Last week, I read with keen interest an article reprinted in this paper by Georgianne Nienaber titled ‘An Obama policy of disingenuousness in Rwanda’. In the article, the writer challenged the credibility of Steven Feldstein, a Deputy Assistant Secretary of State in the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labour (DRL) in the United States, who in the same week stood in as a ‘Rwanda expert’ at the US Congressional hearing.

Ms Nienaber summed it up well when she asked: Does 11 months spent in Rwanda from July 2000 to June 2001 with the International Rescue Committee as a type of community organiser give this individual the moral authority to pass judgment on a country still recovering from the slaughter of up to 1 million of its people in 1994? 

In any case, let us take it up a notch and consider some of the comments made by Mr. Feldsteinat the United States Subcommittee Hearing – Developments in Rwanda as published by The East African paper on Saturday May 23 2015:

"When it comes to the human rights situation in Rwanda, we see three trends of note. First, political space in Rwanda and the overall human rights environment continues to shrink. There are reports of targeted killings, and an increasing number of reports of disappearances and harassment of civil society groups and opposition parties.”

Frankly speaking, unlike Ms.Nienaber who is an accomplished investigative and political writer and therefore well positioned to question the credibility of Mr Feldstein in particular, I am in no position to question the official’s qualifications. 

However, as a Rwandan, I feel that when it comes to matters concerning Rwanda, we should never tolerate irresponsible remarks from anyone especially when such remarks seek to undermine the state of affairs in Rwanda. 

The case of Mr Feldstein reminds me remarkably of a growing movement that has now been dubbed ‘voluntourism’ –a type of tourism in which students, young professionals and other participants travel to ‘deprived’ areas of the world for a period of a few months to partake in voluntary work for charities or non-state organisations. 

This particular trend is said to be particularly practiced by westerners who travel to countries in Africa, Asia, and South America. What could possibly be wrong with helping the unfortunate, I hear you ask? 

The answer to this is nothing – there is nothing fundamentally wrong with students and young professionals traveling to Rwanda and elsewhere to contribute to what they believe is good work.

Indeed, many have contributed to improving the livelihoods of many people in many places – some have helped to build schools, hospitals and improve agricultural techniques. They have done all these good deeds presumably because they are decent human beings who want to see the world become a better place, and at the same time, they want to discover the many good aspects of our world. 

However, my irritation surfaces after realising that a growing number of these voluntourists are using the time spent in Africa, and for that matter Rwanda, as a platform to undermine the state of our affairs by masquerading as experts. And sadly many are increasingly believed. 

Take, for example, on what basis does Mr Feldstein confidently discharge that in Rwanda there are targeted killings, presumably by authorities? Also, could he make available information independently verified, that political space in Rwanda and the overall human rights environment continues to shrink? 

Like many, I am skeptical of Mr Feldstein’s sources, and I wish not to spend any time commenting on unproven allegations. 

What I wish to talk about is how people like Mr Feldstein attain a status of a ‘Rwandan expert’. Here, we are not talking about a number of years spent in a country properly doing research that has been authenticated by peers. 

We are talking about a few months spent in the hills of Rwanda painting newly built houses, digging up trenches to clear rough roads in the countryside, helping orphans with their school homework. 

After all that and an additional muraho under their belt, some of these voluntourists later in their esteemed careers proceed to, as it is often the case, generalize everything that is African.

They will have you believe that the African continent – with its 54 countries –is one large country, the same way that, say, China, India or Russia is presented.

This grand misconception ignores the fact that Africa is a continent made of independent countries, which are in turn inhabited by peoples of diverse political, cultural and social backgrounds. 

As if that were not enough, many of these voluntourists are now helping to shape policy in many high places of influence simply because their resumes indicate that they spent a month in Malawi, another two in Sudan, and an additional three months in Rwanda.

This is appalling because, as it seems to be the case, the majority of the false information they disseminate serves certain interests and agendas that are not necessarily right. Also, a lot of information is usually omitted or sometimes added to give the western audiences and governments what they want.

junior.mutabazi@yahoo.co.uk