Hong Kong, 9 September 2012
Today in Hong Kong, President Kagame was the guest of honour at an event hosted by the Young Presidents Organisation (YPO). In his address, President Kagame told the young business leaders that Rwanda’s progress was a result of the deliberate effort and choice of the Rwandan people.
On the topic of leadership, President Kagame told the young CEOs: “Leadership is about galvanising and ensuring that everyone involved feels part of the process.”
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In response to a question on personal motivation, President Kagame explained how his youth had shaped him: “I was a refugee for twenty seven years and there is no better school than the life we lived and the experience we had…the difference our generation made was that we not only thought about what this situation meant, we acted.”
Throughout the event, President Kagame answered questions ranging from the failure of the United Nations in Rwanda to the country’s continuously improving business environment recently recognised by the 2012 World Economic Forum Global Competitiveness Report.
The YPO of Hong Kong invited President Kagame to address its members about leadership and its values, as part of their education program.
Speaking on behalf of the CEOs at the event, Sunil Mohanini of Sara Limited, explained that YPO members wanted to learn how President Kagame got motivated and inspired to lead Rwanda from a difficult past to one of internationally recognised success.
The YPO connects 20,000 chief executives leading companies that generate $6 trillion and employ more than 15 million people. Founded in 1950, the organisation now counts chapters in 120 countries with 19 in Africa including Rwanda.
In 2003, the organisation awarded President Kagame the Global Leadership Award. YPO members from the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, South Africa and the United States have all visited Rwanda to partner on a variety of projects.