Hungry for Truth, Peace and Justice

President Obama and Dr. Felicien Kanyamibwa: the mutual inspiration?

By David O'Brian
AfroAmerica Network Editor
June 4, 2009

Also available in French: (see Mugiraneza's response below).

Ouf!!!

I was just finishing up reading a recent paper published by Dr. Felicien Kanyamibwa on May 19, 2009 and titled: "Beyond Ethnic Politics and Fear: Hutu, Tutsi, and Ethnicity in Rwanda" when I found myself avidly listening to President Obama´s speech title "REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT ON A NEW BEGINNING" delivered in Cairo and intended to the muslim world. I was struck by the similarities in the contents of the two pieces.

If Dr. Felicien Kanyamibwa´s article were not published before President Obama´s speech I would have cried foul! To judge for yourselves, see some parrallels here below.

You may also find here the speech by President Obama and here or here Dr. Felicien Kanyamibwa's article.

Is it pure coincidence or signs of time?

A) ABOUT TRUTH AND GOD

President Obama: "As the Holy Koran tells us, "Be conscious of God and speak always the truth." (Applause.) That is what I will try to do today -- to speak the truth as best I can, humbled by the task before us, and firm in my belief that the interests we share as human beings are far more powerful than the forces that drive us apart."

Dr. Felicien Kanyamibwa: "Gandhi´s vow of fearlessness ...We fear consequences, and therefore we are afraid to tell the truth. A man who fears God will certainly not fear any earthly consequence.. These two decisions have followed me and guided my political engagement for the last 12 years:


1. I will tell the truth about the Rwandan tragedy
2. I will strive for fearlessness in pursuing the truth"

B) EXTREMISTS EXPLOITING HUMAN DIFFERENCES

President Obama: "So long as our relationship is defined by our differences, we will empower those who sow hatred rather than peace, those who promote conflict rather than the cooperation that can help all of our people achieve justice and prosperity. And this cycle of suspicion and discord must end."

Dr. Felicien Kanyamibwa: "Maintaining fear among Tutsis and Hutu through ethnic politics is the only efficient and effective tool the current Tutsi-regime has to maintain itself in power. The Tutsi-led power preys on the nation and will devour the people if nothing is done. Tutsi and Hutus who have understood the machiavellian scheme have no other choice than finding ways to move beyond fear and ethnic politics for their own survival but, most importantly, for the survival of Tutsis, Hutus, and Twas, and of Rwanda as a nation."

C) ABOUT IGNORING THE PEOPLE´ S ASPIRATIONS AND RIGHTS

President Obama: "Governments that protect these rights are ultimately more stable, successful and secure. Suppressing ideas never succeeds in making them go away. America respects the right of all peaceful and law-abiding voices to be heard around the world, even if we disagree with them. And we will welcome all elected, peaceful governments -- provided they govern with respect for all their people."

Dr. Felicien Kanyamibwa: "Hence, to the complaints of ethnic discriminations and the monopolization of power by one ethnic group, Tutsis, the Conseil Supérieur du Pays, composed exclusively by the Tutsi ethnic group decided to suppress the mention of ethnic groups in official records and documents. However, in months that followed, the complaints by Hutus became even louder across the entire country. The situation before 1959 appears similar to what we observe in Rwanda today."

D) ABOUT GOVERNING BY CONSENT AND CONSENSUAL DEMOCRACY

President Obama: "So no matter where it takes hold, government of the people and by the people sets a single standard for all who would hold power: You must maintain your power through consent, not coercion; you must respect the rights of minorities, and participate with a spirit of tolerance and compromise; "

Dr. Felicien Kanyamibwa: Annihilation can only be avoided by self recognition and acknowledgment of others, in a society where, as argued Philosophers Jurgen Harbermas and Bruce Barry, the legitimacy of our nation Rwanda must be based on a notion of political rights of autonomous individual subjects. However, we need to marry those individual rights with the approach put forward by political scientists like Charles Taylor and Will Kymlicka: Rwanda must recognize ethnic identity and develop processes through which the particular needs of ethnic groups can be accommodated within the boundaries of a strong and fair political structure accepted by all. Brief, we need a system where the voice of every individual is heard, but in which ethnic groups strive. That is the concept of Consensual Democracy.

Now here you go!. Find your own parallels in the two pieces...

Now here you go!. Find your own parallels in the two pieces...

Related Materials:
Yeremiya Mugiraneza's response to David O'Brian (French)

REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT ON A NEW BEGINNING

Beyond Ethnic Politics and Fear: Hutu, Tutsi, and Ethnicity in Rwanda

posted by Mamadou Kouyate @ 9:10 AM