ABSTRACT
Likewise, the gacaca calls for the mass participation of the public, this time to bring the perpetrators to justice. The assumption that participation is good becomes problematic when juxtaposing the ‘successful’ case studies of gacaca with larger political dynamics in Rwanda. Several grassroots theatre productions enlist the local community to participate in the gacaca, to voice their stories and to bring to justice the accused. Participation may be used for liberation, but can also become a tool for imprisonment and persecution. The context of how theatre is being used in the light of larger political dynamics in Rwanda raises potential ethical concerns, both for myself as a researcher, and issues concerning representation and practice.
