The study Jehovah’s Witnesses During and After the Genocide Against the Tutsi in Rwanda: Psychosocial Factors Related to Faith, Forgiveness, and Family (JW-RWA) is the first nationwide, post-Genocide survey of a single religious group in Rwanda. Conducted in 2023, the research explored the experiences of Jehovah’s Witnesses before, during, and after the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, focusing on psychosocial dimensions such as faith, forgiveness, trauma, and wellbeing.
With a sample of 13,590 baptized adult Jehovah’s Witnesses in Rwanda, the study examined demographic characteristics, religious attitudes and motivations, and Genocide and post-Genocide situations. The study documented their principled position of nonviolence and the political neutrality of respondents who were in the community of Jehovah’s Witnesses during a government ban (1982 to 1992) and during the Genocide.
Key findings include considerable trauma exposure among respondents who experienced the Genocide as adults, high levels of trait forgiveness, and improved social relationships post-conversion. Statistical analysis included group comparisons between those who were targeted to be killed (Tutsi) and those not targeted in respect to posttraumatic stress symptoms, change in household composition, and help received by those targeted during the Genocide against the Tutsi.
The study also highlights intergenerational communication about Genocide experiences and consistently high measures of hope and posttraumatic growth across demographic groups. Despite limitations inherent to cross-sectional survey design and self-reported data, the research provides insights into the resilience and moral choices of Jehovah’s Witnesses under extreme conditions. The data suggest that religious beliefs and community support played a critical role in helping behavior, coping with trauma, and fostering reconciliation.
