Children’s Literature as a Glimmer for Hope for Ending Tribal Conflicts in Zimbabwe

Keywords: Zimbabwe, Gukurahundi, picture book, shona, ndebele

Abstract

The article recounts the history of Gukurahundi, a devastating tribal conflict that ravaged Zimbabwe from 1983 to 1987, with a particular focus on the experience of children. Those who were victims of this war as children still bear its scars in their memory as adults, while the youngest generation now suffers the lingering effects of Gukurahundi, manifesting as “linguistic genocide.” Against this backdrop of entrenched antagonisms, the article ponders whether My First Book of Shona and Ndebele Words, one of the few contemporary children’s picture books on the Zimbabwean market, offers a glimmer of hope for nurturing a new generation capable of transcending the longtime ethnic polarization.

Author Biography

Hanna Dymel-Trzebiatowska, Uniwersytet Gdański

Pracuje na stanowisku profesora uczelni w Instytucie Skandynawistyki i Fennistyki UG. Jej praca naukowa skupiona jest na nordyckiej literaturze dziecięcej i jej przekładzie, którym poświęciła trzy monografie. Na początku roku 2023 prowadziła badania literatury dla najmłodszych w Zimbabwe w celu skonfrontowania jej z literaturą europejską, a w szczególności skandynawską.

References

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Maseko, B., Nkomo D. (2022). The Linguistic Dimensions of Gukurahundi in Zimbabwe. W: M. Mpofu i P. Makombe (red.), Memory and Erasure. Gukurahundi and the Culture of Violence. Center for Innovation and Technology, 81-95.

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Sibanda, B. (2021). The Language of the Gukurahundi Genocide in Zimbabwe: 1980-1987. Journal of Literary Studies 32(2), 129-145. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/02564718.2021.1923737

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Published
2024-12-28
How to Cite
[1]
Dymel-Trzebiatowska, H. 2024. Children’s Literature as a Glimmer for Hope for Ending Tribal Conflicts in Zimbabwe. Perspectives on Culture. 47, 4 (Dec. 2024), 309-320. DOI:https://doi.org/10.35765/pk.2024.4704.20.