Hatred in their hearts: identity formation and reconciliation in post-genocide Rwanda

Given Rwanda's tragic past, how does the process of forging a new identity function? As individuals explore newfound Rwandan identification, is there a distinction between how individual identity is expressed at the local level versus how is it is expressed at a cross-cultural level via the Internet? In the summer of 2010, I completed ethnographic research to uncover how public discourse relates to identify formation at the local and translocal level. The local level refers to events taking place at an immediate and spatial present in Rwandan society. The translocal refers to expressions of identity taking place on a global platform, in this case, on the Internet. These two venues are distinct in that the local is typically an immediate expression, potentially reaffirming the public discourse as it is adopted and practiced by the surrounding community. At the local level, individuals might be less likely to express opinions that depart from the public discourse due to fear of censure from the community. On the other hand, the translocal sphere represents a space separate from the local, fueled by expressions that are more deliberate. Internet expressions are created for global consumption and are therefore potentially less likely to be affected by censuring from ones neighbors. This study set out to uncover if the local is an arena more tethered to public discourse, while the trans local functions as a space for the formulation and expression of opinions that depart from the public discourse, or, if the Internet functions as an extension of dissemination of local experience.