We get a lot of depressing international news (in addition to US news). My son emailed me a copy of his invitation to a presentation tomorrow (Singapore time, so in a few hours) night to hear the President of Rwanda talk. This is part of his Masters Degree program there. Here's what the invite says about the topic and the speaker. (OK, this is obviously pushing the good stuff, but the good stuff looks pretty good.)
THE AFRICA AND RWANDA:
FROM CRISIS TO SOCIOECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTYou are cordially invited to attend the following lecture
hosted by the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy:
His Excellency Paul Kagame President of the Republic of Rwanda
Topic: Africa and Rwanda: From Crisis to Socioeconomic Development
Speaker: His Excellency Paul Kagame
President of the Republic of Rwanda
Moderator: Prof Kishore Mahbubani, Dean, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy
Date: Thursday, 22 May 2008
Time: 5.30 pm - 7.00 pm
Synopsis
Perceptions and stereotype of Africa and Rwanda as perpetual 'basket cases' and 'donor havens' only sustained by aid, charity and pity no longer correspond to contemporary development of the past decade. Rwanda, under the leadership of one of Africa’s most able leaders, President Paul Kagame has undertaken considerable reforms leading to serious domestic and foreign investment.
President Kagame has single-handedly redefined the way African leaders should engage the best of the Western and Eastern world. He has appointed some the world's greatest minds in business and strategic investment to his council of economic advisers. President Kagame also put Rwanda on the global map by hosting UN secretary-general Ban-Ki Moon and US President George W. Bush.
Some of the recent indicators that prove President Kagame's esteem with world leaders include his appointment by Bill Clinton to the board of the Clinton Global Initiative. Tony Blair also recently became the Rwandan Government?s advisor for no fees; Bill Gates has personally been working closely with President Kagame in supporting the health sector in Rwanda. Paul Farmer, a Harvard professor and world's leading authority on public health-care in poor countries is advising President Kagame to develop one of the most innovative national health insurance systems in the world.
The strategic alliances between Rwanda/Kagame and some of the leading minds in business and politics around the globe are yielding good results. Improvements in health care, increased education opportunities, an investor-friendly environment and the transformation of the city of Kigali are some of the accomplishments that have started to take root in the country.
Rwanda is also aggressively seeking business opportunities with Asia. Dubai World has just signed a US$ 230m investment deal in Rwanda. The government of Singapore has been hired to advise Rwanda on how to build a modern city that serve as the region's service centre.
About the speaker
His Excellency Paul Kagame was sworn in as President of the Republic of Rwanda for a seven year term on September 12, 2003. Paul Kagame was born October 23, 1957 in Ruhango, Southern Province. In 1960 he fled with his family at the age of three and moved to Uganda were he grew up as a refugee. He returned to Rwanda as a leader of the Rwandese Patriotic Front (RPF) in 1990. The RPF was the force that ended the Rwandan genocide in 1994. Under President Kagame?s leadership, Rwanda has been in the forefront of the prevention of genocide in Africa and elsewhere. Rwanda Defence Forces have become one of the major contributors to African peace keeping operations in Dafur as well as the newly created hybrid AU-UN force.
His administration has also proven its enduring commitment to peace and development at home as well as on the continent, greatly helping to sustain the emerging image of Africa as a continent leaving behind ugly images of violence and underdevelopment for the redemption of its peoples and institutions. As he has stated, "In Africa today, we recognise that trade and investment, and not aid, are pillars of development."
We look forward to seeing you at the lecture.
I'm sure J will post his observations on his blog afterward. We can see if he lives up to his billing. At least as a speaker.
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ReplyDeleteI deleted a message here because it was essentially a "Hey nice blog come look at my blog" comment. I rarely have deleted messages, but will if their purpose has nothing to do with the post and is merely to direct the reader to some business deal or a site that is mostly marketing. I don't take paid ads on this blog and I don't need to have free ones either.
ReplyDeleteKagame is quite an interesting man. I just did a post on Rwanda and his role in ending the genocide. He seems so different and unique than other African leaders and, really, thank God. If any country needed him it was Rwanda.
ReplyDeleteI recommend you read Shake Hands With the Devil by Romeo Dallaire. He was head of the joke of a UN Delegation during the genocide and it is his book that really educated me about Kagame.
The only issue that deeply concerns me is Kagame's purported role in starting the genocide. I guess he was responsible for killing the president and he knew that the genocide would begin but he did it because . . . why? I am not sure. I think it was a French Court last year that charged him with that. Disturbing.
Ok I will shut up now.