President Paul Kagame Chairs the Umushyikirano 2013
President Paul Kagame today officially opened the two day Rwanda National Dialogue “Umushyikirano” with an emphasis on the need to transform words into action.
The President said that in order to achieve the set development goals and self-dignity (agaciro) as Rwandans and as a nation, in all the discussions, it should not just be words, but also actions.
He added that it all goes in line with respecting Rwandans in particular, the community and the nation at large.
, gathered and following the much-anticipated The 11th annual National Dialogue, commonly known as ‘Umushikirano’ was attended by Rwandan leaders and residents of all walks of life and took place at the Parliamentary Building in Kigali.
The session was also followed by thousands of Rwandan youths through the live video conferencing from all regions of the country and feeds on social media especially for the Rwandan diaspora.
According to president Kagame, national dialogue should be able to bring out the true essence of self dignity (Agaciro) of a Rwandan.
“Whatever we are or call ourselves, the way we believe, or not believe; doesn’t separate us but should be a foundation of bringing us together, so that we can get dignity that Rwanda deserves”
He said that the above means taking full responsibility as Rwandans, as leaders and individuals working jointly as a team to fulfill each ones duties; evaluating the past achievements, current and way forward; otherwise the dialogue wouldn’t have any meaning.
Kagame also noted that the Agaciro concept should start with Rwandans and Rwanda can achieve this goal of self-dignity and reliance, but it should be shared across the borders because they (Rwandans) attach great importance to their neighbors.
The national dialogue council is established by article 186 of the Rwanda Constitution, it brings together the President of the Republic and representatives of councils of local administrative entities with legal status elected by their peers.
Through the dialogue, Rwandans are able to make serious resolutions that guide national strategies and development goals in the next year, that have to be implemented by various government arms through policy making and innovativeness.
The Umushyikirano has become one of the Rwandan 21st century mechanisms of evaluating the nation’s progress in a more debate and open discussion, where residents and leaders pose and answer respectively, various questions and issues arising from the community.
This year’s National Dialogue Council which ends tomorrow comes at a time when the Government of Rwanda is implementing the second phase of the Economic Development and Poverty Reduction Strategy (EDPRS2); a plan which sets out ambitious growth targets for accelerating Rwanda’s progress towards middle income status as well as consolidating the achievements registered during the implementation of EDPRS1.
The theme for the 11th Umushyikirano is: “The Rwandan Spirit: Foundation for Sustainable Development”. The event is expected to tackle the current status of the national development agenda and the Journey to self-reliance, increased productivity and private sector growth, and the “Ndi Umunyarwanda” program: Striving to preserve the Rwandan Spirit.
In the past five years, the journey to self-reliance has gained momentum. Domestic resources covered 60.2% of the national budget in the 2013/14 fiscal year, up from 42.8% in 2009/10. The 11th dialogue will serve as a platform to discuss and understand the factors behind low labor productivity in the main sectors of the economy, including agriculture, industry and services, as well as the positive correlation between productivity and incomes at an individual and macro level.
While the main objective of “Ndi Umunyarwanda” program is to cement the unity and reconciliation process based on four pillars: History, testimonies, forgiveness and healing.