Intergenerational Dialogue: A Critical Approach to Foster Reconciliation and Resilience
Episodes of violent conflict and political instability have serious consequences for the social fabric of communities, often fuelling generational mistrust and jeopardising social cohesion and harmony. Lasting peace is unlikely to be achieved if peacebuilding initiatives fail to address generational gaps and foster understanding and collaboration among community members of different age groups. Intergenerational dialogue has been central to Interpeace’s approach to addressing the legacies of conflict, rebuilding trust, and fostering a shared vision for a peaceful and sustainable future. In Sub-Saharan African countries such as Rwanda, Burundi, and Somalia, which continue to experience the consequences of past violence, including genocide, Interpeace has collaborated with organisations to establish intergenerational dialogue as a means of addressing trauma and fostering reconciliation and resilience.
Trauma Healing to Enhance Family and Community Resilience in Rwanda
Intergenerational transmission of trauma remains a major challenge in Rwanda, over three decades after the Genocide against the Tutsi. Clinical studies have shown high levels of genocide-related legacies transmitted from older generations to younger people, particularly those born after the genocide.
On the one hand, studies conducted by Interpeace (2020 & 2023) have revealed that genocide survivor parents transmit unhealed psychological wounds, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anger, depression, and anxiety to younger generations. These conditions impair parenting capacity and are compounded by an inability to discuss traumatic experiences openly, leading to fractured family relationships. On the other hand, families who were involved in the genocide often shy away from discussing past actions with their children, causing the latter to develop resentment or even hatred towards their parents.
The ongoing transmission of genocide legacies has exposed some youth to high-risk behaviours, which can pose a setback to their engagement in socioeconomic development and limit both family and community resilience.
Interpeace has been working with government and other partners to enhance individual, family, and community resilience through a group-based psychosocial intervention known as Multifamily Therapy, or Multifamily Healing Spaces, which advances intergenerational dialogue. This approach has been implemented to address intergenerational trauma and improve family communication and cohesion. The Multifamily Healing Spaces created within the community bring together parents from genocide survivors' and perpetrators’ families, as well as other Rwandans and their descendants, to engage in open dialogue about invisible wounds and historical legacies. Both parents and children are equipped with socio-emotional skills to manage their emotions, and parents are trained in positive parenting practices.
The healing spaces have demonstrated considerable positive effects across various aspects of family dynamics: from improving communication and conflict resolution to enhancing gender equality, parenting practices, and social cohesion. Families have become more open and collaborative when facing challenges. One parent remarked, “We’ve learned to talk through our issues calmly without escalating to arguments. This has enabled us to connect on a deeper level.” Another shared, “Before, we would yell at each other, but now we prioritise active listening over confrontation.”
With regard to breaking the silence around trauma and historical events, many parents now feel more comfortable discussing sensitive topics with their children. A young participant from Rwanda’s Northern Province shared: “Before attending the spaces, my mother did not want us to call her mom, especially during the genocide commemoration period. She asked us to use a nickname because the word ‘mom’ reminded her of her own mother, who was killed during the genocide while she was still young. It would make her angry, sad, or traumatised each time she heard it.”
Through structured intergenerational dialogues, parents became more capable of explaining historical experiences objectively and meaningfully. At the same time, young people gained the confidence to express their thoughts on how these events shaped their lives. These dialogues helped families to improve communication barriers that had previously hindered productive discussions, allowing for more meaningful engagement on family and community issues.
In a Rwandan society where strong family bonds still shape everyday life, intergenerational dialogues have proven powerful in breaking long-standing barriers of invisible wounds, mistrust, bias, and fear. These conversations are helping to rebuild social ties damaged by past conflicts and the legacy of genocide.
Healing Together: The Power of Intergeneration Dialogue in Burundi's Reconciliation and Resilience Efforts
Burundi continues to experience the consequences of multiple past cycles of violence and political instability, which were often marked by inter-ethnic massacres. This situation is exacerbated by ongoing social and economic challenges in a country struggling to rebuild its economy and social fabric. The past conflicts and current challenges have eroded trust among community members, not only across ethnic groups but also across generational lines. Young people from various ethnic groups find it difficult to trust one another due to ethnic legacies and socioeconomic disparities, and they also struggle to trust their elders because of their perceived involvement in a tragic past. The lack of meaningful inclusion of young people in decision-making processes, particularly in healing and reconciliation as well as livelihood initiatives, exacerbates the situation. This undermines family dynamics and social cohesion, perpetuating intergenerational trauma and potentially inciting hatred among younger generations.
Through its complementary initiatives, Synergies for Peace III and Dukire Twubake, Interpeace has leveraged intergenerational dialogues to foster healing, understanding, and community rebuilding. These initiatives utilised intergenerational dialogues as a pathway to enhancing social cohesion and economic development.
The dialogues followed a community psychotherapy process that allowed participants to share stories of hardship, address negative emotions, and find healing and solace, paving the way for open and constructive intergenerational dialogues. The dialogues created a conducive environment where participants of all ages could openly share their experiences, thereby challenging harmful stereotypes about other ethnic groups and nurturing empathy, trust, and appreciation for diverse perspectives.
