Prejudice and Discrimination in Rwanda

Rwanda is a small nation located in Africa that has gone through numerous changes over the years, and can be considered a land that has encountered some ethnic diversity within its borders. Originally Rwanda was comprised of hunters and gathers known as the pygmies, ancestors of the Batwa. During the 15^th century Rwanda started to inhabit agricultural and pastoralist immigrants after a ruler named Gihanga had centralized the nation. In 1885 Belgian took over Rwanda, and began to occupy the state with a society that became dominated with German immigrants. When Belgian lost control of Rwanda in the 1950's a terrible war almost immediately occurred between two ethnic groups, the Tutsis and Hutus. Both groups were seeking to establish a complete genocide in 1994, or ethnic cleansing of the other, and nearly one million men, women, and children were killed, or left fleeing the country for safety (Women's World, 1997, pg. 4).

Today Rwanda is a nation that is comprised of three basic ethnic groups, the Tutsi, Hutu, and the Twa, and its culture is becoming more diverse. Individuals from surrounding states such as Congo and Uganda are passing through more frequently, and in the process are bringing along a variety of cultural traditions including a new language of Kinyarwanda. A few traditions that occur are: performances and acts that are held by groups of individuals who play music, dance and sing. These traditions are held to commemorate, represent and demonstrate one's ability to be brave; preserve positive results while hunting; and to be thankful for what little peace has been established between the people of Rwanda. After achieving independence in Rwanda, the main religion became Christianity with the majority being Catholic. Symbols that were once banned were restored as a way to allow ethnic groups to display character and express cultural history. The Tutsi symbol is cattle, Hutu use land and Twa forests (Culture of Rwanda, 2007).

Though race and ethnicity go hand-in-hand with one another, there is a major difference that lies between the two. The concept of race was established by scientists as a result of dominate group members in a society gathering together and socially constructing, then categorizing certain individuals. Particular biological traits are then focused on that seem to be most important, such as noticeable physical characteristics like skin color, facial features, hair texture, and even body type. An individual's accent has also been used to label an individual's race.

Ethnicity, on the other hand is a shared cultural heritage that is either self proclaimed or used to define and categorize other individuals. There are many methods that can be used to identify one's ethnicity but it is usually socially constructed in order to determine one's social group. One's family history, traditions, and religious beliefs make up one's ethnicity.

Discrimination in Rwanda is increasing and is a reality many individuals and ethnic groups encounter on a daily basis. Discrimination has negatively affected the Batwa in three ways: segregation from other community members, stereotyping, and the denial of rights. In Rwanda any individual or group of individuals that is considered to be a hunter-gatherer or former hunter-gatherer is recognized as indigenous, direct descendants of the pygmies. Professionals believe the Batwa are being targeted as a result of having close ancestral connections to the pygmies.

1. The negative stereotyping of the Batwa people is an immense concern. Individuals fortunate enough to find employment other than hard physical labor are able to receive some form of education. In return, education leads to higher paying jobs, and allows one the ability to dress more appropriate and fit in with society. On the contrary, Batwa are out-castes in their community. The Batwas lack of wealth, low educational achievements, and low paying jobs has caused this negative stereotyping. Batwa are forced to maintain tradition as hunter-gatherers to survive. Unfortunately, vast majorities of the Batwa are still hunter-gathers and individuals who hunt are considered as wild as the animals hunted. Being considered wild has caused a tremendous amount of fear in the more civilized community. The Batwa lifestyle, such as hunting, eating wild animals, wearing dirty clothing, or hardly no clothing at all, the inability to receive an education, unsanitary hygiene, poor living conditions, and overall physical appearance have all played a part with the Batwas negative stereotyping (Doyle, 2006).

2. Due to the Batwas behavioral traits that have kept this ethnic group alive, neighbors have segregated the Batwa from the rest of the community. Batwa are forbidding from eating food, drinking water, sitting, speaking, cooking and coming into contact with any member of the community, and this law is justified throughout society. The Batwa are forced to live apart from others, and cannot marry into other families (Doyle, 2006).

3. The denial of rights has to be the most detrimental affect the Batwa have faced. Batwa are natural hunter-gathers, and despite legal support, The Batwa has been denied the right to hunt and gather in forests. The state refuses to acknowledge the Batwa as it does other citizens, and in return the Batwa are refused birth certificates, health cards, justice, equality for jobs and education, rights for land or any document that would connect the Batwa to the state (Doyle, 2006).

Discrimination has affected the Batwa and many other ethnic groups in a negative manner throughout the nation of Rwanda. The state of Rwanda refuses to protect certain individuals who are considered to be direct descendants of the indigenous peoples. Individuals involved with politics, the ones that have strong political connections and are capable of creating a positive environment for those who are suffering, refuse to protect the rights of these individual. The only rights that seem to be protected are the ones who are more fortunate, or so called civilized. Families are being torn apart, men, women, and children are being starved, ignored, beating, abandoned, raped, and even killed. Health conditions at the very best are below poverty level for the Batwa, and war has become something more than individuals in a field battling. Prejudice and discrimination has created an atmosphere of ignorance, and a desired hatred for those who are no different from any other in Rwanda who is trying to survive (Baechler, 1999).

Since the end of the ethnic cleansing that took place in Rwanda in 1994, many individuals have formed nongovernmental organizations to help educate, and prevent further prejudice, and discrimination from continuing. Organizations help orphaned children, individuals with HIV-AID's, women who are abused or have been sexually assaulted, and individuals who have witnessed horrific acts of violence, or have lost family members due to violence (Kigali Rwanda, 2008).

References

Baechler, G. (1999). Violence Through Environmental Discrimination: Causes, Rwanda Arena, and Conflict Model. Springer Publishers.

Culture of Rwanda. (2007). History and Ethnic Relations: Urbanism, architecture, and the use of space. Retrieved November 15, 2008, from http://www.everyculture.com/No-Sa/Rwanda.html

Doyle, M. (2006). Rewriting Rwanda. Fortune, 154(83), 3. Retrieved November 16, 2008, from ProQuest database.

Kigali Rwanda. (2008). Nongovernmental Organizations: Friends of the New Rwanda. Retrieved November 16, 2008, from http://rwanda.usembassy.gov/non_governmental_organizations.html

Women's World. (1997, June 30). The Reality of Rwanda's Genocide. Fortune, pg. (4), Retrieved November 16, 2008, from ProQuest database.