The Process of Post-Traumatic Growth in Fostering Agency and Activism among Survivors of the Genocide in Rwanda

The experience of trauma can profoundly change and alter the course of an individual’s life. Historically this has been investigated in relation to the deleterious physical, social, and psychological consequences that individuals experience. However, in recent years, research has begun investigating when overcoming a trauma can have a lasting positive impact on the individual’s identity, relationships, and worldviews. These positive changes, known as post-traumatic growth have been observed in response to a range of traumatic events including extreme forms of adversity such as war and genocide. I will present an analysis of a sample of survivors’ testimonies to determine how post-traumatic growth is expressed among Rwandans, and the extent to which these positive outcomes can be considered a form of personal agency and activism. Specifically, I will discuss how three outcomes of post-traumatic growth in this population – a shift in identity from victim to survivor, a responsibility to survive, and altruism born of suffering – create a sense of unity and social responsibility among survivors.

Postcolonial Studies Centre, Nottingham Trent University, MAE019, Mary Ann Evans building, Clifton Campus, NTU, NG11 8NS