Kigali — The Commonwealth Secretary-General, Kamalesh Sharma yesterday arrived in the country, and from the onset, said that the organization would like to partner with Rwanda in achieving its Vision 2020.

“I see a very large area in the Vision 2020 where we can work together in the years to come,” he told reporters shortly after his arrival at Kigali International Airport.

Sharma, who thereafter left for Kigali Genocide Memorial Site, said that the Vision 2020′s six pillars, among them, governance, the rule of law and democracy, correspond well with Commonwealth’s focus.

“These are the strengths of the Commonwealths and these are very clear areas where we can be partners. There are also other areas like resource and skills development, education, as well as institutional building,” he said.

Asked what the Commonwealth would do compel its member states to comply in apprehending several Genocide fugitives still at large, Sharma was non committal.

“I will have to discuss this with the leadership here and see what it is that they would wish the Commonwealth to be engaged in, depending upon the strength of the Commonwealth, we shall take it from there,” he said.

His two-day visit comes barely three months after Rwanda was welcomed into the 54-member organisation.

Sharma is scheduled to meet and consult with top government officials as well as address the press before his departure.

Kigali — President Paul Kagame, Friday, challenged the youth to be major achievers, saying that there is a lot they can offer that other people in the country or continent are looking up to in order to attain their own aspirations.

Kagame made these remarks at the award-giving ceremony dubbed “Celebrating Young Rwandan Achievers,” (CYRWA), an initiative of the Imbuto Foundation.

While addressing guests, the President urged the young men and women not to waste themselves or their time, but rather they should go ahead and achieve what they can to drive the nation to prosperity.

“There is nobody else that is going to do it for you. Nobody else is going to do it for our country and nobody will do it for our continent.

“We Africans are always referred to as poor, the disaster area, poverty stricken .People will sympathise with you, come and help, but that is all.”

He noted that the more achievers, the stronger the critical mass that will make the development process more dynamic and faster, hence enabling the country to stand on its own.

“We don’t have to wait for tomorrow, it should have been yesterday… There is a lot in young people that we can build on to be where others are today. These youngsters have shown us that it can be done”.

“In other parts of the world, some people have taken prosperity for granted while we are still struggling for it. We must work hard to enable our young people achieve what they can.” Kagame emphasised.

As regards self sustainability, the President advised the youth to work hard, think hard and smart to develop themselves and their country.

Kagame also reminded the audience that it is not pre-ordained that Rwanda or Africa should remain poor, but rather it is imperative to invest energy and time to change the situation.

“It is not written anywhere, whether in the Bible, Quran or dictionary, that Rwanda or Africa, are there to remain poor, or that we are sub-human and others are superior and more human that they should look after us. “Our nation will develop through building on energies and successes of individuals as well. You can not develop Rwanda or Africa unless you start from the individual to the nation and then to the continent,” Kagame noted.

He therefore recognised the achievers as representatives that other people look to for more achievement and contribution to Rwanda’s overall development.

The President pointed out that the young recipients of the awards were not only achievers, but also examples to others.

Eight young Rwandans who have strived towards the highest levels of personal and professional excellence, and in turn contributed meaningfully to their communities, were given prestigious awards at the colourful ceremony.

Larissa Kaze, Jean Pierre Muranga, David Mwambari and Beth Kayitesi were among those awarded.

The First Lady and Patron of Imbuto foundation, Mrs. Jeannette Kagame also urged the young achievers to be torch bearers that must endeavour to live to the expectations of those who nominated and awarded them.
“I encourage you to aim for excellence, to believe in yourselves, to educate, engage and empower other young people and most of all, surround yourselves with people who bring out the best in you. Such are qualities of leaders who aspire to be part of a dignified generation,” she urged.

The government, One United Nations family, the Private Sector Federation, and individual contributors were recognised for the support they render to the Foundation’s activities.

Kaze, a US based Rwandan who won the award for reaching out to the community through three orphanages that she founded in the country, also pledged her continuous support to community development.

The programme which started in 2007 aims at promoting visionary leadership, excellence, integrity and the zeal to aspire to inspire other young people.

Kigali — President Paul Kagame has been listed among the world’s 50 most influential people who shaped the last decade, alongside some of the renowned global heavy weights in the areas of politics, business, economics and culture.

The survey carried out by The Financial Times (FT) attracted a debate with contributors saluting the publication for having chosen Kagame describing him as a leader who had great impact not only in the region but across the World.

“It was not an easy task. There could easily have been 50 people from each category. So the men and women on our list should be seen as representative of the larger themes of the decade,” the Financial Times said.

Commenting on President Paul Kagame’s featuring on the list, The Financial Times said, “the President is admired in the west, and in the sub-region, for his leadership in rebuilding Rwanda since the devastation of the 1994 genocide.”

‘Rwanda, under his leadership, has punched well above its weight,’ FT said.

Kagame’s nomination attracted some debate on the website of the FT, one of the World’s most respected publications, with the majority of contributors saying the President merited the honour.

A comment by a contributor on the website emphasised that Kagame was most certainly instrumental in “snatching” Rwanda from the status of a failed state it had been before 1994, to one of the “respected and most watched nations” on the African continent.

The achievements cited by contributors to the debate, included restoration of political stability, maintaining a steady economic growth and promotion of gender equality as some of the milestones under Kagame’s leadership.

“Only the foolish would deny or understate these remarkable achievements for a country that was known for exporting refugees into exile and for pogroms/genocide a decade and half ago,” one of the contributors said.

Another FT reader wrote that, “the Financial Times is right to have H.E Paul Kagame in the list of the top people who have shaped world politics in the last decade.

Indeed, Rwanda is Africa’s biggest success story. In barely 15 years, the country has transformed from a failed state to one of the fastest growing economies on the continent,”

“It has established a stable government with democratic institutions, ensured peace and security, made unprecedented progress towards national unity and reconciliation, and restored its economy attaining an 11.2% growth rate over the past year,” the comment reads.

The 50 most influential persons’ list includes; US President Barrack Obama, Chinese President Hu Jintao, Germany Chancellor Angela Merkel, renowned TV talk show host Oprah Winfrey, Google Founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin.

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