special interactiveservice

notes

francis e madojemu

task ahead for the new leadership

What are the challenges

they will face and how do

they surmount them

Guided Discovery

• Values

• Corruption & Discipline

• Infrastructure

• Economy

•Results

Paul Kagame:• Rwanda's redeemer or

ruthless dictator?

• President Paul Kagame, the Rwandan hero who

united a country torn by genocide, defends his

uncompromising approach to democracy

Richard Grant• I have been impressed by the cleanliness, order and

efficiency of the country. Sixteen years after the genocide in which Hutu fanatics orchestrated the slaughter of more than 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus, leaving the country a nightmarish ruin, with the treasury looted and corpses stuffed down the wells, Rwanda is now the safest, cleanest country in Africa, with no slums and virtually no begging or street crime. It has one of the highest sustained rates of economic growth on the continent, the least amount of corruption and red tape, and it is the only country in the world to have a majority of women in its parliament.

Richard Grant • Plastic bags are outlawed for environmental reasons, and in Kigali, the capital city, skyscrapers are rising, and the streets are swept clean every morning. The death penalty has been abolished, and English adopted as the official language. There is a national health system, 19 out of 20 children are now in school, and rural Rwanda, while still in severe poverty, has better internet service than rural Britain, and a good network of immaculately paved roads.

Richard Grant • Meanwhile the survivors of the genocide are doing something almost unimaginable: co-existing with the men who hacked their family members to death, and so often tortured and raped them. In many cases survivors and killers are now living as neighbours again in the same villages, and while this is a tense arrangement to say the least, there has been remarkably little violence, and some inspiring examples of forgiveness and reconciliation.

Richard Grant • To Kagame’s fans, who include Tony Blair, Bill Clinton, Bill Gates and the CEOs of Google and Starbucks, the tinderbox nature of post-genocide Rwanda, and the results he has achieved so far, justify his strong hand and poor human rights record. The fact that Rwanda is ranked 183 out of 195 countries for freedom of the press, for example, is outweighed by the fact that the per-capita GDP has tripled.

Richard Grant • Like so many rebel generals who have made the switch to civilian leadership, Kagameplaces a high premium on loyalty and discipline, likes to operate in secrecy, is comfortable using violence and threats of violence against his enemies, and tends to equate criticism with treason. Unusually, he doesn’t appear motivated by wealth or luxury, either for himself or his relations. One of his sisters runs a small dairy. Another operates a souvenir stand at the airport.

Paul Kagame • Nation-building is a long and challenging political process, but one that leaders, together with the citizenry, must undertake with seriousness. We must understand that most nations have their unique circumstances and each one, throughout history, has built and developed itself around certain distinguishing core features. The process of nation-building can only be internally generated and led; it cannot be achieved from the outside, however well meaning.

Paul Kagame •The first of these has always been the conscious cultivation of a national identity, the sense of belonging, based on shared values, tradition, history and aspirations. National identity is the foundation of social cohesion.

Paul Kagame •The second is the establishment of institutions and laws of governance which formalise the relationship between the leaders and citizens, and their expectation of service delivery.

No Small Mercy

How a Rwandan genocide survivor made peace with

the man who almost killed her

Paul Kagame •The third feature is the participation of citizens in the governance process by choosing a system that serves them best, selecting their leaders and playing an active role in decision making.

Paul Kagame • Then there is economic transformation - it is only right for the people to expect a qualitative improvement in their lives. Part of nation-building, therefore, includes establishing the climate and mechanisms for economic development for the whole nation.

Paul Kagame • It is worth mentioning that the process of nation-building can only be internally generated and led; it cannot be achieved from the outside, however well meaning.This does not mean that we can't learn from outside or that we do not appreciate support for our initiatives.