Forgiveness may seem and sound impractical but it’s the best way towards total peace and unity. Our past experiences confirmed that divisionism and hatred is like acid that can do damage both to the vessel that carries it and to the victim it’s meant to raze. There’s also an old proverb that says ‘an eye for an eye makes the whole nation blind’. It’s only sixteen years after the genocide but the giant leap that Rwandans have taken towards unity and reconciliation is visibly tremendous! Today as we mourn the loved ones we lost, we can’t help stealing a glance at the light that is burning so bright at the end of the tunnel. You can only cope with your past if you have hope for the future. The power of forgiving is amazing, many countries are asking themselves, “How is it possible for those who committed the atrocities in the genocide to not only be forgiven but also be fully accepted back in the community?” Well, if ‘Two wrongs don’t make a right’ and ‘those who fight fire with fire end up with ash’, then no doubt Rwandans have taken the right path. As a patriot and a leader with a vision, after stopping the genocide, President Kagame embarked on another war of stopping the citizens from sitting back and licking their wounds, and stressed the importance of unity and reconciliation. He also endlessly urged Rwandans to stand up and turn the pain, sorrow and sadness into fuel that should be used to propel them to greater heights! Rwandans couldn’t make it this far without the right leaders. Whatever we are achieving is because of the great, selfless leaders of this country. Leaders that turned a deaf ear to criticism, and abuse of those who wanted Rwanda to sink deep in sorrow and misery. Many times the president of the republic said ‘the wealth of this country is its citizens’. For us to move forward we had to unite and work together. He believed in us, he knew we could make it. Now Rwandans have reached a point where they not only believe in themselves but also are proud of their country and of who they are. They see the light at the end of the tunnel, even those who are blind can smell and tell they are on the right track, derailing them is unthinkable, simply because the strength of unity is unbreakable! A lot has been done but still a lot needs to be done. Remember, ‘He who is on the right track if he doesn’t keep moving he can get run-over’! It’s everyone’s responsibility to keep the fire of unity strongly burning, and it’s also everyone’s obligation to uproot the weed of divisionism among ourselves and spread the gospel of unity to the whole region and the entire Africa. After all, ‘a candle loses nothing by lighting another candle’. Let us remember what happened so that we don’t repeat it, history doesn’t repeat itself, it’s us who do. Let’s be firm in the Never Again. Ends
