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Power, State, and Camps in Rwanda: Unity and Building Projects of Forced Migration

Garrett Powell

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Published in Making Ubumwe: Power State And Camps In Rwanda S Unity Building Project (Forced Migration 34)

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In the aftermath of the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, the government embarked on a massive Unity and Building project that involved the forced migration of over 1 million people. The project was justified as a necessary step to promote reconciliation and national unity, but it has been the subject of much debate and controversy.

Making Ubumwe: Power State and Camps in Rwanda s Unity Building Project (Forced Migration 34)

Making Ubumwe: Power, State and Camps in Rwanda's Unity-Building Project (Forced Migration Book 34)

5 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	2871 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
Print length	:	486 pages

This article explores the complex relationship between power, the state, and camps in Rwanda, focusing on the Unity and Building project. The article draws on extensive research, including interviews with camp residents, government officials, and aid workers, to provide a nuanced understanding of the project's impact on the lives of Rwandans.

The article begins by examining the historical context of the Unity and Building project. The project was launched in 1996, two years after the genocide, at a time when the country was still struggling to come to terms with the atrocities that had been committed.

The government argued that the project was necessary to promote reconciliation and national unity. The project involved the forced relocation of over 1 million people from their homes to new villages that were built by the government.

The article then explores the ways in which power relations are shaped and contested within camps. The article draws on the work of Michel Foucault to argue that camps are spaces of exception, where the normal rules of society do not apply.

The article argues that the Unity and Building project created a space in which the government could exercise its power in a particularly coercive and arbitrary manner. The project involved the use of violence, intimidation, and coercion to force people to move to the new villages.

The article also explores the ways in which the state's use of forced migration can be both a tool of control and a means of social transformation. The article argues that the Unity and Building project was both a way to control the population and a way to promote social and economic development.

The article concludes by reflecting on the broader implications of the Unity and Building project for understanding the role of camps in contemporary societies. The article argues that camps are not simply places of detention, but rather complex spaces where power relations are shaped and contested, and where social transformation can take place.

The article makes a significant contribution to the literature on camps and forced migration. The article provides a nuanced understanding of the complex relationship between power, the state, and camps in Rwanda, and it offers a new perspective on the role of camps in contemporary societies.

Making Ubumwe: Power, State and Camps in Rwanda's Unity-Building Project (Forced Migration Book 34)

5 out of 5