The Commonwealth celebrations continued today as President Kagame addressed the Royal Commonwealth Society (RCS) on the important role young people play in the development of Rwanda, Africa and the 54 nations of the Commonwealth.
Addressing around 300 members of the RCS, media and other participants, President Kagame said, “In any country, the youth should be pillars for the future. Rwanda’s vision for our youth builds on the one we have set for the country as a whole: prosperity, self-sufficiency, and dignity through innovation, creativity, technology, and values – including traditional ones.”
On what being part of the Commonwealth meant for the youth of Rwanda, President Kagame pointed out, “The Commonwealth is well placed and has the right values to contribute meaningfully to this generation of young people. This includes supporting the movement of skilled people from countries with higher skills to those where they are critically needed. From such efforts, the productive capacities of the youth individual member countries and collectively will increase, driving the development that we all seek.”
Past speakers at the RCS include African leaders such as Nelson Mandela, Thabo Mbeki and Kenneth Kaunda who also gave speeches at the prestigious society, which has over 4,000 members in London and 10,000 members worldwide.
The commitment to youth and Rwanda’s welcome into the Commonwealth was highlighted with the news that the RCS will be hosting the first Africa Commonwealth Youth Leadership in Rwanda later this year. Building on the success of projects in Malaysia, Ghana, Cyprus and the United Kingdom, Rwanda will play host to ‘Nkabom 2010’ – meaning ‘coming together’ in Twi, a Ghanaian language. The ten-day programme will bring together around 35 young people from all over the Commonwealth to actively engage them in international issues, working together to develop greater understanding of the host country, the region and beyond.