By creating spaces for honest storytelling and attentive listening, this approach empowers Burundians to process their trauma, explore new avenues for progress, and gain deep insights into their own lives and those of others. The dialogues not only fostered reconciliation but also provided a therapeutic outlet for participants to strengthen emotional regulation and resilience.
Christian, a youth participant, explained, "The dialogue allows us to unburden ourselves, because it is by talking about this difficult past and sometimes by trivialising it that we can finally live in the present more easily." Another youth participant from Ruhororo commune added, "I am very impressed. I didn’t know that the commune of Ruhororo had so many people who risked their lives to save neighbours during the 1993 crisis. This is a powerful example for those of us who have not lived through these events. Personally, I am determined to campaign for peace and justice, even during times of conflict."
Targeting people from different ethnic backgrounds, the dialogues also have contributed to countering partisan interpretations of the painful past, leading to more cohesive communities.
These efforts are complemented by additional activities. Using capacity- and confidence-building tools, women, youth, and trauma-affected communities are empowered to advocate for their needs, mobilise others, and lead initiatives that strengthen social and political cohesion and improve livelihoods. This approach also encourages open communication, self-reflection, and the collaborative exploration of alternative paths, fostering a sense of unity and collaboration.
Bridging the Past: A Tool to Foster Transitional Justice in Somalia
Somalia has made notable strides in peacebuilding and state-building in recent years. However, intercommunal relations, particularly in regional borderlands, remain fragile, strained by historical grievances, mistrust, and unresolved tensions linked to contested political power-sharing. These challenges are further exacerbated by the scarcity of resources and climate-induced displacement of the population, all of which deepen resource competition and contribute to recurring cycles of instability and violence.
These complex and interconnected setbacks imply an urgent need for initiatives that foster a collective understanding of the past and healing to prevent future violence, rebuild trust between communities and within institutions, as well as advance dialogue to address generational mistrust, which is essential for national unity, lasting peace and stability.
Interpeace launched the Transitional Justice Programme, an initiative to strengthen social cohesion and inclusive governance through justice approaches grounded in Somali contextual realities. The programme contributes to redressing past violations and inequalities while supporting pathways for socio-economic transformation. Additionally, it facilitates a deeper understanding of the transitional justice process most suitable for Somalia by actively engaging young people, women, and traditional elders. Through this inclusive approach, the programme has addressed the gaps in intergenerational dialogue, helping to foster a shared understanding of what transitional justice means, why it matters in the context of Somalia, and how to move forward.
Under this initiative, intergenerational dialogues have been organised in Galkayo, Beledweyn, and Dusamareeb, the regions of Somalia deeply affected by conflict and instability, further aggravated by climate change variability. These dialogues were crucial in addressing historical grievances and fostering sustainable peace. They created a platform for open discussions among different generations, traditional leaders, and local stakeholders. These sessions deepened the collective understanding of the complex dynamics behind past grievances and allowed community members to articulate the psychological toll of violence, including trauma, anxiety, and depression.
Transitional justice is unlikely to succeed if invisible wounds remain unaddressed. These dialogues reinforced the view that meaningful justice and reconciliation in Somalia require integrating Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) into the transitional justice process.
Personal testimonials from elders, women, and youth highlighted the urgent need for comprehensive MHPSS programmes as an integral part of Somalia’s transitional justice system. One key recommendation was to develop training programmes for healthcare professionals and service providers operating in post-conflict regions, given their vital role in identifying and addressing community-wide mental health issues.
A female health practitioner noted: “We cannot achieve transitional justice if people still suffer from mental health issues. It limits their capacity to forgive each other and build resilience. Furthermore, in our efforts to provide care, my colleagues and I are not immune to secondary trauma caused by witnessing the deep suffering in our communities. That’s why training programmes are essential to help us navigate these complex challenges.”
Somalia's experience underscores the importance of fostering intergenerational understanding to drive positive peace. The Transitional Justice Programme has laid a critical foundation for a locally owned and meaningful reconciliation process by bridging generational gaps. It is strengthening the country’s potential to turn its painful history into a source of resilience and renewal, advancing a future built on justice, inclusion, and lasting peace.
Discussing History to Counter Manipulation and Divisionism
In fragile contexts affected by conflict, young people are especially vulnerable to manipulation and hate-fuelled ideologies due to limited knowledge of their country’s history. The spread of disinformation and misinformation is facilitated by increased internet misuse, especially toxic social media and forums that circulate hate speech and promote division.
In Rwanda, Burundi, and Somalia, intergenerational dialogues that bring together youth and respected elders from diverse sectors —public, private, academic, and civil society— help young people understand their communities’ and countries’ tragic pasts, including genocide and/or protracted armed conflict. These conversations equip them to actively build peaceful, resilient societies. In these countries, where memories of violence linger and legacies of trauma shape daily life, empowering families, communities, and youth to confront painful histories together, is not just mending broken bonds but laying the foundation for peaceful, inclusive societies where past divisions no longer determine the future and reconciliation, justice, and lasting peace prevail.
