--- Dans [EMAIL PROTECTED], "kasimkaregyesa" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> a écrit
Kagame is the best teacher I ever had" by His adviser Dr Alfred Ndahiro
http://www.orwelltoday.com/rwandareturneendahiro.shtml
"...Even as his Adviser, what I have learnt from him in the last six years is
a lot more than what I ever learnt in my long years of academic education, and
in my professional career. He is a man who has a clear vision of where the
country needs to be tomorrow, and is equally focused on what it takes to get
there. I also believe that he has the capacity, and has indeed shown capacity
to mobilize all Rwandans and instill in them hope for a better future. I am
certain that time will tell, while history will judge him, and confirm what I
am saying now...."
RWANDA IN THE EYES OF A RETURNEE
by Dr. Alfred Ndahiro
Communication & Public Relations Advisor to the President of the Republic
2006 Rwanda Conference, Houston, Texas
I would first of all like to express my gratitude to the Organizers of this
Convention for giving me this opportunity to talk to you about my experience
since I returned to my homeland. I seize this opportunity to commend the good
job they are doing in bringing together Rwandans of all walks of life to devise
ways and means of contributing to the development of our country.
Before I tell you my experience, allow me to give you a little bit of
background information about myself, which should serve to contextualize my
talk and ensure that we are all on the same wavelength.
My first visit back to my native land was in 1999 when I went as visiting
lecturer at the National University of Rwanda for 6 weeks. That was 39 years
after I had fled my country at the age of 8. I went back two years later for
the Diaspora Meeting held in Kigali in 2001. And then in 2002 I went back to
stay.
I fled Rwanda in 1960 when the troubles started and lived in a refugee camp
in Uganda for 16 years. That refugee camp eventually acquired a more
respectable name of a refugee settlement.
After graduation in 1976, I went to the then Zaire, now Democratic Republic
of the Congo, looking for greener pastures. I worked at the University of
Kinshasa for 10 years and then went to the UK for further studies. I ended up
getting the job of Lecturer at the University of Liverpool until 2002 when I
returned to Rwanda.
Now, I know that some of my compatriots in the audience have not been back to
Rwanda for a while, and some of our friends have never been to Rwanda; it is
mainly those that I would like to address. I sincerely believe that I am in a
position to give you an objective view of the achievements of post-genocide
Rwanda, coupled with a rational analysis of where we have come from and where
we are going.
Friends and former colleagues often ask me how I feel now that I am back in
Rwanda. Some still harbor an image of a war-ravaged Rwanda, and a country torn
apart by genocide. The University authorities in Liverpool could not believe
their ears when I told them I was leaving. They actually volunteered to give me
leave of absence because, in their academic thinking, I would not cope in my
country and I would eventually go back to my job at the University. How wrong
they were!
I can assure you that my return has given me an enormous sense of belonging,
a sense of purpose, and an interminable sense of satisfaction. Now I know that
I needed to experience and live the reality of Rwanda to be able to rekindle
and strengthen the bond with my motherland. For me it is a dream come true, and
I sing our national anthem loud and clear whenever I get a chance to do so.
Of course, some Western media, champions of doom and gloom are reticent to
depict the true image of our country today. There is indeed, a campaign,
orchestrated by our detractors and those who do not wish Rwanda well, that aims
to rubbish anything and everything that emanates from Rwanda. I read this
everyday on the internet and in some foreign media. There is nothing surprising
though; these are the same prophets of doom who, in the immediate aftermath of
the genocide, did not give Rwanda a chance. They condemned Rwanda to the list
of failed states, without any hope of recovery and no prospects of
reconstruction.
11 years on, if you ask any Rwandan or delegate to major conferences and
summits that have been taking place in our capital recently, they will assure
you that Rwanda is on the move and there is no turning back. One delegate to
the COMESA summit recently held in Kigali was overheard telling his colleagues
that Rwanda was slowly becoming the Singapore of Africa while other Africans
were watching.
So, let me outline to you what I consider to be the major achievements in the
last few years and also give you a synopsis of the problems that we still
encounter.
