Kigali, 20 March 2014
President Kagame today met with thirty MBA students from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.
Exchanging with the business school students on the perceived contradiction between development and democracy, President Kagame emphasized the need to root this debate in reality:
“Some believe there is one part of the world that specializes in democracy and another that knows nothing about it. Democracy cannot just be fancy words. It must be based on giving people the capacity to fully participate in creating an environment that ensures human dignity. It is about respecting who people want to be and not what others feel for or about them.”
Sharing his vision of leadership with the students, President Kagame stressed the importance of following words with actions:
“Leadership is about commitment, character and energy. It is about going beyond thinking, getting out there and doing things that deliver what we need.”
The Kellogg school students are in Rwanda for research in the field of ICT, teacher training, women empowerement, eco-tourism and entrepreneurship. Following their time in Rwanda, the students will also travel to Uganda and Tanzania.