Article 22 of the law relating to the rights and protection of the child talks about a very important aspect of life-patriotism. Simply put, patriotism is allegiance to one’s country. This is what article 22 (mentioned above) denotes by stating that a child must love his/her nation. Now, what does loving one’s country entail exactly? According to Jesse Ventura, an American politician, loving one’s country is having a feeling of loyalty that is as a result of knowledge and belief. He further explains that a patriotic person shows their loyalty through their actions and by their choices. In essence, patriotism involves doing things that build up a country. It is easy to assume that someone can only be seen to be patriotic when they hold a gun and go to war and fight for their country. While this honourable, it is not the only way. Patriotism can be as simple as always doing what is constitutionally right. It can also be as simple as respecting the rights and freedoms of other people and even speaking out when other people’s rights are being tampered with. Patriotism is taking the time to learn about the history of Rwanda as a country and embracing, and even emulating the positive attributes and cultural practices that move the country forward. It is taking pride in being Rwandan and making sure that wherever you go, you present a good image of the country. Patriotism is so important to Rwanda that is one of three traits indicated in the national motto. The other two traits are unity and hardwork. All three traits work hand in hand. This is because it is hard to be patriotic without embracing unity. A country isn’t land or buildings. It is people. You therefore cannot love a country without loving its people, no matter where they come from or what they look like. In respect to hardwork, your role right now is to honour your duty as a child by being in school and working hard to acquire the academic tools that you can use to develop Rwanda. By being in school, you can also learn about being patriotic. Article 22 of the law relating to the rights and protection of the child indicates that during the education stage of a child, civic education programs are included to allow him/her understand the basis of loving his/her nation.
