A study on citizens’ participation in post-genocide Rwanda was jointly undertaken by Never Again
Rwanda (NAR) and Interpeace in the framework of their Societal Healing and Participatory Governance
for Sustainabe Peace Program.

Both organisations believe that in a wounded society, participation of citizens in governance is a major
healing mechanism. In Rwanda, given the history of bad governance, violent conflict and genocide,
involvement of citizens in governance requires empowering them with confidence to participate in social and political fora. It also necessitates creating an environment of trust and transparency that enables them to voice their needs and desires.

This study was undertaken with the aim of informing NAR and Interpeace joint program and the decision-making community about the issue of citizen participation as a core dimension of good governance in the post-genocide context. NAR as a civil society organization strongly believes in the power of dialogue informed by research. This research therefore serves as a channel to engage citizens and other stakeholders in dialogue and debate on issues concerning citizen participation. The intention was not to conduct an academic research, but rather to carry out an applied and action-oriented research to ensurthat beneficiaries of public programs can contribute to finding solutions to the challenges they face.

This report is structured in six chapters. Chapter 1 is the introduction to the whole report. Chapter 2 presents the background to this study, highlights its rationale and objectives. Chapter 3 defines key
concepts; Chapter 4 gives the methodology used in this study and focuses on approaches, sampling plan, quality assurance, and ethical considerations.