Repentance, Forgiveness and Reconciliation
Senior 2 · Religion and Ethics
Repentance, Forgiveness and Reconciliation
Lesson 5 of 5
22 min
Between April and July 1994, during the Genocide against the Tutsi, more than one million people were killed in about one hundred days. When it ended, survivors and people who had taken part in the killings had to live again in the same villages. Many people thought that Rwanda could never be one nation again.
Rwanda chose the difficult path of justice, truth, unity and reconciliation. Faith communities, Christian and Muslim, have been part of that journey. This lesson looks at how repentance, forgiveness and reconciliation are lived in Rwanda today, and why they still matter to your generation.
| Step | What it does |
|---|---|
| National Unity and Reconciliation Commission (set up in 1999) | led programmes of dialogue, civic education and healing; this work is now led by the Ministry of National Unity and Civic Engagement (MINUBUMWE) |
| Gacaca courts (nationwide 2005–2012) | community courts that tried nearly two million genocide cases. They encouraged the truth: people who confessed honestly and asked for forgiveness could receive lighter sentences, and families learned what had happened to their loved ones and where their remains lay, so that they could bury them with dignity. |
| Ndi Umunyarwanda (from 2013) | encourages Rwandans to put their shared identity first and to speak honestly about the past |
| Kwibuka (every year from 7 April) | the national commemoration: Rwandans remember the victims, support survivors and say "Never Again" |
"Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old things have passed away. Behold, all things have become new. But all things are of God, who reconciled us to himself through Jesus Christ, and gave to us the ministry of reconciliation" (2 Corinthians 5:17–18)
"And remember Allah's favour unto you: How ye were enemies and He made friendship between your hearts so that ye became as brothers by His grace" (Qur'an 3:103)
Question: Explain two ways in which faith communities have contributed to reconciliation in Rwanda since 1994. (4 marks)
Model answer: First, churches and mosques have run trauma-healing and dialogue groups in which survivors and people who took part in the Genocide meet over many months; offenders tell the truth and ask for forgiveness, and some survivors freely choose to forgive (2 marks). Second, religious institutions have themselves repented: in 2016 the Catholic bishops of Rwanda apologised for the wrongs committed by Church members, which showed that repentance must begin with the truth (2 marks).
Tip
Exam technique. Always write the full, correct name: the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. When you write about forgiveness after the Genocide, show that you understand it is a free choice of survivors that goes together with truth, justice and remembrance.
What were the Gacaca courts, and how did they encourage truth-telling?
Answer: community courts that tried genocide cases across Rwanda from 2005 to 2012. People who confessed honestly and asked for forgiveness could receive lighter sentences, so many told the truth about what had happened.
What is Kwibuka, and when does it begin each year?
Answer: the national commemoration of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi; it begins on 7 April.
Why must forgiveness never be demanded of survivors?
Answer: because forgiveness is a free gift of the person who was wronged. Forcing it would add a new injustice to their suffering. It can only be offered, never required.
Which Bible passage speaks of "the ministry of reconciliation", and which Qur'an verse speaks of enemies becoming brothers?
Answer: 2 Corinthians 5:17–18; Qur'an 3:103.
Suggest one way students in your school can practise reconciliation.
Possible answer: settling quarrels through honest apology and forgiveness rather than revenge; joining a unity club; welcoming students of every background.
Remember
Sources and credits
This lesson adapts CC BY-SA material and is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.
