Societal Healing in Rwanda: Toward a Multisystemic Framework for Mental Health, Social Cohesion, and Sustainable Livelihoods among Survivors and Perpetrators of the Genocide against the Tutsi

Abstract

The genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda left the country almost completely devastated, with tremendous consequences for mental health, social cohesion, and livelihoods. In the aftermath of such extreme circumstances and human rights violations, societal healing should be conceptualized and approached based on a multisystemic framework that considers these three sectors—mental health, social cohesion, and livelihoods—as well as their interactions. The aims of the present study are twofold: (1) to review evidence on multisystemic healing initiatives already applied in Rwanda using fieldwork notes from interviews and focus groups, alongside relevant scholarly and gray literature, and (2) to propose a scalable multisystemic framework for societal healing in Rwanda that builds on existing innovations. Within a participatory action research methodology, we used a grounded theory approach to synthesize fieldwork findings and compare them with literature to generate a set of principles for multisystemic recovery in Rwanda. Recognizing the strengths and limitations of the current mental health system and other initiatives, including sociotherapy and collaborative livelihood projects, we propose a scalable and rights-based multisystemic approach for recovery and resilience that would target mental health, social cohesion, and sustainable livelihoods within an integrative cross-sectoral framework, thus reducing the risk of post-genocide conflict.