NOTE:This paper was published in an international scientific journal in 2023 Edukacja Miêdzykulturowaa , Poland, ISSN2299-4106. DOI: 10.15804/em.2023.04.03.
Abstract
The authors discuss the transformation in civic education in Rwanda. Before the arrival of the colonizers, Rwanda had traditions in education and uniting societies. Colonialism destroyed the educational system and divided the society. The re-introduction of the traditional system has been also explored – the example of the Itorero program and its impact on the unity and reconciliation efforts of the government – on the basis of various conducted studies. The main aspects that are taken into account in this study include: the significance of civic education, the Itorero program and the best predictors of success, and the role of civic education in promoting the well-being of communities and nations. The authors not only analyze the functioning of the Itorero institution, but also aim to seek answers to the questions of whether and to what extent the Itorero program affects civic education and to what extent it is an effective tool for uniting the Rwandan society.
Introduction
Over its history up to the present day, Sub-Saharan Africa, including the re gion of African Great Lakes, has been characterized by a series of, sometimes violent, intertribal and interstate conflicts. This is largely due to the nature of the local societies, but also due to the cultural dissimilarity of countries and tribes shaped in the course of historical development. Cultural diversity is an indicator of the identity of societies. The colonial period brought territorial and administrative borders that did not take into account traditional territo rial, state-tribal divisions. This has resulted and still results in divisions in the societies of individual countries.
These divisions were further escalated by the colonial administration. To this day, they result in divisions and social conflicts, which in extreme cases turn into armed conflicts.
The leading problem of Sub-Saharan Africa is educating the societies of individual countries in the sphere of searching for common, tribal, and supra-ethnic cultural values. The problem also affects the region of Afri can Great Lakes. Rwanda is a special case of conflicting societies with tribal cultural differences. The country has a long history dating back to the early Middle Ages. What has been dealt with in its history is, among other things, an initiative that is extremely important from the point of view of civic edu cation – the Itorero program. It was implemented in the first half of the 16th century by King Ruganzu.
Currently, the Rwandan authorities attribute great importance to the elimination of the still-existing ethnic and cultural divisions and the civic education of society in the spirit of national unity and patriotism. This is mainly done by the contemporary Itorero program, referring to the idea of King Ruganzu. In 2007, while striving to reconcile the feuding ethnic groups and searching for common cultural values of the society, the implementation of the Itorero program, rooted in the country’s tradition, began.
It should be emphasized that the society of Rwanda was in conflict during the colonial period due to the policy of the Belgians based on opposing indi vidual social groups. The conflict was fueled after gaining independence by both the country’s political leaders and international factors. After 1994, the Rwandan authorities adopted the unification of society through civic educa tion as a priority goal, in which intercultural education plays an important role. Intercultural education in the Rwandan society is related to the issue of reconciliation and building national unity, which take into account social and state self-identification.
The goal of education is a sense of national aware ness considered superior to tribal affiliation. It aims to shape the sense of national identity as superior to tribal affiliation. The process of civic education in Rwanda is carried out through the implementation of a series of initiatives aimed at uniting the antagonized society. One of the first was the “Ingando Solidarity Camp” program, which served to shape the desired civic qualities and the sense of being Rwandan. Another long-term program covering the whole society, especially children and youth, is the Itorero program.
The article aims to seek answers to the questions of whether and to what extent the Itorero program affects civic education and to what extent it is an effective tool for uniting the nation of this country.
Conclusion
The current policy of the Rwandan government is aimed at even greater public involvement in the Itorero programme. It should be concluded that in the coming years the number of people covered by the program, especially among young people, will systematically increase. It is estimated that around 10 million Rwandans, including school children, have been trained under the Itorero program since its introduction. The process of rebuilding the state, uniting ethnic groups after the genocide was not and is not a simple process. The memory of the wrong done, the desire for revenge - these feelings inherent in the majority of society could not be eliminated overnight. The trauma and memory of these events remained for a long time. Wound healing is a long-term process. Despite this, the Rwandans managed to bring about peace and harmonious cooperation within the state. In this case, the return to tradition and pre-colonial values, including the Itorero programme, turned out to be extremely helpful. The joint work of the nation, the adherence to the values that unite the society , make it possible to effectively implement the process of rebuilding the state. Regardless of the criticism of military training under the program, it should be emphasized that Itorero teaches discipline, working together and caring for the values of traditional culture. This seems to be the key to Rwanda's development. The program helps Rwandans learn about their pre-colonial history and cultivate their traditions. We believe that this is the most important element of civic education and building national identity. In the coming years, the program will increase national awareness, the need for unity and joint work for the country.
