2018 Theses Master's

The Land of One Thousand Villages; Examining Rural Resettlement Planning as a Driver for Poverty Reduction in Post-Conflict Rwanda

Heidger, Tara

Following the 1994 Genocide, Rwanda embarked on an ambitious plan to resettle its entire rural population into thousands of planned settlements across the country. Development agencies at the time were skeptical of such a plan as similar efforts across Africa had largely failed and were crippled by corruption, human rights abuses and poor follow through. Rwanda however, has been an exception. Twenty years after the initial Human Settlement Policy was introduced, Rwanda has made notable strides towards addressing land use planning, a poor education record, high levels of poverty and low levels of health access. Through national-level strategies, clear and concise goals, adequate international and domestic funding, and an acute recognition of its vulnerable populations, Rwanda is now leading Africa in economic, health, education, and environmental standards. This thesis explores Rwanda's resettlement practices and argues that it could not have been realized without thoughtful and decisive actions taken by the Government in planning and executing the rural resettlement program.