Rwandans recommit to owning their future

Choices made by Rwandans in the last 21 years have led the country to stability and development and efforts should be made strategically to protect what was achieved and gain more. The commitment was made by officials and citizens taking part in the ongoing National Dialogue Council. The thirteenth edition of the National Dialogue Council (Umushyikirano), which opened in Kigali, yesterday, and is wrapping up today has attracted more than 1000 participants, including members of the civil society, government officials, police and army officers, members of the private sector, members of the diplomatic corps, and Rwandans living in the Diaspora. President Paul Kagame opened the dialogue with a message that highlighted the success of Rwandans to turn their lives around after the devastating 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, noting that it was the result of homegrown choices, which he sees as the best way to gain even more in the future. “We, the people, as it says in our Constitution, are prepared to safeguard the unique choices and actions that brought this country back to life. We will always want to stay together, we will always be accountable to ourselves first, and we are not going to stop thinking big,” Kagame said, partly alluding to the recently approved revised Constitution. Talking about last week’s referendum in which Rwandans overwhelmingly adopted the revised Constitution, the Head of State said Rwandans have shown their choice and that it’s up to public servants to keep doing what people want. “What was the issue has been pretty much resolved. Our purpose here in this dialogue is simple: make sure our actions are guided by what Rwandans have expressed,” he said. At the dialogue, officials are already talking about Vision 2050 as one that will be guided by choices that Rwandans have made over the last 21 years since the end of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. ‘Work harder’ President Kagame urged other public servants to work harder to enrich Rwandans who deserve not only to survive but thrive. “Rwandans have told us that we can do more and better, even faster. We don’t want to be a status-quo country or a status-quo people. Vision 2020 was about what we had to do in order to survive and regain our dignity but Vision 2050 has to be about the future we choose because we can and deserve it,” he said. Panelists who spoke at the meeting, including Foreign Affairs minister Louise Mushikiwabo, Rwanda Governance Board chief executive Anastase Shyaka, and Jean Damascène Bizimana, the executive secretary of the National Commission for the fight against Genocide, highlighted Rwanda’s bold choices, including unity of people, the use of technology to advance development, nurturing good relations with regional countries, and playing a role in peace-keeping abroad. First Lady Jeannette Kagame (C) and other officials listen to President Kagame’s opening address at Umushyikirano yesterday. Prof. Shyaka said, going forward, leaders will need to increase efforts in resolving citizens’ problems, improving service delivery, and involving members of the civil society in nation building in the interests of all Rwandans. Mushikiwabo lauded Rwanda’s policies on regional integration and immigration, explaining that the country has chosen to welcome people from other nations and encouraged Rwandans to work from abroad. “It’s an important thing in the history of our country,” she said about the country’s progressive policies on regional integration and immigration. Prime Minister Anastase Murekezi presents a report on the implementation of the resolutions from last year’s dialogue. He said 17 out of the 20 resolutions adopted then had been implemented, while implementation of the others was still underway. Thousands of youths and other Rwandans also gathered at different locations in the country and participated in the dialogue via video-link from Petit Stade in Kigali, Bugesera in the Eastern Province, Burera in the Northern Province, and Gisagara in the Southern Province. Most of the citizens’ interventions focused on lauding the government’s policies such as the one-cow-per-poor family, access to healthcare and education, as well as water and electricity schemes but they also tasked the government to do more to address certain issues such as new cases of malaria. The dialogue’s proceedings are streamed live on umushyikirano.gov.rw and on twitter using the Hashtag #Umushyikirano. The dialogue has attracted a diverse audience that includes political leaders, business leaders, activists, religious leaders, military and police officers, grassroots leaders, among others. The meeting ends today with a discussion about how to scale up citizens’ participation and innovation for development, more feedback from citizens, as well as drawing resolutions from the dialogue. Provided for by the Constitution and taking place every year, Umushyikirano is a Rwandan home-grown initiative which offers a forum, where the President, along with other national leaders as well as ordinary citizens, debate issues relating to the state of the nation, the state of local government and national unity. The meeting was also attended by members of the diplomatic corps. Foreign affairs minister Louise Mushikiwabo speaks at the event yesterday. CNLG’s Dr Jean Damascene Bizimana speaks during a panel discussion at the dialogue yesterday. RGB’s Prof. Anastase Shyaka during a presentation at the meeting. L-R: Prof. Anastase Shyaka, the chief executive of Rwanda Governance Board; Louise Mushikiwabo, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Government Spokesperson; and Dr Jean Damascene Bizimana, the executive secretary, National Commission for the Fight agains Participants follow proceedings at the meeting. The national dialogue attracted delegates from far and wide. Speaker Donatille Mukabalisa and Senate president Bernard Makuza at the meeting. Senior officials at the national dialogue. Some cabinet members at the meeting yesterday. L-R: Senators Jeanne d’Arc Gakuba, Fatuma Harerimana and Tito Rutaremara at the national dialogue yesterday. More than 1000 people are attending the 13th National Dialogue Council. The dialogue also attracted parliamentarians. Participants share a light moment at the event. Participants dance during a morale boosting session. Some of the officials at the annual gathering. At least 3000 youths followed and participated in the dialogue via a video link from Petit Stade in Remera. There were three other sites spread across the country where thousands of citizens converged to follow the Umushyikirano 2015. A cross section of participants at the meeting. L-R: State minister for Economic Planning Dr Uzziel Ndagijimana, retired Anglican bishop John Rucyahana and State minister for Social Affairs Dr Alivera Mukabaramba at the dialogue yesterday. L-R: Cabinet ministers Evode Imena (State, Mining), Johnston Busingye (Justice) and Germaine Kamayirese (State, Energy, Water and Sanitation) at the meeting yesterday. A delegate makes an intervention on the first day of the dialogue. The dialogue has attracted participants from across the country and the Diaspora. A delegate contributes at the 13th Umushyikirano yesterday. Central Bank vice governor Monica Nsanzabagawa moderates a panel discussion at the Umushyikirano2015 yesterday Veteran Tanzanian journalist and columnist Jenerali Urimwengu speaks at the meeting yesterday. The 13th National Dialogue Convention is taking place at the conference facilities at Camp Kigali, and not Parliamentary Buildings, the venue for all the previous editions.

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Rwandans recommit to owning their future