Today’s youth look beyond empty rhetoric

Editor,This is in reaction to Nathalie Munyampenda’s article, “Purpose and opportunity”, that appeared in The New Times of January 28, 2013. Reading Nathalie’s articles is a real delight. Please accept, Nathalie, my sincere thanks. I am ages older than you but your articles have this chemistry that holds all age groups captive. This particular one reminds me of what President Kagame said at Davos last week that Africa should tell its story because foreigners won’t tell it right not least because their self interest dictates that they tell it wrong. That the youth will take our continent to the next level is no longer rhetoric. It’s happening. My explanation of this phenomenon is that the dependence mindset has passed shelf life and is being replaced by independence. Some 130 years or so today, Africa, after slavery, started a phase two rough ride through phases that were shamelessly called Scramble for Africa, Partition of Africa, Colonisation of Africa, Evangelisation of Africa (bringing light). What was actually happening was daylight rape, pillage and plunder; fight for resources, divide and rule, exploit, subjugate, sow spiritual confusion, retard the African spirit, zeal, resilience, culture, industry and mental dependence. In sum, this is what I call dependence syndrome. Africans ended up as empty shells devoid of self worth and considered themselves an eternal mistake meant to be corrected, as much as possible, by Europe, and show eternal gratitude for it. A century and a half down the road, we are still poor, divided, and dependent on aid which is, in fact, resources illegally taken from Africa over the same time, spiritually confused, mentally dependent and still expected to show gratitude for it. Will this relationship ever change merely because we know and talk about it? Will action be needed to cut this chain that chains us more and more tightly? About 30 years now, more and more leaders have questioned this state of affairs with varying degrees of success in mobilising the population to raise awareness of a critical mass. The youth Nathalie met and many more are part of this African critical mass increasingly asserting their mental and ideological independence. They want to do what works for them, reject what doesn’t, depend on their brains for food, shelter, health, education and freedom. They think it is their inalienable right to know what is wrong and what is right rather than receive prescriptions of the same. They want to assert their right to tell a good leader from a bad one rather than be told via DHL or HRW (Human Rights Watch). They want to earn a living rather than live off somebody else’s earnings. Therein lies, I think, the African story that Kagame says should be told by Africa and (the youth) Nathalie met at that dinner. Continue having more such dinners, Nathalie. HopeMile 40 Nyamirambo*****************************A great read but it is full of too much colour and juice -- we need capital. Banks, lend us money and we can do all these things Nathalie speaks of.Isaro, Butare

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Today’s youth look beyond empty rhetoric