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Kagame listed among 50 faces that shaped the past decade
President Paul Kagame of Rwanda has been listed among the world’s top 50 people who shaped the past decade.
President Paul Kagame of Rwanda has been listed among the world’s top 50 people who shaped the past decade.
A survey conducted by the Financial Times named President Kagame alongside other renowned global personalities such as US President Barack Obama, Chinese President Hu Jintao, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, TV host Oprah Winfrey and Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin.
President Kagame’s nomination comes just a year after Time Magazine listed him among the 20 most influential “leaders and revolutionaries” for 2009.
Editors of the Financial Times said his influence was phenomenal. That he successfully lifted his country from the ravages of the 1994 genocide in which nearly a million people were massacred. Today the country is vibrant economically and enjoys good governance. They added that his vision for development and ambition to stamp out poverty in his country have inspired many nations as well.
Thus, Kigali is now “Africa’s fastest growing ‘social innovation’ capital.” ‘Gacaca,’ a community based justice system for instance, has successfully heard over 1.5 million cases involving genocide convicts.
The ‘Imihigo,’ another governance system that appraises officials based on their performance contracts, has wiped out corruption, while ‘Umuganda’, a social innovation that encourages nationwide communal based cleaning, is responsible for Kigali’s well manicured lawns.
According to Rwanda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Louise Mushikiwabo, these triumphs have made Rwanda a country of reference.
“We still have a long way to go but we are proud to share some of our experiences. President Kagame does things differently, and that is why he has received so much attention. He speaks his mind and has a very African way of looking at things.”
When asked to comment on his feat, President Kagame said the judges took into consideration the challenges Rwanda has endured in the last 15 years and the processes of finding consistent solutions.
“In a global world, solutions to a problem in one part of the world can offer a learning experience to those in other parts. I am sure people say if Rwanda can find solutions to its problems, other countries too can do so,” President Kagame said.
His vision is not only to produce a stable Rwanda but a competitive, productive African continent, a phrase he continually reiterates.
President Kagame also continues to influence African leaders on how Western democracies should perceive African politics.
He has openly talked about an aid-free Africa and criticised the United Nations on failed policies.
“Aid has not only often failed to meet its objectives but has also rarely dealt with underlying issues of poverty and weak societies. We see this with our neighbour, the DRC. The 17,000 UN peacekeepers treat the symptoms rather than address the issues of capacity, self determination and dignity,” he said last year.
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I totally agree with the survey that found president Paul Kagame to be among 20 most influential figures in 2009.Unlike Kagame quite a number of African leaders can not hand over power when they lose elections to the opposition.They are willing to go as far as power sharing just to remain in power.They do so to maintain the status quo and more so to protect their cronies with whom they shamelessly loot state resources during their tenures.Well done president Kagame,you are one among very few African statesmen.
