Radio La Benevolencija (RLB)

The communications strategy of the project is based around two main activities: mass media communication, specifically radio broadcasting in the local language Kinyarwanda, and participatory communication through a grassroots level network of change agents and/or locally present organisations. These two activities are interdependent, with the grassroots' activities reinforcing the radio programme messages.

An ongoing radio drama series, called Muse Keweya (meaning "new dawn" in English). By following the lives of various radio drama characters, listeners will understand how to prevent violence, how to start the process of reconciliation and how to help trauma victims. They will also know that genocide evolves in steps along a continuum of destruction that leads to genocide. The radio drama's focus group is the general population, the majority of which live in rural areas. Its' intended outcome is to trigger and stimulate the participation in local discussion groups and trauma healing processes. Special attention will also be given to vulnerable groups such as women and child headed households.

A number of factual radio magazines. The programmes aim to concretely explain how trama healing can take place, to provide accurate information on genocides that have occurred in other places around the world, and to cover reconciliation, the prevention of violence and related justice issues. It is targeted at educated listeners, but entirely produced in Kinyarwanda.

Other programmes. Poetry, music and oral history testimony approaches that reinforce the project objectives are also envisaged throughout the radio formats produced. Public debate programmes are encouraged on public and private broadcasters in Rwanda, Burundi and eastern DRC.

Conflict.

The project is headed by Ervin Staub, Professor of Psychology at the University of Massachusetts, who specialises in genocide and reconciliation, and Laurie Pearlman, a trauma treatment specialist heading TREATI, an NGO specialising in trauma-focused research, professional training, and community education. Professor Staub and Dr Pearlman have held a number of seminars, which have been identified as an important part of Rwanda's overall healing and reconciliation efforts.

The project aimed to promote methods that lead to trauma healing, reconciliation and the prevention of violence and to give insight into the steps that lead to genocide through two types of communications activities: radio programmes and grassroots participatory communications activities.

The workshops consisted of two parts. A section aimed at psycho-education. Through short papers and discussions, knowledge and awareness were conveyed about subjects such as:

• the factors that influence the existence of genocide;
• basic human needs;
• the influence of serious trauma on individuals and communities;
• identifying ways to help people suffering from trauma;

Many participants were surprised to find out that genocide had also taken place in various other countries worldwide. They realised that Rwanda was not unique in this respect.

An experimental section aimed at healing psychological wounds.
This part began with explaining how important it is to react empathically to people who talk about their traumatic experiences. Bad reactions as well as correct reactions were examined. Participants were then asked to thinking about, write about or draw something about one's own traumatic experience. This experience was then shared with the group, who offered support to the survivor.

The seminars provided insight, both through theoretical and practical components, of how people can support each other in dealing with trauma. After the workshop it was hoped that participants would apply their new knowledge to their daily work. Thus, the community would be better able to cope individually in stimulating and supporting the process of dealing with their trauma and restoration.