Dear Youth, Rwandas torch of hope, may peace be with you, please share it with others wherever you are. I send you my best regards! Our king Gihanga Ngomijana, created Rwanda and so for his prowess, he proclaimed an expansion on his lands for eternity. He urged Rwandans to acquire the knowledge and skills that could be used to develop Rwanda when they travel abroad. He also said: All those who travel abroad should rejoice in Rwanda and steer clear of those who distort the truth. Let this be a principle by which we live. I am writing this to remind you of this exhortation because nothing is greater than Rwanda. Fight valiantly for Rwanda and join forces with those who do, that is what will make us proud among the nations. I remind you of this important heritage of defending Rwanda. Without ignoring that there are people who have violated this alliance, they have altered our ancient wisdom, culture has lost its thread, dishonour has taken over from values, the so-called ethnic labels which were a deformation of what were our social classes gained more prominence than being Rwandans. This has destroyed us, divided and brought us to the bottom of the abyss; the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. I know that many young people are suffering the consequences of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi during which more than 1 million people were killed, but the Inkotanyi who liberated Rwanda and stopped it gave us a legacy that spans centuries of never being a prisoner of the past. I am writing to you wishing you to be free from the scars of the past, for you to have a dignified heritage. I write because I don’t want you to continue to be held back by those who lie to you as if you dont have a proud heritage. I refuse to see you held back by those who twist history as if you have no heritage. I refuse to see you held up by those deniers of the Genocide while you are Abadaheranwa, those who keep their eyes fixed on the target. I refuse to see you held back by hatred when you are Abadaheranwa of Rwanda. The fact that those in power between 1959 and 1994 replaced the Rwandan identity with the so-called ethnic groups should by no means be a burden that you should carry forever. Yes, the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi destroyed Rwanda, it left a deep scar for the survivors, but they took the lead and became a source of life when they accepted the RPFs vision to build a united Rwanda for all Rwandans. If the survivors of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi -a genocide in which their families were killed- had refused to take a lead in this process, it would have been a second tragedy for Rwanda. But instead, they accepted to have their killers as neighbours. This is the greatest contribution towards a new Rwanda and we will forever be grateful to them. This is a covenant of life they gave to the country, and, in particular, to those who are not Genocide survivors such as most of those born after the Genocide. What they have done is a foundation of life for future generations. I am telling you this because there are different people who appear to be adults, but who refuse to understand that being an adult is above all a responsibility. They are the same people who distort history and who are revisionists of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. Dear Youth, Our children, beacon of hope of Rwanda, I ask you to always put Rwanda first, never give in to the hatred taught to you by those who should have been teaching you to live in harmony with others. Always remember that you are the Rwanda of today, tomorrow and the future, and remember that each of us was born to fulfil a mission in our life. Remember a very important message that the President of Rwanda, Paul Kagame, gave us: Rwanda is for all Rwandans and that we cannot turn back time, but that we have the power to determine the future. Those who have hatred and division in them, please get rid of this: lets build Rwanda together. Even if you have been taught by your father or mother to hate your neighbours, they are not bigger than Rwanda. Never let those who hate Rwanda and lie about Rwanda all the time on various social media platforms waste your time, because most of them know very well that their hate ideology has been defeated and shall not prevail. Please never join or support any cause of those who hate Rwanda because to hate Rwanda or betray is an abomination. Its a crime. I am also writing to remind you, once again, that you are the foundation on which Rwandas economy is built, join forces, bring the knowledge we need to accelerate our transformation. We need to move fast because we will never be able to recover the time wasted. Remember that we were advised to go fast where others go slowly, but never to go fast without Rwanda at heart because failing to do so has its consequences; you will trip and fall. Those who tell you that you are Hutus, Tutsis or Twa, say “No, we are Rwandans born from those who were categorized according to these ethnic groups because of the politics of that time, but we have recovered our Rwandan identity and we are proud of it.” Also tell them: “Being Tutsi, Twa and Hutu is part of our history, but this should not sow divisions between us or delay us. History has taught us that being united is the foundation that will lead us to success in the future. I tell you this because the fundamental values of Rwanda -patriotism, unity, work, virtue and integrity- are the ones that set up apart. Let us join our forces and fight valiantly for Rwanda because among us giants will be born who will continue to build Rwanda. When you meet those who are filled with hatred like the lost “priest” or others like him, think of them as trucks that broke down on the road, never stay behind, pass them to continue your journey. The irreparable must never delay the living. Dear Youth, Remember that it is you who are going to connect the present and the future, remember that you are not going to tell those who will come after you that you have lived with dishonest people or that they have refused to be virtuous because virtue is learned. Remember this, because if you let someone destroy something in your care, those who come after you will hold you responsible for not having taken the opportunity to take the advice of the heroes while you were living with them, they will see you as having missed the opportunity to adopt the right mindset; be careful dont disappoint them because it would be a tragedy for Rwanda. I repeat this, once again, be careful, never let evildoers take you hostage and remember evildoers have no place among us, and as our ancestors said a true Rwandan does not rebel. Dear Youth, my dear compatriots with whom we share Rwanda, you who do not stop doing what makes Rwanda move forward, you who ignore your scars to give Rwanda a better chance to prosper, may these sources not dig down, continue to guide our own who are being led astray by their own parents, let us join our forces because we have a proud heritage. Building Rwanda is a collaborative effort and we have a foundation that the Inkotanyi and the survivors of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi gave us, that is enough for us to resist anyone who tries to sow hatred among us. Rwanda needs us, lets get ready to serve it. God bless Rwanda Edouard Bamporiki is the Minister of State in the Ministry of Youth and Culture.
