There is a spirited and vigorous energy at home and in the Diaspora about protecting and keeping alive our brand – The Brand – that unique Rwandan spirit that defines who we are as a People.
It means different things to each and everyone of us. No matter: we all seem to be on the same page. Isn’t that the uniqueness of the Rwandan experience?
Of course I am biased, and I have no apologies to make. If we don’t tell our story others will tell it badly. In the words of Sen Barry Goldwater of Arizona, “Extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice.”
The New Rwanda has a unique and enviable character. True, twenty eight years in the life of a nation is a drop in the ocean. Ours has been a journey we have directed against incredible odds. At the end of the day, it is ours to define and control.
We refuse to be defined by events of our tortured history. We are more than that and there is ample evidence on the ground to plead our case.
1959 and 1994 are mere events in our history. They wounded us and traumatized us but did not break our spirit. That is the brand we must preserve and protect, at all costs. And our brand calls for;
AGACIRO : A people without dignity are lost, and without it history will judge us harshly.
RESILIENCE: Against great and suffocating odds we have held our own, surprising our detractors who thought ours is a temporary exercise in futility. I say, sing on, we are on the move and there is no stopping us now. History shall absolve us, because we are the authors of our melancholic journey.
The war was won, but the battle rages on. Our journey is not done, and may the heavens help us all not to be afflicted by the arrogance of success.
RESILIENCE : Even though we were out-numbered, out-gunned and out-Frenched, we refused to be cowed into submission. No war has ever been won without just cause. Never. Remember, small-statured rice eating people chased a super power out of Vietnam.
INTEGRITY: Our culture and traditions demand it. Our history expects it. For the first time in Rwanda’s history we are all one : Abanyarwanda, and there is no looking back. And because of it there has not been victors’ revenge, but a concerted effort to forge ahead as, One People, One Nation forged out of respect for the rule of law.
GENDER EQUALITY : We have been champions on the world stage of inviting our mothers and sisters to the table. They bore the greatest trauma of those dark 100 days in April, 1994, and they deserve a say in re-building our Motherland. They are indeed equal members of our human symphony.
NATIONAL PRIDE: We have been to hell and back, and if we did not respect ourselves and value human life, each other’s freedoms and liberty, our kith and kin that paid the ultimate price will have died in vain.
LEADERSHIP: Say what you may, without incorruptible and visionary leadership Rwanda would not be where we are today or become the envy of our neighbors. When your team is winning, why change the Captain.
A picture is worth a thousand words. These few below succinctly say what I am getting at:
Our brand will flourish and shine in 2023, and the years ahead. This is the solemn vow every Rwandan should take.
Nice piece of writing, my brother, and very informative to keep up the work shine your light
Powerful, passionate commentary.
Great themes you bring up, particularly Gender Equality. How else do you expect to meet your development goals if over fifty percent of your population is disengaged. Witness what it’s done for the Nordic countries.