings, these trials can bring all sorts of emotions to the surface, so it is essential that attention be given to these emotions, which are closely connected to unhealed wounds. Furthermore, such emotions can lead to the re-ignition of new aggression and seriously interfere with the process of restoration and reconciliation if they are not dealt with appropriately. Some vengeance murder cases have already come up during the first Gacaca experiments.
Up until 2006, Radio Benevolencija broadcast 15-minute programs each week called akuzumuyutima , targeted especially at judges. These included discussions among trauma councilors and various members of the community about what they experience during the hearings, what they need for their psychological well-being, how to recognize when they or someone else needs help, and what kind of help might be available in the community. Special training manuals for Gacaca judges were produced during the course of broadcasts of the justice program. These manuals describe modes of action based on the broadcasts and were distributed to Gacaca judges throughout the country.
Regional Youth Project Collaboration DRC/Rwanda/Burundi: Générations grands lacs ("Great Lakes - The Next Generation") is a regional radio initiative from Rwanda, East Congo and Burundi intended for young people (15-30 years) with the aim of prevention and resolution of conflicts. Générations grands lacs is a co-production between Search for Common Ground (SFCG) and Radio Benevolencija, and uses young writers and journalists from the three countries. Four radio stations in the region broadcast the French-language program simultaneously each week.
In addition, Radio Benevolencija produces a special radio drama sequence of this program, which consists of episodes of six to seven minutes in length. The plot centers around young people from Musekeweya and Kumbuka Kesho , Radio Benevolencija's radio drama in the DRC. They all attend a boarding school located on the border of Rwanda , Burundi and the DRC. It is in the heart of this international and intercultural environment that tensions arise from stereotypes and unhealed trauma in the young people from the three countries.
Rwanda / Grass roots
Radio Benevolencija is currently creating groups of local change agents, or "active bystanders," who meet regularly in groups spread all over the regions and settlements of Rwanda . Training and debate events are held on a monthly basis at central locations.
Rwanda / Factual & debate
Kuki ("Why?") : This is a radio magazine that focuses on direct factual information about incidences of mass violence and genocide in the world, and how individuals involved in that violence went through a psychological development similar to that which occurred in Rwanda.