The East African Civil Society Organisations Forum (EACSOF) has launched a two-year region-wide awareness campaign about the East African Community integration process.The objective of the campaign is to increase people’s awareness and participation in EAC integration process, by showing them what they stand to benefit from opening up borders within the region, officials say.It was launched on Saturday in Nyamata, Bugesera District.“Understanding the integration process is the only way our citizens can be able to participate in the Community, own it and seize opportunities that come with it,’’ said Thadée Karekezi, Executive Secretary of Rwanda Civil Society Platform.The minister for EAC affairs, Monique Mukaruriza, called upon the citizens to take advantage of the campaign messages so as to benefit more from EAC.“The Rwandan people must own EAC and benefit from it; they must know their rights and their duties within the community,” said Mukaruriza advising the citizens to eye regional markets in their businesses even the small ones.The Rwanda civil society platform has so far trained 60 trainers who will take the campaign to citizens in all the 30 districts.It is expected that 1,200 people will be trained in each district and at the end of the campaign; these trained will be in position to instruct EAC integration process in their proximities.According to EACSOF, there is a general understanding that the involvement of both the civil society and private sector in the integration process will help make the community people-centered and market-driven.
