President Paul Kagame has urged African youth to shake off low expectations attached to them and believe in their abilities to transform the continent.

The President was addressing the Pan-African Youth Conference that attracted hundreds of young people from across the continent in Kigali yesterday.

Speaking on the theme of the conference, "Beyond liberation movements: Shaping our future,” President Kagame encouraged young people to develop the confidence to challenge the status quo, as a necessary step toward liberating their continent.

"I don’t know about you (the youth), but it is obvious to me that you are as intelligent, creative and resourceful as your peers around the world. You have the capacity and ability to transform our continent,” Kagame said.

"There is only one way forward. Be inferior to no one. Do not accept mediocrity. Always speak the truth, no matter who is unsettled. But also, take charge. Stand, and deliver. Do the work. Do it now.”

The President said while some Africans had accepted false notions attached to them, such attitudes undermine the achievements of African forefathers who struggled to liberate their countries.

"The founders of our countries struggled to free us from colonial rule, restoring a measure of sovereignty and national pride. But along the way mistakes have been made and we still find ourselves far from realizing our potential,” Kagame said.

"Liberation is as relevant today as it has ever been. Every generation has a contribution to make building on the efforts of the earlier one.”

‘False notion’

He added that: "This false notion that we are inherently prone to evil, less aware of what is good for us and somehow incapable of acting in our own best interests – that we are a people insensitive to universal values – must be challenged and rejected.”

He further rallied the youth to come up with strategies to address the most pressing needs of their societies, such as democracy and economic development.

"No country is democratic because of a scientific formula. Each country must discover the mechanisms that work best through trial and error, usually with numerous painful setbacks.

"The procedures and rituals of democratic governance are incidental — what is important is that process by which they are arrived at and the consensus that is built along the way,” he said.

This continuous search for solutions, according to the President, is what builds true democracy, sustains peace and provides a real basis for creating prosperity for all.

"But if we lack confidence in our ability to find solutions, and act as though it is someone else’s responsibility to implement them, we will always fall back down the mountain, again and again.”

While reacting to questions posed by the youth, Kagame called on them to pursue the development of Africa "without apology or compromise.”

Speaking on the need for Africa to be responsible for shaping its future, President Kagame described mindset change as the next frontier of liberation.

President Kagame added that when faced with challenges, there are only three choices: "You can fight, flee or give up. We fought. We did not flee.”

The symposium was moderated by Julie Gichuru, a Kenyan journalist and news anchor.

The two-day conference was organised ahead of Rwanda’s Liberation Day to explore the role of youth in leading the next wave of liberation movements geared towards a self-reliant continent.

President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda is expected to engage the youth today on the closing day of the conference.