Trauma Recovery and Reconciliation
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Empower Workshop
The trauma recovery and reconciliation program of CARSA marks the beginning for CARSA’s different activities. Within this program, CARSA uses several workshops to help genocide survivors, offenders, and others suffering from the trauma of the genocide survivors, offenders, and others suffering from the trauma of the genocide to find healing through forgiveness and reconciliation.
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Reconciliation Small Groups
After the workshop, the participants are placed in the reconciliation small groups known as cell groups of 20-30 people. They meet regularly, allowing members to share their experiences in their healing process and support one another physically, economically, and emotionally. Thereby, the cell groups serve as a platform where the foundation of community is rebuilt and trust is reestablished.
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Cows for Peace
Reconciliation requires issues to be addressed holistically : poverty, malnutrition, family relationships cannot be separated. The Cow for Peace project uniquely attends to these. The program begins with trauma healing and forgiveness workshops and ends by providing an impoverished offender and genocide survivor with the shared responsibility of caring for a cow. Former enemies are enabled to cooperate in trust and to rebuild relationship.
Our Approach
Fostering reconciliation through a 3-step process:
1: Reconciliation workshops
CARSA works with local government and church leaders to identify people who would most benefit from a 7-day workshop that focuses on trauma healing and reconciliation. For many participants, this is the first time they have experienced true forgiveness, either for their offender or for themselves.
2: Reinstating community
Interdependence is essential in Rwanda’s rural areas. The genocide destroyed communities, broke trust and shattered relationships, leaving vulnerable people without a safety net. After the workshop, survivors and their offenders are put into groups to meet regularly and support each other through caring for each other’s needs. This rebuilds the foundation of community for participants and reestablishes trust.
3: Ensuring Sustainability
Finally, the cow is given to the survivor-offender couple. It stays with the survivor’s family, but both share the responsibility of caring for it. This creates opportunities for the offender’s family to visit the survivor’s home regularly. Through the guidance of their cell group, the couple continues to rebuild their relationship as they care for the cow. The first calf that is born is given to the offender’s family.
