The National Unity and Reconciliation Commission (NURC) is set to launch a new survey on the state of reconciliation among Rwandans.

This was announced last Friday at a meeting convened to discuss the research project dubbed ‘Rwanda Reconciliation Barometer’ (RRB 2015).

The consultative meeting attracted various heads of government institutions, lawmakers, civil society representatives and researchers.

Dr. Jean Baptiste Habyarimana, NURC’s executive secretary, said the research intends to track the state of national reconciliation among the general public through citizens’ views and perceptions.

"We are putting the final touches on the RRB 2015 research project, we have sufficient funds to conduct a comprehensive research and the United Nations Development Programme will offer support. We are going to assess the interventions from these discussions, thereafter, research will be done across the country,” he said.

This study will be the second following RRB 2010 which indicated that the levels of national unity and reconciliation stood at 80 per cent.

Dr. Habyarimana said the findings of RRB 2015 will be published by December, this year.

Dr. Ezechiel Sentama, the researchers’ team leader presented the research inception report and promised to present the findings by November.

"This nationwide study will cover 60 sectors, that is, two Sectors per district and a sample of 400 adults. The total sample will be 12,000 countrywide as opposed to approximately 3,000 respondents in RRB 2010. This is a significant sample whose responses will convey the national image,” he said.

Dr. Sentama said samples will respect gender dimensions and will comprise all categories of people including the youth, educated and non-educated, government and private representatives, Genocide survivors and perpetrators, among others.

Dr Habyarimana said the survey will be based on six variables, including social cohesion, citizenship and identity, political culture, security, justice and the understanding of the country’s history.

The participants endorsed the significance of the study and urged researchers to make a good selection of the sample, include the Diaspora and conduct a pilot study, among others.

"Remember to consider the foreigners living here because they might be perceiving us differently from how we perceive ourselves,” said Jean Sayinzoga, the president of Rwanda Demobilisation and Reintegration Commission.

Augustin Iyamuremye, the president of Rwanda Elders Advisory Council noted that some sectors are mostly inhabited by the returnees from exile, making it hard to find Genocide survivors and perpetrators and recommended a careful selection of the sectors in which research will be conducted.

Senator Tito Rutaremara advised the researchers to put more emphasis on social cohesion which he described as the best indicator of reconciliation.

"Among all variables, do in-depth study on people’s grouping in cooperatives and small groups in their communities, in bars and intermarriages among others,” he said.

Xaverine Uwimana, the vice-president of NURC, urged the research team to conduct a thorough study to give reliable information which can inform government policy.

editorial@newtimes.co.rw