PII: Delivering an immersive experience in a post-genocide environment
As a recognised genocide scholar, Dr Hazel Cameron has dedicated significant elements of her academic and investigative career to the critical study of mass atrocity, with a particular focus on the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, and the Genocide by Rape of the Ndebele of Zimbabwe 1982-1985. Her doctoral research, culminating in the widely acclaimed monograph Britain’s Hidden Role in the Rwandan Genocide, offers a systematic socio-legal analysis of international bystander complicity and was shortlisted for the Socio-Legal Studies Association Hart Book Prize.
A community of genocide survivors in the hills of Bisesero, Rwanda. Copyright H Cameron 2005
Drawing on this foundation, Dr Cameron has led multiple postgraduate educational field visits to Rwanda, providing students and researchers with direct engagement in the country’s historical, political, and post-genocide recovery contexts. These immersive experiences have included high-level meetings with Rwandan government officials, representatives from local and international NGOs, scholars, and genocide memorial centre staff, as well as survivors, perpetrators and civil society actors.
Through these visits, participants gain a grounded understanding of the structural and human dimensions of the genocide, the legacy of the international response and inaction, and the enduring relevance of transitional justice, accountability, and memorialisation. These field-based learning initiatives are designed to foster critical reflection, deepen scholarly inquiry, and equip future professionals with the ethical and analytical tools necessary to engage with complex histories of mass violence.
