Social Cohesion
Senior 4 · General and Religious Studies
Social Cohesion
Lesson 4 of 4
25 min
In each of its three national surveys, NURC asked Rwandans what was still holding reconciliation back. Study the three main answers.
| Factor hindering reconciliation | 2010 (%) | 2015 (%) | 2020 (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rwandans who still sow genocide ideology and divisive politics | 31.5 | 25.8 | 8.6 |
| Ethnic and other divisive stereotypes | 30.5 | 27.9 | 1.8 |
| Unhealed wounds caused by the genocide and divisive politics | 11.6 | 4.6 | 26.9 |
Source: NURC, Rwanda Reconciliation Barometer 2020, Table 3.
Two challenges fell sharply. NURC links the fall in genocide ideology to efforts against impunity and to laws that punish genocide ideology. But the third rose from 4.6% to 26.9%. The same report found that the indicator of individual healing fell from 88.6% in 2015 to 86.7% in 2020, and that respondents saw healing needs not only among survivors but also among former convicts and the children and spouses of people who committed genocide. A challenge to social cohesion can grow even while others shrink. This lesson sorts the challenges and asks what can be done about each.
Definition
Challenge to social cohesion: a condition or behaviour that weakens trust, an inclusive identity or cooperation in a society. Example: youth unemployment, which can leave young people feeling shut out.
Trauma: lasting psychological harm caused by a terrible event, which can show as fear, anger, sadness or withdrawal long afterwards. Healing is the slow process of recovering from it, alone and with others.
Genocide ideology: in Rwandan law, a public act that "manifests an ideology that supports or advocates for destroying, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial or religious group" (Law N° 59 of 2018, Article 4).
Genocide denial: a public act intended to say that the genocide was not genocide, to distort its facts in order to mislead, or to say that it was not planned (Article 5 of the same law).
Disinformation: false information spread on purpose to mislead. Example: rumours of an imminent war shared on social media to frighten people.
The bars are short, but look at the numbers behind them. 7.10% of 12,600 respondents is about 895 people (the report gives 894) who named denial and revisionism without being prompted.
| Family | Challenges | Rwandan evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Past: wounds of history | Trauma; genocide ideology and denial; perpetrators who refuse to repent; the return of people who have served their sentences | Individual healing indicator 88.6% (2015), 86.7% (2020) (NURC). More than 120,000 people were at first imprisoned for crimes related to the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, according to Rwanda Correctional Service; on 5 October 2026 a 10th group of 526 began reintegration training before release (MINUBUMWE). |
| Pocket: poverty and opportunity | Poverty; unemployment, especially of young people; inequality between places and groups | Youth (16 to 30 years) unemployment: 26.5% in 2021, 14.7% in 2025, still above the adult rate of 10.8% (NISR, Labour Force Survey 2025). An expert interviewed by NURC called youth unemployment "an existing bomb that will detonate". |
| Power: how leaders behave | Leaders who do not listen; corruption; unfair service | 2.02% named leaders who ignore people's problems; 1.58% named corruption among local leaders (NURC, 2020). |
| Phone: information and security | Hate speech and disinformation online; rumours of war; armed groups | The indicator of national security and reconciliation fell from 96.8% (2015) to 92.8% (2020), which NURC links to "propaganda of imminent wars through social media". |
Beyond Rwanda, the same four families appear in other forms. The United Nations warns that online hate speech is now one of the most frequent ways of spreading divisive ideas; migration brings newcomers who may meet suspicion; unequal growth leaves regions behind; and pressure on land and water, made worse by climate change, can turn neighbours into rivals.
| Challenge | What institutions do | What a student can do |
|---|---|---|
| Trauma and unhealed wounds | Community healing and dialogue groups; commemoration; mental health services | Listen without judging; support classmates during commemoration; know where to refer someone |
| Ideology, denial, hate speech | Law N° 59 of 2018 punishes them, including on social media; history and civic education | Refuse to share; answer with facts; report serious cases |
| Return of people released from prison | Reintegration training covering history, responsibilities and rejecting divisionism (MINUBUMWE and Rwanda Correctional Service) | Judge people by their present conduct; support families' efforts at dialogue |
| Youth unemployment and poverty | Skills training, social protection, job creation | Learn a skill; start or join a cooperative or club; include others |
| Leaders who do not listen; corruption | Village assemblies, Umushyikirano, the Office of the Ombudsman | Raise problems through the proper channels; refuse to pay or take a bribe |
Notice the law's reach. Article 2 of Law N° 59 of 2018 counts as "public" a publication on social media and even "a message sent to a person". A post or a forwarded message is not private chat in the eyes of the law.
Warning
Do not confuse a small percentage with a small problem. Genocide denial was named by 7.10% of respondents, about 895 people in the sample. A few determined deniers with a social media account can reach thousands. Also, a rising percentage is not always bad news: more people naming unhealed wounds may partly mean that people now feel able to talk about trauma. Say what the number shows, and what it cannot show.
Tip
Past, pocket, power, phone. Use these four words to plan any essay on the challenges to social cohesion: wounds of the past; poverty and jobs; how leaders use power; information and security. For each, give one challenge, one piece of evidence with its year, and one response.
Important
Discuss. Which of the four families of challenges is the greatest threat to social cohesion in Rwanda in the next ten years? Use at least two pieces of evidence from this lesson, and say what evidence would change your mind.
Interpeace: "Jeannette Uwizeyimana, devoted community dialogue facilitator", about 2 minutes. In Nyamagabe District she brings together groups of 15 people from different histories, including genocide survivors and people who committed genocide, for weekly dialogues. Watch for how the group is chosen and what each member gains.
Practice
Key points
Further reading
Sources and credits
Written by Ganzaa: Figure 5, the past-pocket-power-phone model, the tables, the analysis and the exercises.
Quick check
Match each challenge to its family in the past, pocket, power, phone model.
Tap one on the left, then its partner on the right.
