Rwandans, particularly the young generation, need to understand their roles and choose the right leadership to drive the country's development. This call was made by Tito Rutaremara, the Chairperson of Rwanda Elders Advisory Forum, stated this in a Twitter space he hosted on November 2, where he held discussions on ‘Generations of Rwanda since the colonial era.’ He enlightened that each generation had a mission to accomplish, but that not all of them were able to discover or achieve theirs due to lack of good leadership. There have been five generations of Rwandans since colonisation. All of whom contributed in some way to the country's progress. “Those are the generations who lived through colonisation (1930-1950), sought independence (1950-1960), and witnessed the reign of PARMEHUTU, a party that emphasised ethnicity in Rwanda and proclaimed Hutu supremacy over Tutsis (1960-1980), he explained. According to him, the latter existed concurrently with the generation that sought Rwanda's liberation (1987-1995). Then came the post-genocide generation (1995-2021), which rebuilt the country after the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi, and the generation 2020-2050, which is entrusted with the country's future. Rutaremara, who has served in a number of capacities, including chairing the commission that drafted the 2003 constitution on which much of the country's current development is based, has been an Ombudsman and is a senior cadre of the RPF-Inkotanyi. According to his explanation, during the colonial period, 1930-1950, the generation at the time was focused on acquiring knowledge of colonialists and imitating them in speech, culture, and religion, among other things. He noted that, while the 1950-1960 generation in other parts of Africa had a mission to free themselves from colonial rule, this did not occur in Rwanda. Because UNAR, a pro-monarchy political party that was anti-colonisation at the time, was not supported by fellow countrymen. He went on to say that the 1960-1980 generation, those who remained in Rwanda under the PARMEHUTU regime, had a mission of instigating divisions among Rwandans, characterised by inferiority complexes towards white men and superiority complexes towards their fellow Rwandans, hence disunity. Rutaremara described the generation of 1967-1980, mostly refugees living in neighbouring countries, as being preoccupied with attempts to survive, find jobs, and study. They were also marked, according to him, by cultural renaissance in the form of traditional songs and dances. They had not forgotten about their country, but they were not motivated by a common mission yet. Later on, some of them began to wonder if they wanted to perish as refugees in foreign lands, inciting this generation to seek ways to fight back for their legitimate rights in the country, Rutaremara recounted. He stated that the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF-1987-1995) supported this generation by providing a line with unifying ideology and politics, institutions and leaders, and a mission to liberate the country. He described the 1995-2021 generation as fortunate to have leaders who set an example for them, with a mission to build the country and protect its sovereignty. While the generation from 2020 to 2050, is tasked with fostering national immunity. This generation has leaders who provide it with everything it requires, including politics, ideology, and guidelines, to ensure Rwanda's continued prosperity. They may be living in the most peaceful Rwanda than other generations, but they have an even bigger mission to fulfil,” he said. The Twitter space, which was joined by over 800 people from both the local and diaspora communities, lasted for over two hours. People asked a wide range of questions from the topic of the day to other subjects covering political and public interest. Rutaremara went on to respond to each of them, emphasising the importance of every generation understanding the country's history, vision, and challenges in order to accomplish their respective missions.
