By Sema Kweli
Democracy Human Rights Group
December 5, 2009
The success of any business depends on good management of human resources, time and finances. The same principle applies to any particular country.
Following the admission of Rwanda into the Commmonwealth Community and the renewed diplomatic ties between Kigali and Paris, it is not surprising to assist at the appointment of a trilingual minister as the head of the Foreign Ministry in Rwanda.
The linguistic tripod i.e. English, French, and Kinyarwanda, remains the undeniable richness of Rwanda and the African exception. Security, openness to the world and this linguistic tripod just came in to consolidate Rwanda’s strategic role in the heart of Africa.
The willingness of Bernard Kouchner, the actual French Foreign Minister, to reinstate French in Rwanda will surely receive a warm welcome from informed and committed stakeholders. Nothing should prevent Kigali from allowing Paris to fund private vocational schools with diverse majors such as Sports, Foreign Language, Arts and Crafts, with instructions dispensed in French through out the 30 districts of Rwanda.
Not only such initiatives will prove to be useful in helping alleviate rural poverty, but also they will help save jobs of thousands of French teachers that have been recently forced into early retirement. Indeed, within one year nobody can turn a pre-retired French speaking teacher into English speaking one without making him/her a frustrated retiree.
Similiarly, nobody can turn Molière into Shakespeare within a year or turn everybody into a hero! By saving these government jobs, one will save the education system in Rwanda by shaping it from the bottom up and by providing Rwanda with the most valuable service while staying loyal and grateful to the teachers.
Certainly, state reasons have led policy makers to privilege the English corridor in Rwanda. However “Ubuskwa” [a Rwandan word that closely translates into ignorance in English] often leads to confusion between the political and technical dimension for senior officials in charge of implementing such crucial reforms dictated by state reasons. That is where good management of human resources comes into play. Focusing on intelligence, intellectual honesty and loyalty towards one’s own country are the Quadrature of the Circle.
The excess of zeal may lead to disasters when one trying to please makes a huge twist to the country mostly owing to headlong rushes.
Today is an opportunity to rectify the situation in Rwanda. The resumption of diplomatic relations between Paris and Kigali and the geostrategic and geopolitical focus of Rwanda in the Commonwealth sphere represent concentric circles aimed at ensuring freedom in Rwanda.
Furthermore, the strategic openness and integration of foreigners into the Rwandan society is an excellent initiative to encourage. The list of eminent advisers in high ranks of Kigali also stems from good management of human resources and strategic investments.
But what a surprise to hear within the Rwandan diaspora several voices that rise against the appointment of foreigners in key positions in Rwanda!
How can a French citizen of Rwandan origin who enjoys asylum and French welfare oppose the recruitment of international experts in Kigali? Why a native of Rwanda who holds a position of a Belgian-born in Belgium should oppose a Belgian citizen to run a hotel in Rwanda or be employed in other areas where Rwanda crucially needs schooling should competence and trustworthiness requirements be verified?
How can one imagine a Canadian citizen of Rwandan origin displaying intolerance towards non Rwandan citizens that receive Rwandan nationality or employment in Rwanda, just as him/herself did in Canada, his/her host country and second home country?
Racism and intolerance reside in people's minds, just like slavery! Rwanda will always be honored to be a country of openness and tolerance. This is the challenge of intelligence that ought to save Rwanda. It is this mixing of ethnicities, races that constitute the richness currently needed by Rwanda.
In the aftermaths of the Rwandan Genocide and the return of the diaspora in Rwanda with successive waves of refugees, entrees and exits, the socio-economic composition in Rwanda has obviously been reshaped for ever.
The reality is that good management of human resources must take into account contributions from several concentric circles from around the world. The Rwandan population is currently composed of people from different diaspora including, Congolese, Burundians, Ugandans, Tanzanians, but also people from Europe, America, Asia and the rest of the world, not to mention the indigenous Rwandan citizens who have never left Rwanda. The supremacy of any diaspora from these circles may deprive Rwanda of its exceptional richness and surely lead to the “Bururisation” syndrome (1) in Rwanda with severe consequences of a vicious circle.
Today’s considerations must absolutely emphasis this reality. These include policy makers but also the Rwandan diaspora that remains active in different host countries.
Such a fair and equitable representation of the current socio-economic situation in Rwanda will far supersede the historic composition of the Rwandan population into Hutu, Tutsi and Twa. Frankly speaking, what does a Hutu who was born and grew up in Canada have in common with an indigenous Hutu who was born and grew up in Rwanda and has never left Rwanda? What about a Tutsi who was born and grew up in Belgium, Australia or the USA compared to a Tutsi who was born and grew up in Uganda? As far as people’s height is concerned, widespread milk diet has changed any variable of the equation. Furthermore, shapes and lengths of one’s nose have no longer any impact or meaning in good management of human resources, given employee’s requirements for competence, honesty and integrity.
This is indeed the glorious awakening of consciousness that prepares a better future for all Rwandan children. For the sake of a better future for everybody, good management of human resources is crucial for Rwanda. Because, in Rwandan, the only richness we have are Rwanda’s people and the challenge of the intellect. Dealing with this reality on the ground is primordial.
“Disenfranchised children are the ones who mature”. Should anyone of you come across a Rwandan citizen, do not ask yourself whether he/she is Hutu, Tutsi or Twa. Rather, ask yourself whether he/she is trustworthy, prudent and does disenfranchise anybody.
Note (1):
“Bururisation” is a French word of Burundian roots. It refers to the story the confiscation of all political powers by Burundian citizens of Bururi origin. Such a situation has contributed to the abuse of powers that culminated into tragic spirals of violence that characterized Burundi until very recently. With the current multicultural diaspora in Rwanda, the author warns readers that in Rwanda people from any given circle (composed of one specific diaspora) may attempt to repeat same fatal mistakes of the past, a situation that could lead to further violence in a very near future.
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