Students Abroad: Eva Branson in Kigali, Rwanda

Thanks to funding from the Scheidt Family Foundation, Eva Branson, a Class of 2018 history major in the Special Academic Program for Human Rights, traveled to Kigali, Rwanda, to work with the National Commission for the Fight against Genocide.

I’m currently in the middle of my third week in Kigali and in shock at how fast time flies! My time in the ‘Land of a Thousand Hills’ has been truly amazing. I am currently working as an intern in the Research and Documentation Center of the National Commission for the Fight against Genocide (CNLG), a permanent institution established after the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi to encourage further research on the genocide and the prevention of future atrocity. The other intern and I, Elissa Boghossian (UVA Class of 2018), are currently working on drafting and editing a paper on the comparative success of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda and Gacaca Court in securing transitional justice post-conflict in Rwanda. The paper will later be published by Routledge as part of a larger collection of works on the role of international institutions in peacebuilding. We are also collaborating on an article detailing the importance of the conservation of genocide artifacts, namely the preservation of human remains, textiles, and memorial sites, in encouraging reflection on the genocide and fostering a continued interest in peacebuilding.

In my free time, I’ve been trying to explore Rwanda as much as possible. I spent the first week trying to understand the layout of the city and learn a few words in Kinyarwanda. Since, I’ve grown accustomed to moto-ing around town to my favorite restaurants, markets, and cafes. A few weekends ago, some friends and I traveled to Musanze, the home of Volcanoes National Park, to see the golden monkeys. The park was absolutely beautiful, the monkeys adorable, and it was wonderful to get out of the busy city for a few days. Last weekend, the Kigali Genocide Memorial in Gisozi hosted the annual Ubumuntu Arts Festival, an event that showcases work from all over the country, with the theme “We are all human together.” As someone very involved in the theater and a cappella communities at Yale and heavily interested in the role of the arts in fostering peace, I loved the opportunity to see performances from artists from all over the globe focusing on global unity in times of conflict.

Now, I’m focusing on making the most of my few short weeks left in Rwanda by learning as much as possible. Kigali is a truly amazing city within an incredibly interesting country. I am forever grateful for this opportunity to work on a topic so important to me in such a magnificent place.