First Lady Jeannette Kagame has urged leaders and citizens to embrace values of unity and reconciliation, describing this as the most befitting legacy for the generations to come.
First Lady Jeannette Kagame has urged leaders and citizens to embrace values of unity and reconciliation, describing this as the most befitting legacy for the generations to come.
Mrs Kagame said this while officiating the opening of the 8th Annual Forum of the Unity Club at the Parliamentary Building in Kimihurura.
Speaking at the forum, which brings together current and former members of the government and their spouses, Mrs Kagame called on every Rwandan to play their role in building a unified nation.
"One of the main reasons for this forum is to assess ourselves to find out what we are doing to heal the wounds of our past, so that we are able to pass on to our children, a country that is not marked by hatred, discrimination, or any other form of injustice,” Mrs Kagame said.
The First Lady, who is also the Chairperson of the Unity Club, reiterated that Rwanda’s future lies within her youth.
"The bad leadership that we inherited left us with many wounds to heal from… as vision bearers, now; we are the first protectors of that ‘friendship pact’. Our role is to serve people and help them transform their lives. We should also plant in them the seeds of solidarity, humanity, and dignity, so they can become the protectors of that pact for their nation,” she said.
"Once we embrace that pact with our motherland, our youth will grow in spirit of harmony and freedom, a legacy that will continue through generations,” she added.
Reiterating the mission of Unity Club, the First lady said that Unity Club remains committed to ensuring the Rwandan spirit is characterised by humility and humanity.
She challenged members of the unity club to instill values of Ndi Umunyarwanda—for this would be an avenue to restore identity among nationals and the spirit of unity among Rwandans.
"Let us sow a seed of unity, a seed of hope and a seed of national identity as our legacy for the next generation. Ndi Umunyarwanda should help define who we are,” Mrs Kagame said.
The 8th Annual Forum of the Unity Club concluded with an evening during which seventeen exceptional people, nominated as Abarinzi b’Igihango or ‘protectors of friendship pact’, received the Unity Awards in recognition of their exceptional role in promoting justice and unity in their respective communities.