ID: 2033
Presenting Author: Elie Cedrick NIYONKURU
Session: 550 - (Re)building trust and transparency to navigate complex energy transitions
Status: pending
Rwanda’s resilience model uses Gacaca (truth), Umuganda (dialogue), & Itorero (civic values) as a socio-cultural defense against misinformation. Proposes a "Sociocultural Resilience Impact A
The High Stakes of Information Integrity The 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda remains one of history’s most tragic reminders of how disinformation can fuel mass violence.
In its aftermath, Rwanda confronted the twin imperatives of physical reconstruction and moral restoration—rebuilding infrastructure while mending a social fabric torn apart by toxic narratives.
This experience has profoundly shaped Rwanda’s prescriptive and culturally grounded approach to information integrity and governance.
Moving beyond reactive, digital-only models, Rwanda has developed a holistic framework for societal resilience rooted in traditional and civic institutions.
This paper argues that Rwanda’s experience—particularly through Gacaca Court (community justice mechanisms to promote truth-telling, accountability, and reconciliation),
Umuganda (National Community Service), and Itorero ry’Igihugu (National Academy for Civic Education) —offers a transformative case study for the global Impact Assessment (IA) community.
It demonstrates that resilience to misinformation must be treated as an integral component of sustainable development. A nation’s information ecosystem, much like its environment or society,
Must be assessed for strength, cohesion, and adaptability.
Elie Cedrick NIYONKURU is a Rwandan researcher & development practitioner at UNESCO Rwanda.
His work integrates indigenous knowledge, tech & peacebuilding for sustainable development.