Uwicyeza Bernadette is a Rwandan lawyer, mediator, and trainer devoted to transformative change in both her professional and personal life. After growing up in pre-genocide Rwanda, she became an international business lawyer in France, where she started a family, but returned to Rwanda after the Genocide against the Tutsi in 1994 to contribute to the reconstruction of the country.
For the past 15 years, she has spearheaded the movement for Alternative Dispute Resolution and has guided the development of law and policy related to ADR (Alternative Dispute Resolution), culminating in the adoption and implementation of Rwanda’s National ADR Policy—the first national justice policy in the world to call for a trauma-informed approach, centering mediation and restorative justice as the foundation of the legal system.
Mrs. Uwicyeza is the founder of Mediation Home Rwanda, a non-profit registered in Rwanda with the goal of advancing mediation practice development nationwide through knowledge and practice at both professional and community levels.