So, what are you doing in Rwanda anyway?

What a good question! Let me attempt to answer it :)

The short answer is that I'm here to conduct my field research for my thesis for my Master's Degree in International Development Studies. If that is as much information as you are looking for then you're done. You can go back to facebook or angry birds or whatever ;)

If you are interested in the long answer, here it is.

Maybe you are wondering what I am doing my thesis on exactly. If you ask my mom about it she would probably tell you something vague about women's groups in Rwanda and honestly that is as detailed as my answer has been for most people who have asked me. After all let's be honest, when I start talking about alternative forms of peacebuiding and the relationship between government and civil society in post conflict contexts there are a lot of eyes that start to glaze over. So at the risk of glazing some more eyes, here we go.

Originally I was going to look at alternative forms of peacebuilding as a contrast to the more mainstream approaches like those of the UN, NATO and so on. I was going to look at how women's groups in Rwanda were approaching peacebuilding in a way that was more 'holistic' and long term than these mainstream approaches. I still believe this is true, and I think it would make an interesting paper. However my own thesis has somehow taken on a life of its own and my focus has changed significantly. Or rather, my focus - women's groups in Rwanda- is the same but my starting point is different.

Here is your development theory lesson for the day: there is a debate, or at least a discussion, about the role that civil society should play in a society especially in a post conflict or transitional society that is trying to move forward after conflict or a regime change. (note: civil society refers to organizations that fill the space between the private and the public. This can be anything from community groups, girl scouts, NGOs, lobby groups,etc. It can be a problematic term since it can refer to just about anything, including the KKK as one of my professors likes to point out. For my purposes I have defined it more narrowly)On one side of the debate you have those who believe that civil society should act essentially as an arm of the government, filling the gaps that the government can't do (ie: health care, education, training etc) and that it should advance the interests and agendas of the government. On the other hand you have those who believe that civil society should be completely and should serve as a counterpoint to the government. In reality most societies fall somewhere in the middle. This relationship between government and civil society is especially important in a post conflict or transitional society. I think it will become even more relevant given what is happening in places like Iraq, Afghanistan, Egypt, Syria and Libya.

It has been 17 years since the genocide happened here in Rwanda and looking out at the hills from the coffee shop I'm sitting in it is hard to classify this country as "post conflict" given the remarkable progress it has made. However, it is still a country in transition and is still very vulnerable. It can be argued that Rwanda still shares several characteristics with a post conflict country and I think the question of the relationship between the government and civil society is incredibly relevant and very important for the way this country will face the challenges of the future.
For my thesis I am doing a sort of case study looking specifically at the relationship between government and women's organizations here in Rwanda. I want to know how the government's agendas and strategies for peacebuilding and developent have influenced or impacted the goals and activities of several prominent women's organizations. I'm also curious to see if these women's organizations have had any impact or influence on the direction of the government's strategies and agendas.

So, that is what I am doing here in Rwanda. I am hoping to conduct interviews with some staff from women's organizations as well as representatives of various ministries in the government. I am still waiting for some administrative obstacles to be cleared such as my reseach ethics approval from my university in Halifax, but once those are taken care of I am hoping to jump into the interviews. It is also possible that what I find will change my thesis either in small or major ways, so I'm keeping an open mind and trying not to come to conclusions or assumptions before I even start. In the meantime I am relaxing, enjoying the city and reconnecting with old friends. Not a bad place to be :)