The sixth Tokyo International conference on African Development (TICAD VI) held in Kenya on 27-28th this month, was attended by over 30 heads of states including Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame.
President Paul Kagame featured on a panel alongside president of Liberia, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and former President of Nigeria Olusegun Obasanjo discussing the theme, “ Africa, towards 2063 and beyond alongside.”
The Agenda 2063 seeks an approach on how the continent should effectively learn the lessons of the past, build on the progress now underway and strategically exploit all possible opportunities available in short, medium and long term, so as to ensure positive socio-economic transformation with the next 50 years.
Here is the full speech of President Kagame during TICAD VI conference in Nairobi:
Thank you! I just want to mention that the basis of development of any society is going to be also a good politics and good politics begins at home and therefore from home what is local is blended with what is global and it provides a clear path for development in my view.
And I agree what President Obasanjo said, looking at Africa’s situation, traditions, culture; there are many good things we can build on or even modernize. Modernity does not mean importing values; it means improving your own values, making them going match with the times people go through and I think this has a bearing on the process of development.
We’ve seen in our own country we have been doing a number of things even what is policies for our development. We really start what is common, what is known, what is understood by our people and blended that with what has worked elsewhere and may work in own situation and then keeping moving forward.
It’s not issue and I think there has been always a confusion across the continent, you see it but of course mainly imposed or brought from outside. It’s as if in new situation it’s a democratization process or other processes. It’s as if what has been written, crafted somewhere, it is what should work for Africa, and this in many instances it doesn’t work, it doesn’t matter how many times you try.
So it’s important to begin at home, understand your own values, challenges, and opportunities and also learn from other people’s experiences from outside bringing that together, you create a new situation you work with. Thank you!