Rwanda's advice for budding democracies: dialogue clubs

In war-torn communities trying to rebuild, talk isn't cheap – it's progress.

from the September 10, 2007 edition

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"We shouldn't have to change our traditional ways," said one middle-aged man.

"Poverty helped make us vulnerable to the genocide, and there is too little land to divide among many children," a younger man responded. "Wouldn't you rather have just three children and be able to give them all a future?"

Periodically, IRDP videotapes these club meetings and shows them to other regional clubs to help foster dialogue at a national level. The videotapes, as well as a summary of the key subjects addressed in the discussions, have also been shared with 200 of the country's political, religious, and business leaders.

The iterative debate by and between local groups and national leaders creates a culture of public discourse that improves communication between the central government and provincial groups. Lawmakers are seeing the necessity and benefits of being responsive to the concerns of their constituencies – national leaders have developed an agenda based on club discussions. Meanwhile villagers are learning to assess public policy issues, articulate their interests, and build consensus.

These steps may seem small. We in more mature democracies take public debate for granted; talk has become cheap. But for a country ravaged by ethnic violence, it has been crucial to the rebuilding process. Democracies are predicated on mutual trust. The sustained interactions of the dialogue clubs are helping Rwandans to rebuild that trust.

Later in the Kabagali Club meeting that we attended, an elderly woman interrupted the discussion. "I can no longer be a part of this club," she announced. Another member had accused her family of stealing a cow during the genocide.

As others in the group tried to calm her anger, a neighboring farmer took the floor. "For some time we have been working together, we have been feeling as one," he said. "If we can do that, we can surely discuss charges that your family ate someone else's meat. You should remain a member of the club, and we'll discuss and resolve this problem."

•Jeffrey Lewis is a senior partner at Cleary Gottlieb Steen and Hamilton LLP, in New York, and a member of the US board of governors of Interpeace. Karin Miller-Lewis is writing a novel for teenagers about guilt and innocence in Nazi Germany.

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