President Paul Kagame recently called on the Rwandan youth to step forward and become active participants in politics, or else politics will take care of them. He warned the young people that steering clear of politics could end up haunting them in the future should bad elements rise to power and abuse it. Rwandans know all too well about the excesses of bad leadership. That’s why we cannot afford to have a generation of young people that’s aloof and disconnected where matters of nation building and leadership are concerned. There are a few initiatives that seek to inspire young people to learn from older compatriots, particularly the generation that boasts heroes and heroines who contributed in one way or another toward the liberation of Rwanda and the halting of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. The young people of today are in a privileged position to learn from these brave men and women because many of them are still in our midst. One such initiative is the ‘Inter-generation Dialogue’ that was launched last year by Miss Rwanda 2016 Jolly Mutesi, under which she’s currently traversing the country organising forums that bring together youths and leaders from different sectors who share their experience and show the younger ones the way to becoming responsible, visionary citizens. At one such forum in Nyanza District held over the weekend, Senator Tito Rutaremara engaged the youth who attended the meeting on the need for the young generations to consolidate the gains the country had made over the years. The youth need to be constantly challenged and inspired to think big, fully comprehend the history of their country and to draw lessons that can help in decision making now and in the future. Such drives as the Inter-generation Dialogue need to be supported by all to ensure that as many youths as possible are well-nurtured and instilled with the capacity and eagerness to protect Rwanda’s achievements and to ensure that they live in a country they will continue to be happy to call home and leave behind an even better country. Indeed similar initiatives and engagements should be encouraged, and the older generations should be willing to reach out to the youths to ensure sustainability of the fruits of their hard work and sacrifices.
