The power behind story telling

Editor, I happened to look through the new book, “Paul Kagame and the resilience of a people” and I must say it is one example of what more writers and publishers should be doing. It tells of a Rwandan story that many have not gotten the chance of knowing except from movies and other books.

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Editor,

I happened to look through the new book, "Paul Kagame and the resilience of a people” and I must say it is one example of what more writers and publishers should be doing.

It tells of a Rwandan story that many have not gotten the chance of knowing except from movies and other books.

In ancient traditions, stories became rich in a sense that, they were told from personal experiences and passed on to the next generations to learn lessons. This informal education has not come of age in Rwanda. Just to set the record straight, there is nothing more powerful that telling a true story.

The fact that there are several fake and fabricated stories being told about Rwanda in the international press, by speculators shows that the accurate stories are being

"twisted, crippled” before getting bandaged by unknowing publishers and movie directors in the west.

In this age and era, more emphasis should be put on sending a positive image about Rwanda’s resilience in terms of healing, development and steady economic growth.

It’s time to do away with the nasty image left behind by the genocide—luckily this can only be emphasized through story telling.

Shema Gatsinzi
Kacyiru