Refugee camps as spaces for genocide : Narratives from Rwandan refugees
Ruuska, Eveliina (2022)
Ruuska, Eveliina
2022
Master's Programme in Global Society
Yhteiskuntatieteiden tiedekunta - Faculty of Social Sciences
This publication is copyrighted. You may download, display and print it for Your own personal use. Commercial use is prohibited.
Hyväksymispäivämäärä
2022-02-08
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:tuni-202201051100
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:tuni-202201051100
Tiivistelmä
Refugee camps are supposed to be safe havens for refugees, but they are best described as a limbo. This study suggests that genocide continues in the refugee camps. The aim of this study is to broaden understanding of genocide from mass murder and direct physical violence to understanding genocide as a process and to include multiple forms of violence such as structural and psychological violence. The theory basis of this study sup-ports this broader understanding, albeit also the banalisation of the term and alternative views are discussed. A term genocidal continuum is important in understanding the continuation of genocide as a process and the constructed reality in which everyone of us live. The theory basis of this study gave inspiration for the devel-opment of definition of genocide in this study. Genocide is defined in this study as follows: as a series of acts or not acting, which causes group that has been regarded as “other” to be subject to violence, (physical, psy-chological, or structural).
The focus of this study are the refugee camps where Rwandan refugees escaped after the Rwandan genocide. The research was limited to years 1994–1996, because the data used in this study are from these years. The data includes three autobiographies and five official testimonials by the survivors. The research question in this study is, how genocide continues in the refugee camps?. Narrative analysis method is used as a research method and three narratives are built on the basis of supporting questions. The narratives highlight the experi-ences of the refugees. The narratives are, “life in the refugee camp”, “forms of violence in the refugee camp” and “thoughts of the survivors in the refugee camp”.
Through analysis of the narratives the research question can be answered. In these refugee camps genocide can be seen to continue in three ways, as a process, as a practice and as an experience. The continuation as a process is connected to term genocidal continuum and understanding that attitudes and norms in a society enforce genocidal capacity against groups which are deemed less worthy than one’s own group of identity. To identify genocidal practices elements such as agents, intent, scale, goals, strategies, and targets need to be analysed. All these elements can be found in analysis of these refugee camps implicating that genocide con-tinues as a practice. Furthermore, discussing the scale, goals and strategies the study takes into consideration that structural and psychological violence cause harm and suffering and are practices of genocide. The expe-riences showcase multiple forms of violence, suffering and human rights violations in the refugee camp. Ad-ditionally, genocide continues as an experience in the survivors’ minds. Together with the earlier events also refugee camp conditions can cause traumas. Earlier studies show that many get depressed and are later diag-nosed with PTSD. As another example, Tutsi women who were raped during their stay in the refugee camps, and were infected with HIV, suffer from the consequences of that for the rest of their lives. Genocide as a human experience can continue for decades.
Even though the refugees were rescued to the refugee camps to save them from the genocide, the results of this study showcase that those camps were not a place of security. International humanitarian organisations are responsible for the refugees and their well-being but fail miserably in the quality of life they provide in the camp. Refugee camps are places where insecurity and suffering continue, and they are a breeding ground for instability. Unfortunately, they do not even manage to keep all the refugees alive.
The focus of this study are the refugee camps where Rwandan refugees escaped after the Rwandan genocide. The research was limited to years 1994–1996, because the data used in this study are from these years. The data includes three autobiographies and five official testimonials by the survivors. The research question in this study is, how genocide continues in the refugee camps?. Narrative analysis method is used as a research method and three narratives are built on the basis of supporting questions. The narratives highlight the experi-ences of the refugees. The narratives are, “life in the refugee camp”, “forms of violence in the refugee camp” and “thoughts of the survivors in the refugee camp”.
Through analysis of the narratives the research question can be answered. In these refugee camps genocide can be seen to continue in three ways, as a process, as a practice and as an experience. The continuation as a process is connected to term genocidal continuum and understanding that attitudes and norms in a society enforce genocidal capacity against groups which are deemed less worthy than one’s own group of identity. To identify genocidal practices elements such as agents, intent, scale, goals, strategies, and targets need to be analysed. All these elements can be found in analysis of these refugee camps implicating that genocide con-tinues as a practice. Furthermore, discussing the scale, goals and strategies the study takes into consideration that structural and psychological violence cause harm and suffering and are practices of genocide. The expe-riences showcase multiple forms of violence, suffering and human rights violations in the refugee camp. Ad-ditionally, genocide continues as an experience in the survivors’ minds. Together with the earlier events also refugee camp conditions can cause traumas. Earlier studies show that many get depressed and are later diag-nosed with PTSD. As another example, Tutsi women who were raped during their stay in the refugee camps, and were infected with HIV, suffer from the consequences of that for the rest of their lives. Genocide as a human experience can continue for decades.
Even though the refugees were rescued to the refugee camps to save them from the genocide, the results of this study showcase that those camps were not a place of security. International humanitarian organisations are responsible for the refugees and their well-being but fail miserably in the quality of life they provide in the camp. Refugee camps are places where insecurity and suffering continue, and they are a breeding ground for instability. Unfortunately, they do not even manage to keep all the refugees alive.