Open    Access



The Connection Between Ubuntu Indigenous Philosophy and the Gacaca Traditional Judicial Process in Rwanda



Author(s)

Samuel Hinton

Full-Text PDF XML     1248 Views

DOI:10.17265/2161-6248/2015.06B.005

Eastern Kentucky University, Richmond, USA

This paper aims to discuss the connection between Ubuntu, a traditional humanistic philosophy, and Gacaca, an indigenous restorative justice process. The methodology used is narrative discourse. Th paper shares a background to the Rwanda genocide, defines Ubuntu and Gacaca respectively, and suggests a connection between the two. It concludes with a discussion on the global relevance of the Ubuntu-Gacaca paradigm to sustainable peace and reconciliation in a post-genocide society. The author advances a position that Ubuntu provided a springboard for the development of the Gacaca system of restorative justice as practiced in post-conflict Rwanda. The topic is significant because it will contribute to the literature of Ubuntu and Gacaca respectively. In addition, this Ubuntu-Gacaca paradigm has global implications for sustainable peace in post-conflict societies. Discussions on the Ubuntu-Gacaca paradigm should be continued. The model is amenable to adaptation and application in post-conflict areas around the world.

Ubuntu, indigenous philosophy, Gacaca, traditional judicial process, Rwanda