Resettlement in northern Mutara: a report of a participatory planning exercise

The report outlines the findings and process of a participatory planning exercise initiated by Oxfam in northern Mutara, Rwanda. After the genocide of 1994, some community structures were becoming visible in the Mutara region which indicated potential for a development programme. It was also seen as an important area because from 1994 there was an emerging environmental crisis with large numbers of people and cattle entering an environmentally fragile area. The first three days were spent training NGO staff and local authority and community members in PRA methods and participatory approaches to development. This was followed by one week working with three communities, and culminated in drawing up outlines of action plans. The report discusses the approach and process of participatory learning and planning; what was learned from secondary sources; and the methods used and findings of the PRA exercises in the three communities.