Democracy In Rwanda
Overview
Rwanda is the "Land of a Thousand Hills" full of greenery and fertility. The nation is landlocked boarded by Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The country has a growing population with over 13 million people one of the highest population densities in Africa. Many of its citizens are young people born after The 1994 Genocide Against The Tutsi and are jobless and in poverty. Kinyarwanda is the country's official language. Rwanda is a very religious nation and is known as one of the most politically stable countries in the continent of Africa. Rwanda is known for its cleanliness, and banning plastic bags, with a collective effort for community unity and organization. The citizens of Rwanda gather together for Umuganda a traditional practice and a national holiday that takes place the last Saturday of every month from 8-11 am, where everyone comes together to clean, repair, and build in their communities.This Open Educational Resource will navigate the democratic attributes of Rwanda and the lack thereof.
Learning Goals
Essential Question:
Is Rwanda a Democracy?
You will be able to:
Describe the attributes of Rwanda’s Democracy or Lack Thereof.
History of Rwanda
The Kingdom of Rwanda was a Monarchy, known as the Mwami. The Monarchy emerged in the 15th century. Germany's colonial rule impacted the Kingdom in the 1890's. 1916 Rwanda became a Belgian mandate after Germany's defeat in World War I. By the 1950s Rwanda's governance system had completely shifted away from its traditional practices and became a complete colonial administration. The three main societal social groups Hutu, Twa, and the Tutsi were determined by colonial leaders. Creating a "Tutsi Elite" and a "Hutu Majority" the male-led political parties within these identity factions were so determined and encouraged in their beliefs that ignited the first phase of the genocide in 1959 (Prunier). Violence between and against these groups escalated through propaganda and politics leading to the 1994 Genocide Against The Tutsi.
How Does Rwanda's Democracy Function?
Today, Rwanda has a strong governmental structure. Its constitution is centered on reconciliation and peacebuilding. The country has executive, legislative, and judicial branches, as well as several ministries departments. The Ministries of Health, education, agriculture, animal resources, ministry of infrastructure, finance, and Economic Planning have full control of their focuses. The Rwandan Governance Board monitors compliance and good governance in the private, public, and non-governmental sectors of Rwanda.
The Country is divided into four provinces; the Northern Province, Southern Province, Eastern Province, and Western Province. The City of Kigali is the capital of Rwanda and is considered a decentralized governance. Within each province, there are subdivisions of 30 districts, which are further subdivided into sectors, cells, and villages. The majority of the provinces are rural and are catered to by the government through needed health, food, and farming programs and benefits.
Umudogudo is the village gathering where leaders navigate issues together in their neighborhoods. Rwanda ensures that everyone has health insurance. Health insurance is half a dollar for a year. Your economic category (Ubudeje) will impact how much you have to pay for insurance. The wealthy pay 75% and middle class pays 50% and Graduates from university pay 15% with the government paying the remainder. For the improvised communities the government pays 100%.
This is Minubuwe the Ministry of National Unity & Civic Engagement in Kigali, Rwanda
Leadership in Rwanda
The Leadership in Rwanda has been consistent since after the 1994 Genocide Against The Tutsi, with Paul Kagame being President. A great attribute in leadership is Rwanda's focused on women holding positions of power. Rape and Gender Based Violence was used a tool in the genocide. Now, women are being uplifted in Rwanda's government holding 61.3% of seats in Rwanda's Parliament. Which is the highest percentage in the world. Women also occupy 50% of the positions in the President's cabinet. However, it is known that Rwanda's "increased representation of women has not led to greater statutory protection of women's rights, nor has it led to a more democratic political terrain." (Burnet)
Political Parties:
RPF
Liberal Party
Green Party
Opposition:
FDLR
Interhamwe
Conflicts & Concerns of Rwanda's Democracy
Rwanda has many democratic features such as elections, institutions, and economic development through partnerships, gentrification, agriculture, and tourism. However, Rwanda's President Paul Kagame has been in power since 2000. There have been very intense limitations on any of his opposition parties. The country does not have freedom of speech in the media. Rwanda is a very civil society with little activism or criticism of the government at all.
It has only been 30 years since the Genocide and the country is still recovering and remains weary of conflict. Many people do not trust anyone, rightfully so, there is an overall lack of vulnerability. This 30th anniversary will also mark the release dates for many perpetrators of the genocide.
The government of Rwanda plays a significant role in the ongoing genocide in the Democratic Republic Of the Congo.
My Personal Experience In Rwanda
Ms.McCullough's Observations Of Democracy In Rwanda.
Jocelyn McCullough studied abroad in Rwanda in Spring 2024, while she was there she reached every point of the country. Meeting all types of citizens and leaders, she was able to navigate the country and learn a lot about its functionality.
Key Takeaways
Sources
Works Cited
Buckley-Zistel, Susanne. “What Caused the Rwandan Genocide? - Susanne Buckley-Zistel.” YouTube, 27 June 2023, youtu.be/MF7EbUGlaOU?si=xVUPjBGjSrgpgPcg. Accessed 2 Dec. 2024.
Burnet, Jennie E., "Women Have Found Respect: Gender Quotas, Symbolic Representation and Female Empowerment in Rwanda" (2011). Anthropology Faculty Publications. 3.https://scholarworks.gsu.edu/anthro_facpub/3
EBSCO Publishing: eBook Collection (EBSCOhost) - printed on 9/23/2020 9:12 AM via SIT GRADUATEINSTITUTE/SIT STUDY ABROADAN: 2175846; Uvin, Peter.; Aiding Violence: The Development Enterprise in RwandaAccount: s9324602
Gérard Prunier. The Rwanda Crisis : History of a Genocide. New York, Columbia University Press, 1997.
Harding, Robin . “Who Is Democracy Good For? Elections, Rural Bias, and Health and Education Outcomes in Sub-Saharan Africa.” University of Oxford, 27 Dec. 2018.
Newbury, Catharine. “Background to Genocide: Rwanda.” Issue: A Journal of Opinion 23, no. 2 (1995): 12–17. https://doi.org/10.2307/1166500.
News Global, TLDR. “Will War Break out between Rwanda and the DRC?” Www.youtube.com, www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxWahUxx2i8.