I would like to start with the progress made in unity and reconciliation,
then move on to peace and security, to democratization and good governance,
then talk about the economy and poverty eradication strategies that the
Government has adopted, and finally give you a picture of the education sector.
But let me, for a while, take you back to 1994, to those fateful months of
April, May, and June. Think about how long it took Europe, even with the
Marshall Plan, to recover from the Second World War. Then think about the
destruction and devastation that the genocide caused to Rwanda. I would like
you to bear in mind the number of people killed, to remember countless numbers
of the survivors who were maimed, widowed, orphaned, and all of them very
traumatized. Remember that law and order had totally broken down and that the
social fabric in Rwandan society had completely ruptured. You will then be able
to imagine the enormity of the task the leaders at the time faced to rebuild
the country and to bring back Rwandan people together again. You know,
sometimes I shudder at the thought of bleak scenarios that could have unfolded
in the wake of that tragedy. And yet, by what some people have called the
Rwandan miracle, now Rwandans of all walks of life are once again living
side by side, working together, eating and drinking together, sharing moments
of joy, and mourning together in times of sorrow. We in Rwanda consider this to
be the result of the sheer determination and resilience of the Rwandan people,
but especially a dedicated and visionary leadership, determined to heel the
wounds, bring back unity and reconciliation among the Rwandan people, and knit
together again the social fabric of Rwandan society. This, I have to admit, was
the thing that struck me when I first went home.
Some people have rightly argued that reconciliation is never dictated from
above, but it is necessary to keep preaching that reconciliation means valuing
each other, seeing the positive attributes in your neighbor and your colleague.
Of course, all Rwandans know that unity and reconciliation are a process, and
not an event that happens overnight, and that it will take a long time to undo
the damage that was done for about half a century.
Nonetheless, and as the His Excellency President Paul Kagame has said, Rwanda
has painstakingly embarked on an irreversible process of national
reconciliation and reconstruction to forge a new beginning of promise and hope,
and to turn the sad chapter of our history and build a nation fit for us all
and posterity.
And, in any case, no one is denied their Hutuness, their Tutsiness, or their
Twaness. What the Government has consistently said is that if pride in being
Umuhutu means hating Umututsi, or if pride in being Umututsi means hating
Umuhutu, then that pride is misplaced and in fact has no place in present-day
Rwanda.
With regard to peace and security, I would like to assure you that Rwanda is
an oasis of peace, security, and stability in our region and our Government is
playing its role in promoting that kind of environment in the rest of our
region. Today, you can move anywhere any time in the country and you will at
all times feel secure. Similarly, you can walk the streets of Kigali at any
time of day and night without fear of the person you meet. This peace and
security, needless to say, is the foundation for everything else our country
can do, and is particularly in line with the Governments desire and drive to
create a conducive environment that will attract investors.
As for the economy, let me remind you once again that the Government
inherited a shuttered and ruined economy. But the Government has rehabilitated
it, and is rebuilding the infrastructure. Institutions and mechanisms to
enhance the socio-economic development of the Rwandan people have been put in
place and there is a national poverty reduction and growth strategy in line
with the nations Vision 2020. In that Vision, Rwanda is expected to be a
middle income country, operating on a knowledge-based economy.
For the last four years, Rwanda has been registering an average of 7% of GDP
growth rate, and inflation has been held steady at an average of 7% in the same
period. While the economy is still donor driven, there are efforts to diversify
exports and to reduce the heavy reliance on the traditional exports: coffee and
tea. Already tourism is picking up and is expected to be one of the most
important foreign exchange earners.
Privatization of government enterprises is on-going and is intended to give
ownership to individuals in order to enhance efficiency and attract investment.
Kigali of 11 years ago belongs to history books, as someone said recently.
New buildings are springing up, and the roads are being resurfaced. For the
first time in the history of the Country, we now have a five-star hotel the
Intercontinental. No wonder Kigali has now taken over from cities like Nairobi,
Dar Es Salaam, Cairo, and Abuja as the most favorite venue for summits and
other big conferences.
