Senators and Deputies yesterday headed to Gabiro School of Infantry in Gatsibo District, for a three-day retreat largely focused on reviving loyalty to the nation.According to the agenda, the broad objective is to cement unity and reconciliation, and to bring the ‘Ndi Umunyarwanda’ campaign to lawmakers, so that they could in turn help other Rwandans embrace it.At the retreat, the lawmakers will take stock of the nation’s history; with a view to appreciating the challenges that are associated with the country’s difficult past.Lawmakers will also agree on a working plan of how they will help take the ‘Ndi Umunyarwanda’ campaign to all Rwandans.The campaign which was initiated by the country’s youth this year aims at building a country based on trust, through an open discussions about the country’s history, a move that is aimed at shaping what officials have called “the Rwandan Spirit.” MP Connie Bwiza appreciates the fundamental nature of the retreat which, she says, is for a national cause.“The essence is very clear, it is about what role, we as lawmakers, can play in building the Rwandan Spirit. This spirit transcends ethnic identity and other small, insignificant matters inherited from the past politics including the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi,” Bwiza told The New Times yesterday.She said the retreat will be an opportunity for soul searching.“We all need to look at each other as one people, as Rwandans,” she stressed.“We all are looking at, who we are, what progress has been made so far? We’ll contextualise everything to tell if we are really on track.”Apart from Prime Minister Pierre Damien Habumuremyi who will discuss the history of governance in Rwanda, retired Bishop John Rucyahana, Defence minister James Kabarebe, and Pastor Antoine Rutayisire will also address the law maker. About ndi munyarwandaNdi Umunyarwanda, is an initiative by youths aimed at having open dialogue, telling the truth, repentance, forgiveness and healing to strengthen the culture of accountability as well as unity and reconciliation. The initiative was born out of the recent YouthConnektDialogue, which aimed at looking beyond what divides Rwandans to have a nation built on trust.
