Why London was a perfect spot for Rwanda Day 2013

I was double delighted for Rwanda Day 2013; that it took place in London, the capital of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (to give the country its full official name) and one of the global centres of power, and that the event passed off very well and left a positive scent of Rwanda save for some inconveniences. These, such as our compatriots who arrived late from Belgium and fell victims of the British health & safety rules, were unintended and regrettable; a result of overwhelming turn up. The impact of this Rwanda Day cannot be underestimated, and I have no doubt its echoes are going to reverberate in the UK, Europe and beyond, for quite a long time. Rwanda’s image took a serious hammering last year, as a result of accusations of involvement in DR Congo conflict by UN Group of Experts. Western countries bought into these accusations and decided to punish Rwanda with aid freeze or suspension. From Washington DC to Amsterdam, big and small nations were clamouring to hang “tiny” Rwanda. Britain joined this chorus and suspended aid, in spite of an existing Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in development support. This decision surprised me, and I thought it betrayed the principle of fairness that is deeply ingrained in British ethos. I have known this principle to underpin this country’s conduct of business, including her relations with other nations. I have heard British diplomats in Kigali and officials in London praising Rwanda’s use and positive impact of British aid. So I thought the UK government was not fair to turn around and suspend aid to Rwanda, knowing fully well who will be hurt by this action- the ordinary Rwandan. But politics can override everything else sometimes; including a nation’s guiding principles. I understood that some individuals in Prime Minister David Cameron’s “marriage of convenience” coalition government with the Liberal Democrats were just as surprised and disappointed by this decision. Indeed some paid a high political price for trying to defend Rwanda.British media joined the fray and the British public was fed on a lot of untruth about Rwanda. In print, on air, onscreen, online Rwanda was hang out to dry!Rwanda detractors took advantage of this confusion and sought to insert their own narrative of Rwanda in the whole mix. A few voices of reason were completely drowned out.Looking at all this, hopelessly, was Rwandan Diaspora community in the UK and friends of Rwanda. This coming at the back of a Diaspora Convention that was cancelled in 2011, it was very painful for our people to watch. Some individuals tried to use these incidences to drive a wedge between members of our community. It threatened to unravel many years and efforts invested in community engagement and building community relations. Community morale and enthusiasm started going in a free-fall. Enter Rwanda Day 2013 and the community spirit was uplifted again. Our community realized that they have not been forgotten after all. Our youth were re-energized and played a crucial role in the organization of Rwanda Day. In the two weeks leading to Rwanda Day it was excitement all over the UK; meetings took place in all cities and towns in preparation. Rwanda Day fever swept the entire land. Small Rwandan communities emerged even from English counties that were previously unknown to harbor them. They all came out and contacted the organisers, registered online; no one wanted to miss out. Workers took a day off, and parents organized alternative childcare. Some groups boarded coaches the day before to travel overnight to London. On the D-DAY, Saturday 18 May, 2013 coaches arrived from all parts of UK and mainland Europe. At registration from 8am to 7pm queues snaked from the gate to the main road on King’s Avenue in South London, people waiting calmly to be registered, security screened and climb back on to their coaches to be driven to The Troxy, the main venue in East London; the dignity and remarkable discipline of the Rwandan people clearly on display here. Our foreign friends, who are friends of Rwanda by extension, enjoyed the whole atmosphere; some could not believe what they were seeing. Africans among them were inspired, and regained hope in their continent that is continuously portrayed as hopeless. There are many who swore to visit Rwanda to explore business and career opportunities, given the current grim economic realities in Europe. I have heard and read certain characters trying to throw mud at this great event and to individuals who were involved in organizing it, I have personally engaged some of them, and I found these in two categories: adamant haters and genuinely misinformed fellows. If we can ignore their hullaballoo, and if I can assign myself to speak for majority of our Diaspora- it was a worthwhile investment. We certainly need more of it.The writer is a Rwandan who lived in the UK