Goats & Graves: Reparations In Rwanda’s Community Courts

Abstract

Despite the growing literature on gacaca , there has been relatively little attention paid to its role in providing reparations to genocide survivors. In some ways, this reflects the priorities of many transitional justice scholars and policymakers: reparations are often an afterthought, while economic rights and poverty reduction are rarely thought of at all. Rwanda's gacaca courts provide a fascinating case study on the costs and benefits of using community-level dispute resolution mechanisms to provide both individualised and community reparations. This chapter begins by situating gacaca within the broader context of recovery and reparations in post-genocide Rwanda. It then examines three forms of reparations provided by gacaca : financial restitution to genocide survivors; community service from convicted genocidaires; and symbolic reparations in the form of perpetrator apologies and locating remains. Finally, it discusses the lessons and implications of using community-based mechanisms to provide reparations after mass violence. Keywords: genocide survivors; mass violence; Rwanda's gacaca courts; transitional justice