Abstract
Background: Interpersonal/psychosocial reconciliation is highly prioritized in post-Genocide Rwanda. Despite the need, empirically sound strategies have been extremely scarce. The proposed study is a segment of a broader services-research effort to develop, evaluate, and implement a novel and empirically supported interpersonal/psychosocial reconciliation approach termed Action-Based Psychosocial Reconciliation Approach (ABPRA), that is authentically founded on Rwandan people’s lived experiences of reconciliation.
 Methods/Design: The proposed study consists of two major steps. The purpose of step 1 is to develop and empirically validate a set of outcome measures, termed the psychosocial reconciliation impact scales module (PRISM) to assess beneficial impacts native to ABPRA. We will employ hermeneutic phenomenological analysis (van Manen, 2016) of pilot interview data to generate item pool. The purpose of step 2 is to field-test the delivery of ABPRA in Rwanda to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of the intervention, exploring and illuminating potential procedural uncertainties in conducting a larger-scale evaluation of ABPRA. We will follow the guidance on pilot study by Thabane et al. (2010).
 Discussion: The study is an essential step to advance the project to a full-scale experimental evaluation of ABPRA. The project holds the possibility of making available and accessible, an empirically supported and meaningful approach to conflict resolution, genocide/war prevention and peacebuilding in Rwanda and other war/conflict-affected regions around the globe.
Highlights
Interpersonal/psychosocial reconciliation is highly prioritized in post-Genocide Rwanda
Thematic content analysis employing feasibility and acceptability themes outlined by Thabane et al (2010) Thematic content analysis employing feasibility and acceptability themes outlined by Thabane et al Performing repeated measures ANOVA employing SPSS
Thematic content analysis employing feasibility and acceptability themes outlined by Thabane et al Thematic content analysis employing feasibility and acceptability themes outlined by Thabane et al Data analyses plan The psychosocial reconciliation impact scales module (PRISM) data will be analyzed by employing repeated measures ANOVA, and, along with other data, be used to determine optimal/feasible sample size for future evaluation studies
Summary
Interpersonal/psychosocial reconciliation is highly prioritized in post-Genocide Rwanda. The 2003 release of prisoners led to the rare circumstance (in the context of post-war restitution) in which genocide survivors would have to live ‘side by side’ with the returning perpetrators to share the same home community (McGarty, 2014). Interpersonal/psychosocial reconciliation for groups and individuals is highly prioritized, promoted, and urged as a way of achieving conflict resolution, prevention, and peacebuilding in rural communities in Rwanda today (National Unity and Reconciliation Commission, 2020). Available research-informed strategies to foster interpersonal/psychosocial reconciliation have been extremely scarce. Due to its methodological limitations in an experimental design, their studies left unanswered other research questions that could advance the field of interpersonal/psychosocial reconciliation and the effectiveness of currently available approaches: What is the nature and process of interpersonal reconciliation as experienced by the very survivors and perpetrators in Rwanda? Due to its methodological limitations in an experimental design, their studies left unanswered other research questions that could advance the field of interpersonal/psychosocial reconciliation and the effectiveness of currently available approaches: What is the nature and process of interpersonal reconciliation as experienced by the very survivors and perpetrators in Rwanda? What may be critically missing is our understanding of the very lived experiences of people in the process of reconciliation today and a reconciliation approach that is founded on these authentic experiences
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