As for democratization, I can tell you that the culture of inclusive and
democratic politics is taking root in Rwanda. In 2003, a new constitution was
promulgated through a referendum, and this paved the way for parliamentary and
presidential elections in the same year.
In addition to democratization, there has been the process of
decentralization and devolution of power and decision making to the grassroots.
The Government has also created institutions that guarantee checks and
balances, ensure good governance through transparency and accountability and
zero tolerance to corruption.
These include:
· The Human Rights Commission, to monitor whether peoples rights are
respected;
· The Office of the Ombudsman, with the responsibility to fight corruption,
injustices
and other malpractices;
· The National Tender Board, charged with the responsibility to award all
Government tenders;
· The Office of the Auditor General, that ensures that public funds are
properly used
and accounted for;
· The Rwanda Revenue Authority, responsible for state revenue collection;
· The Rwanda Electoral Commission, responsible for the administration of
national elections; and
· The National Examinations Board responsible for the standardization of
exams, grades,
and ensures that our children access education and higher education
institutions
on merit, rather than their background.
With regard to justice, I can report that important legal reforms have been
made which are expected to improve our judicial system, and put a halt to the
culture of impunity that had permeated Rwandan society.
But I would like to say a word or two, if I may, on the Gacaca courts, on
which a lot has been written in the last few months.
Gacaca is our innovation, a return to our traditional system of solving
conflicts and rendering justice. Gacaca is nothing other than a mechanism to
enhance reconciliation in that it brings survivors of genocide and the
perpetrators back together in their villages, encourages them to tell the truth
about what happened, encourages the perpetrators of minor crimes to repent and
ask for forgiveness and, where appropriate, accept the punishment given. It is
intended to dispense participatory and restorative rather than punitive
justice. It is the only system that is appropriate for certain categories of
crimes, given the sheer number of people who took part in the 1994 genocide.
With regard to education, observers agree that Rwanda has made big strides.
This is partly because education is a human right, and consequently, it must be
accessible to all Rwandans, and partly because the Rwandan people are the most
important resource we have and education and skills training add value to them.
And here are a few illustrative statistics:
The number of pupils attending primary school in the 1995/96 school year was
1.039.657, while in the school year 2003/2004, that number had increased to
1.752.588. The net school enrolment rate at the end of 2004 was 94% in primary
education. In secondary schools, enrolment grew from 55.641 to over 200.00
students. Higher education institutions have increased from 2 in 1994 to 14
today and the number of students has risen from 3.948 in 1996 to 25.233 at the
end of 2004.
You know, friends, it is no use learning history if we cant learn from
history. And one of the lessons we have learnt from our history is that, as I
was saying a moment ago, the Rwandan people are the gold, the diamonds, and the
oil of our country. Instead of banishing them and condemning them to a life as
stateless people, the Government recognizes that all of us belong to one
Rwandan family and that together we can bring about the development of our
country we so badly need.
And you and I, as well as the rest of the Rwandan people, are the common
denominators of continued progress and socio-economic development. We must all
strive to uphold a democratic, politically stable, economically progressive,
and socially improved Rwanda.
Am I suggesting that all Rwandans in the Diaspora should take the next flight
back to Kigali? It would be fantastic if we all met there with our intellectual
baggage, our financial resources, our wisdom, our technical expertise, and most
importantly, our imagination and creativity that Rwanda needs today.
But I am a realist, and I know that that will not happen overnight. I am
suggesting two things though:
First, that no one should claim to be more Rwandan than another Rwandan; in
other words, that patriotism is no ones monopoly. But patriotism comes at a
cost. You know the famous saying: Do not ask what your country can do for you,
but what you can do for your country. What that means is that we should all be
torchbearers of Rwanda, helping to shape our common destiny.
Second, in my humble view, our country is going through a defining moment and
all Rwandans, inside and outside the country, need to seize the moment and
invest their money, their skills and their know-how, and be part and parcel of
our development agenda. We should all consider ourselves as an indispensable
component in the achievement of our Vision 2020. And as someone said, we dont
have to engage in grand, heroic actions to participate in the process of change
for the better. Small acts, when multiplied by millions of people can transform
our country. Experience has shown that when Rwandans have unity of purpose, we
can move mountains. This is the philosophy that underpins the current
leadership in Rwanda and their mission to transform it into a country fit for
all of us and for posterity. What other ideal can be higher than that?
