Rwandans will today convene at the Twelfth National Dialogue Council (Umushyikirano), the country’s largest political forum where citizens of all walks of life meet to chart the way forward at efforts to build their country.

Participants will discuss the country’s achievements in the last 20 years and highlight family values of unity that have kept Rwandans together.

Under the theme, "Common Vision, New Momentum,” Rwandans will reflect on the progress made in the country’s governance over the last twenty years and pitch ideas on new policies that can be introduced to keep improving welfare and business in Rwanda.

According to Prof. Anastase Shyaka, the chief executive of Rwanda Governance Board, Umushyikirano is "an opportunity to discuss current issues affecting the country”.

He describes the dialogue as a "strong bond between Rwandan leadership and the community in promoting good governance while ensuring efficient delivery of services for development and prosperity”.

A reality check of some of what has been accomplished as a result of this annual dialogue helps to understand its importance in designing important policies in the country.

At different Umushyikirano editions over the years since the annual meeting was introduced by the country’s constitution in 2003, Rwandans were able to give some specific ideas whose implementation has resulted in results that can be calculated in more precise terms today.

An example in point is the Seventh Umushyikirano meeting in December 2009, whose resolutions would later become catalysts for some of today’s success stories.

Looking back

It is thanks to the resolutions made during the Seventh Umushyikirano that TIG (Travaux d’Intérêt Général or simply, community service) – which saved government more than Rwf40bn in expenditure on prisoners – was implemented.

Participants at the Seventh Umushyikirano figured out that detainees would do better spending their time working outdoor instead of staying inside where they wouldn’t connect with anyone apart from fellow convicts in jails.

It is also during that forum in 2009 that Rwandans resolved to set up the currently familiar and promising Savings and Credit Cooperatives, commonly known as Umurenge Sacco, across the country to help rural citizens have bank accounts and start saving and borrowing money.

And if what looked like a dream back in 2003 when government first introduced the innovative Nine-Year Basic Education policy is currently a reality, it is partly thanks to several Umushyikirano.

The Nine-Year Basic Education policy abolished school fees at the primary school level – which normally takes six years to complete – and introduced a system whereby pupils graduating from primary school can study free of charge for the first three years of secondary school.

Having seen how the programme has helped many students from poor families access education, the government later now introduced twelve-year basic education to allow students to complete secondary school without going to boarding schools.

And later on, the Ninth Umushyikirano, in December 2011, would come up with what is now seen as a beacon of hope for Rwanda to graduate from foreign aid as citizens decided to back the spirit of self-reliance by donating cash in a sovereign wealth fund known as Agaciro Development Fund (AgDF).

Today, the Fund is worth more than Rwf24 billion and under the guidance of the Board of Trustees, the managers of AgDF have started to invest its funds in selected high return and high impact investments such as in Treasury bonds.

It is also during the Ninth Umushyikirano that Rwandans called on government to streamline services of the Business Development Fund (BDF) to ensure that 75 per cent of collateral is assured to banks when small- and medium-sized enterprises or local cooperatives apply for loans to implement their projects.

BDF, which has since grown to nearly Rwf20 billion, has since been decentralised up to the district level and hope is rising that the fund will soon be pumping more money into Saccos to ensure that more people access funds to implement their business projects.

The Eleventh National Dialogue Council, last year, drew 26 resolutions that have since been implemented, including fast-tracking access to financial loans for small and medium entreprises, improving service delivery in both private and the public sector, and rolling out Ndi Umunyarwanda campaigns to promote unity and reconciliation among Rwandans.

"We are happy that 23 of 26 resolutions have been implemented at an impressive level,” said Venantie Tugireyezu, the Minister in the Office of the President.

For the remaining three resolutions, the minister said they have been implemented at the level between 50 and 80 per cent due to the complicated nature of the issues.

They include instituting a maternity guarantee fund, which the minister said could be in place next year since a study to set it up has been completed, revising pension benefits to reflect the current level of inflation, and streamlining volunteering programmes to advance self-reliance.

Now again, today, hundreds of Rwandans are convening at the Twelfth National Dialogue which will be chaired by President Paul Kagame as usual.

Some of the participants in the Dialogue, including 200 members of the Rwandan Diaspora, have already described it as a golden opportunity to meet their leaders and hold them to account as well as share their ideas.

Public participation

As has been the case before, the annual forum, to be broadcast live on RTV and radios as well as streamed live online, will see the participation of youths gathered at different sites across the country via a video link, while viewers and listeners will have a chance to call in or send SMSes.

Social media users can also share their views or pose questions on official Umushyikirano Facebook wall or Twitter handle @Umushyikirano, with tweeps advised to embed a conversation hashtag #Umushyikirano2014.