Finding the only possible truth: A study into the genocidal narratives that Rwandan students encounter and the way Rwandan students weave their own single narrative and corresponding truths about the genocide

Abstract

Twenty years after the Rwandan genocide, an entire new generation exists which did not experience the genocide directly. What these young people know is what they have learned from people who did experience the genocide: transmitted knowledge. This knowledge can be transmitted by family members, the media, schools, etcetera, and helps the young people to paint a picture of the causes, events and aftermath of genocide. The question posed in this research is: What narratives about the genocide do the Rwandan students encounter and how do the Rwandan students weave their own single narrative and corresponding truths about the genocide despite the multiple possible interpretations? Discursive theories are used to analyze the narratives that exist and the power of the government in determining the dominant discourse.