Rwanda’s ambassador to the United States, Mathilde Mukantabana, has drawn parallels between Martin Luther King Jr.s vision and Rwanda’s recovery after the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. She said this during a summit on Rwanda’s transformational journey, held in in San Antonio, Texas from January 21 to 22. Martin Luther King Jr. was an American Baptist minister and activist who became the most visible spokesman and leader in the civil rights movement from 1955 until his assassination in 1968. “We (Rwanda) designed a roadmap and made transformative choices that are still guiding us today [...] that can be summarized in three words: unity, accountability and thinking big,” Mukantabana said. The discussions during summit themed: Rwanda Then and Now; Milestone in Rebirth and Growth, explored Rwandas journey of post-genocide nation building. It was organized by the Rwandan Community of San Antonio in partnership with DreamVoice LLC, the organizers of the DreamWeek in San Antonio. The DreamWeek’s purpose is to advance and modernize the teachings set forth by Martin Luther’s vision; to lay the foundation of tolerance by creating dialog across cultures and communities. “Now, Rwanda is a country governed by the rule of law where unity and reconciliation have allowed people to come together to build a cohesive and prosperous nation. The notion of forgiveness is at the core of our being and has become our duty,” Mukantabana said. She added: “Martin Luther King philosophy strongly resonates with us in our constant quest for solutions through dialogue, consensus politics and inclusiveness. These concepts have been institutionalized and delivered through our home grown solutions such the national dialogue that takes place in Rwanda every year in December.” Other speakers included Dale Dawson, Founder and CEO of Bridge 2 Rwanda, Emmanuel Nibishaka, Deputy CEO Rwanda Governance Board, Dr. Fiacre Bienvenu, an adjutant professor at Steven J. Green School of International and Public Affairs at Florida International University and Yehoyada Mbangukira, President US Rwandan Community Abroad, among others. Bienvenu said: “For students of Rwanda, I’d like to remind them that in a productive way, it’s easy to forget that things could have gone further south hadn’t it not have been for a deeper thinking and natural authority of the leadership which preserved the nationhood, the Rwandan civilization, and continue to keep it from going extinct.” Dawson noted that: “Vision 2050 says that we’re going to be a high income nation in the next 30 years. The growth rate needs to be 10% plus a year. Rwanda before the pandemic was hitting over 10%. I think nurturing high capacity young talent that we need. “And also bringing in the vision we have at Bridge2Rwanda, to build a bridge to Rwanda that transforms lives at both ends. And what we’ve found is that when we bring our friends from the United States to Rwanda and they see and are inspired and given the opportunity to participate and to invest and to help, their lives are transformed.” Nibishaka said that many political scientists and commentator used to call Rwanda a failed state but with good governance the country has built a citizen centered sustainable development with regular monitoring of the principles of good governance. “Regular self-assessment is very essential in helping to identify area of improvement in a timely manner so that you don’t lose the momentum in building a better life. We also view these assessments as an essential tool to revitalize accountable governance that Rwanda has chosen,” he said. The summit was followed by ‘Night in Rwanda’ a social and cultural event featuring Rwandan cultural dances, food and expedition of Rwanda natural beauty. Rwandans in Texas and those that travelled from other parts of the United States were extended consular services including the opportunity to take biometrics. The event attracted over 500 people, physically and online, from civil society, media, academia, philanthropy, and business.