Now, of course, I am not here to deny that our country still has daunting
huddles to overcome; challenges which we must all face. And I would like to
mention a few of these: Clearly, there is slow pace of rural development and
real per capita income growth in the countryside is still inadequate. Although
poverty levels are falling, they are not falling fast enough and they are still
unacceptably high in some areas. But there are efforts to inject money into the
rural areas in order to monetize the rural sector and open up opportunities for
job creation. These efforts include many projects that are up and running in
the various districts, intended to generate income, build capacity and develop
infrastructure. Every District now has a Community Development Plan generated
from a needs analysis at grassroots level, and showing development priorities.
Other initiatives include a labor intensive public works program (HIMO) that
is also geared towards raising income levels in the rural areas.
Another one is UBUDEHE, which involves communal work that aims to promote
community development initiatives agreed upon by people in their villages and
which, in their reckoning, will make a difference in their lives.
Another problem that we still face is the continued suffering of genocide
survivors, many of whom suffer in silence. As you know, many of them were
infected with HIV/AIDS and need treatment. Although the Government is trying to
help, the demand is overwhelming and the resources are limited. HIV/AIDS in
general remains one of the stumbling blocks to the Governments development
efforts, but once again the Government is investing the little resources it has
in its prevention and treatment.
Although I said that Rwanda has made significant strides in the education
sector, here too, there are still challenges, and they include the high drop
out and repetition rates in primary schools, which inevitably have a knock-on
effect on the illiteracy rates that remain high in some areas. Another problem
is the supply of didactic material, which remains generally inadequate in the
whole country, and the small number of qualified teachers.
There are of course people who still harbor the genocide ideology; people
whose outlook is still narrow and who are not aware that Rwanda has moved on. I
guess they have not yet understood either that the Government is determined to
uproot this ideology and relegate it to the history books.
Friends; Ladies and Gentlemen, before I conclude, you might want to ask what
I have gained in terms of personal and professional development.
Well, besides being at home, serving my country and contributing, in however
small a way, to its reconstruction and its development, it has been a privilege
and an honor to work under and very closely with His Excellency President Paul
Kagame, a visionary leader and a great statesman. The developments I have
outlined above did not come about by accident, but rather, they are a result of
a focused leadership with a vision of a better tomorrow. Above all, I am proud
to serve under a man who stopped genocide in our country in 1994 when the whole
world had abandoned us. That alone is enough for him to assume the moral high
ground, and for me to feel privileged and honored.
Even as his Adviser, what I have learnt from him in the last three years is a
lot more than what I ever learnt in my long years of academic education, and in
my professional career. He is a man who has a clear vision of where the country
needs to be tomorrow, and is equally focused on what it takes to get there. I
also believe that he has the capacity, and has indeed shown capacity to
mobilize all Rwandans and instill in them hope for a better future. I am
certain that time will tell, while history will judge him, and confirm what I
am saying now.
In conclusion, I would like to reiterate that for me, it has been a
satisfying experience to be back home. I have outlined to you what I consider
to be the very important achievement of our country in the last few years but I
have also indicated that there are still problems, which, given our resolve,
are not insurmountable.
RWANDA BEFORE & AFTER and 10 YEARS ON - STORY OF RWANDA
Reader says high school students will benefit from reading Alfred Ndahiro's
presentation about the history of Rwanda
Reader plans to discuss the article "10 Years On - The Story of Rwanda" with
her Grade 12 students
RWANDA'S GOOD MAN KAGAME and HOW KAGAME BECAME LEADER
Jackie Jura
~ an independent researcher monitoring local, national and international events
~
website: www.orwelltoday.com & email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
www.orwelltoday.com
EMAIL & HOME PAGE
RWANDA RAVE REVIEWS
Sharangabo Rufagari
Montreal
Telephone:514-801-6059
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