Review by Choice Review
Among numerous publications on the subject, this is the most rigorous and reliable. It has much to say about the difficulties of reconciliation politics. Ingelaere (Antwerp Univ., Belgium) spent months observing and interviewing participants in many locations. He observed 2,000 proceedings. He found that of the four goals set for Gacaca, only one was fully achieved. Gacaca mimicked the traditional cultural approach to conflict resolution but was absorbed into the judicial system; thus it was ultimately a hybrid. It became much less confessional, as initially intended; rather it was increasingly accusatory and adversarial in its orientation. Participation was generally low and declined over time. Gacaca often failed to provide "truth" (a concept Ingelaere considers from different perspectives) to many victimized survivors, except in a pragmatic sense, e.g., for those who had to coexist with their perpetrators. Ingelaere describes the invisible, pervasive presence of authority that "shapes speech and actions" previously suggested by Susan Thompson's Whispering Truth to Power (CH, Sep'14, 52-0509); that presence was only partly a consequence of Gacaca. A related chapter, "The Weight of the State," should be required reading for scholars concerned about contemporary Rwanda. Summing Up: Essential. Upper-division undergraduates through professionals. --Paul G. Conway, SUNY College at Oneonta
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
