Political parties' forum urged to foster unity, reconciliation

Members of the National Consultative Forum of Political Organisations (NFPO) have been urged to put in more efforts in fostering unity and reconciliation to ensure all Rwandans are united for a common goal toward socio-economic development. The call was made by officials from the National Unity and Reconciliation Commission (NURC) during a meeting with the forum members and some legislators to discuss the parties’ achievements in fostering unity and reconciliation. A recent survey by NURC showed that up to 92.5 per cent of Rwandans feel that unity and reconciliation has been achieved and that citizens live in harmony. The officials said there is need to achieve 100 per cent, and asked the commission to consider other approaches to achieve it. “We want unity and reconciliation to be a shared responsibility that every Rwandan owns,” said Bishop John Rucyahana, the NURC chairperson. Rucyahana said much as the forum has been active in terms of promoting unity and reconciliation, more is still needed to be done. “What they (political parties) should do is to go even deeper to get involved in the promotion of principles of unity and reconciliation of the nation,” Rucyahana told The New Times after the meeting. He said members of political parties should go beyond genocide and its ideology and address other hindrances to the progress of cohesion among Rwandans. “They should go beyond genocide ideology to family relationships, and relationships of political parties themselves,” Rucyahana added. Members of the National Consultative Forum of Political Organisations follow proceedings during the meeting in Kigali yesterday. (T.Kisambira) He stressed that political parties should use the power they have to engage in every other aspect. “We are responsible to take charge of the negative results of the Genocide against the Tutsi but at the same time we should be responsible for well coordinated development and destiny of our nation. Our dignity should be protected in every aspect,” he said. Rucyahana said children should also be engaged in fighting genocide ideology to uproot ideology among themselves and their parents. “We are fighting with consciousness of crimes committed by parents and relatives to the young generation. Genocide ideology can stop, we want you, as leaders, to work together to uproot this ideology that is a threat to our society,” Rucyahana said. He challenged members of political parties to engage the youth on foreign media influence, especially social media, which he said distorts Rwanda’s story and poses a challenge to unity and reconciliation. Christine Mukabunani, spokesperson of the National Forum for Political Organisation, said promoting unity and reconciliation was a prime responsibility for the forum, adding that more efforts will be put in to ensure Rwandans are unified. “We need to put in more efforts, we need to mobilise our members to ensure that unity and reconciliation are fostered, we need to work together with the commission to unite and reconcile Rwandans,” she said. editorial@newtimes.co.rw

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Political parties' forum urged to foster unity, reconciliation