Rwandan youth have been urged to tap into the opportunities available to drive the country’s economic development.

This was noted in a panel discussion on the second and final day of the 19th National Dialogue Council - Umushyikirano, which focused on the role of youth in development and national unity.

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Minister of Youth and Arts, Abdallah Utumatwishima, said the country’s 30-year transformation journey since the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi was proof that much more can be achieved if young people make it a priority.

"We want to be people who break the chain of poverty. If we do that in large numbers, our country will come from developing countries to a developed economy,” Utumatwishima said.

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He called on entrepreneurs and leaders in different sectors to have confidence in the youth and give them a chance to practice what they have learnt.

"We have been prepared and we are ready to make our contribution,” he said.

National unity

For Picard Doris Uwicyeza, Senior Technical Advisor in the Ministry of Justice, maintaining national unity will play a crucial role in achieving Rwanda’s vision 2050, a long-term strategy of development that seeks to make the country a high-income economy.

To reach national unity, Uwicyeza said young people should make a purposeful effort to fight against denial and revisionism of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.

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Since it is very hard to deny a historical fact recognised globally, Uwicyeza noted, Genocide deniers invoke a host of theories that trivialise the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. These include the ‘double genocide’ theory, ‘spontaneous genocide,’ and accusation in mirror, a technique that blames the Genocide victims for the crimes they suffered, instead of the actual perpetrators.

These theories erode the genocidal element of the targeted killing of Tutsi in 1994, Uwicyeza said.

"Some young people may think that they are not knowledgeable enough to confront the deniers. No one is born an expert; you educate yourself. Having a sense of responsibility is the primary thing one needs because denial does not only affect history, it also affects our daily lives, the future, Rwanda’s image and its diplomacy,” she said.

She urged young people in their communities to make use of social media, newspapers and other means to refute the claims of the Genocide deniers.

Developing entrepreneurial mindset

Reflecting on what President Paul Kagame said on Tuesday that Rwandans should work harder and realise the country’s development, co-founder of delivery company Vuba Vuba Africa Albert Munyabugingo urged the youth to develop an entrepreneurial mindset.

"We cannot allow ourselves to be in the comfort of having a job and not improve our skills and knowledge. If you are an entrepreneur, make use of the hours after work and get new knowledge. We also need to normalise participating in international competitions,” Munyabugingo said.

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Rwandans can develop solutions, he said, adding that that was proven by initiatives like Hanga Pitchfest, a competition that rewards innovative ideas.

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For Chaste Niwe, the Managing Director of Bridge to Rwanda, the youth should avoid what he called "the sweet temptation of mediocrity” in everything they do.

"Where we want to go as a country is not anywhere near. Sometimes, when you read our country’s vision, it gets you dizzy because you cannot grasp how Rwanda will move from a low-income to a high-income economy by 2050,” Niwe said.

"We need to make excellence a habit. That will make Rwanda known as a country where things get done. That will require us to fight for it. It won’t be easy,” he said, adding that the youth need to have a sense of urgency and be focused on educating themselves.

Emmanuel Harerimana, the founder of UmuhisimbI – Voice of the Youth in Conservation, an initiative that supports the cause of environmental conservation and teen mothers, said Rwanda today offers opportunities that previous generations did not have.

Harerimana, who is also a tour guide in the Volcanoes National Park, said he was grateful for growing up in a country that respects every child’s right to go to school and be able to contribute to their own and their families’ development.