Tap into Diaspora's potential

Editor, I wish to comment on Lonzen Rugira's article, Why we need an inspired Diaspora, published on Monday, November 10, 2014. Is it really down to a lack of appropriate public relations on the part of the Government of Rwanda?

Tuesday, November 11, 2014
The One Dollar Campaign complex in Kagugu, Gasabo District was an initiative by the Diaspora. (Doreen Umutesi)

Editor,

I wish to comment on Lonzen Rugira’s article, Why we need an inspired Diaspora, published on Monday, November 10, 2014.

Is it really down to a lack of appropriate public relations on the part of the Government of Rwanda?

There are, after all, international interests that have an interest in keeping Rwanda, in the case of the Anglo-Saxon ruling elite, to some degree unbalanced, in order to hold some leverage over Rwanda and keep it suitably behaved; or in the case of the French ruling elite, an interest in destabilising the Rwandan government altogether for the sake of ‘la francophonie.’

Both these interests use the genocidal ideology for their own ends, though the Anglo-Saxons are more cynical in this respect.

And those who subscribe to genocidal ideology itself are happy to be used by these interests, either because they lack enough political sophistication to recognise they are being used, or they are simply happy to take advantage of the current opportunity presented before them.

Peter, Kigali

**************

An interesting read! I was lucky enough to meet President Paul Kagame on his last visit to the UK. During the Q&A session, I asked the President on the possibility of availing investment forums tailored specifically to the Diaspora community.

Because I feel much as the country is on the up rapidly and a big chuck of the Diaspora has joined the wheel of fortune, a lot is still left to be done to sensitise them of the facts on the ground, and experience says tickle the belly and you have them.

So I think going by the article one way of achieving this is through investment forums targeting the Diaspora communities and highlighting the gains the country has made, be it through transfer of skills or indeed their capital.

Philip Kagara