Book Review: Jennifer Melvin, Reconciling Rwanda: Unity, Nationality and State Control
| DOI | 10.1177/1478929917719404 |
| Published date | 01 November 2017 |
| Author | Enock Ndawana |
| Date | 01 November 2017 |
| Subject Matter | Book ReviewsOther Areas |
Political Studies Review 15(4)
lack of political will, inadequate financial
Reconciling Rwanda: Unity, Nationality and
resources and the dearth of a united response.
State Control by Jennifer Melvin. London:
The author further argues that a sovereign state
Institute of Commonwealth Studies, 2015. 211pp.,
has a responsibility for granting and ensuring the
£20.00 (p/b), ISBN 9780993110207
rights of its constituents. The state basically acts as
the ultimate guarantor of these rights, and when it
Reconciling Rwanda qualitatively examines the
shows an inability to protect its citizens, then the
debatable post-genocide Rwandan reconcilia-
international community has to intervene or
tion programme. It uses the social construction-
assume some responsibility. Bindenagel Šehović
ist framework and empirical work based on a
also highlights one of the important factors con-
sociological inquiry in Kigali and Butare. The
tributing to the spread of the epidemic, which is
book comprises seven chapters that are themat-
the inability of the policymakers to adequately
ically structured and at several points chrono-
take into account the increasing levels of vulnera-
logically target the smooth identification and
bility. Consequently, the pandemic continues to
analysis of justice, nation-building and the
have a disastrous impact on the political, eco-
‘victor’s narrative’, which are the three key
nomic and social realms of the country.
themes that flow from Rwanda’s National
Bindenagel Šehović provides a valuable
Unity and Reconciliation Programme.
contribution to the inter-disciplinary literature
Jennifer Melvin demonstrates that under the
by exploring effective responses to combating
façade of reconciliation are myriad projects
HIV/AIDS as well as other ‘grand challenges’
(including, but not limited to, civic education,
which require the collaborative efforts of state
gacaca (community genocide courts), repatriation
and non-state...
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