Reconciliation through football. A study on the role of football in the reconciliation process of Rwanda.

Abstract: The 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, during which Hutu and others who opposed the genocide were also killed, tore up the social fabric of Rwanda. The reconciliation effort has been immense involving actors from all walks of life all working with different methods and techniques. This study turns to the beautiful game, football, and aims to examine what role the sport has played in the post-genocide reconciliation process in Rwanda. It does so in the Sport for Development and Peace (SDP) context, as well as in the reconciliation research context. The study has been theoretically informed by John Paul Lederach and his study of the concept of reconciliation as well as Kristine Höglund and Ralph Sundberg and their conceptualization of sport within reconciliation processes. The study uses the method of qualitative content analysis. The study found that a social space has been created around the game of football, both on national, community, and individual levels. It has been created both explicitly and inexplicitly.