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wanda experienced extreme violence and genocide during a three month period starting in April 1994. In the northern regions, there had been ongoing violence since 1990. Many inhabitants still suffer emotionally from the consequences of this era. We performed a quantitative study to measure the effectiveness of sociotherapy; a community based psychosocial intervention carried out in northern Rwanda. This article describes qualitative research methods used to enable and improve this quantitative study, and more specifically how the authors adapted and validated three main outcome measures for use within the local context. Psychological wellbeing was measured by use of the Self Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ-20), social functioning by use of a locally designed questionnaire, and social capital by use of a short, adapted version of the Social Capital Assessment Tool (Short A-SCAT).
The collection of context related, qualitative information was essential to create applicable and context appropriate instruments. The authors’ experiences underline that for any mental health or psychosocial study, a substantial contribution from qualitative research is essential. In spite of the authors’ efforts, it still proved to be very difficult to quantitatively assess issues related to social relations.
I was a person who could not talk to anyone in my village and at school. My life was very bitter. I always had worries about my mother. I was forced to be always near her.” (Marie, daughter of a widowed genocide survivor) “Even if my father was a killer, I’m not. Why to be considered like my father, while in 1994 I was 4 years old?” (Jean, son of a father imprisoned for genocide crimes)
This handbook describes the process of training community-based sociotherapy in four geographically and politically diverse areas where war had left deep scars. The training is aimed at developing three skills in targeted groups: the ability to facilitate sociotherapy groups in their own region, to recruit and train more sociotherapists and set up and maintain an appropriate sociotherapy organisation. Dialogue proved to be a suitable tool for arriving at the right training content and form. Dialogue brought about enthusiasm, but also caused confusion and uncertainty. Family-like feelings developed without the presence of a ‘strictly controlling father’. Playing games on a daily basis facilitated participants to give meaning to these experiences. A variety of inter-referring methods proved to be the route to a participatory process of increasing safety, trust, care, respect and having a say in collective affairs. These concepts were used as the subject of further conversation. Training in this group-oriented way at the same time brought about change in the sociotherapists themselves: in their perception of role definitions, in their expectations and thoughts on the meaning of values that always play a role in social change. Their regained dignity was thus, ultimately, the result of their own participation. Mutual trust and social assistance returned thousandfold and were perceived as reliable and sustainable.
Reconciliation in the aftermath of the history of violent conflict in Rwanda is approached as part of a set of deeply interrelated issues, such as individual and social suffering, justice, remembering and forgetting, truth-telling, accountability, forgiveness, trauma therapy, socio-therapy, human rights, and development. The article is based on literature study, conversations with people of all walks of life in Rwanda, and six years of research experience in this country of one of the authors. A major challenge addressed is if, and to what extent, internationally oriented concepts and programs and cultural specific approaches in the field of reconciliation are in conflict with each other or whether they have the potential to reinforce each other.