Empowering Citizens in Decision-Making hailed as Essential

Rwanda’s Minister of Local Government, Hon. Jean Claude Musabyimana attributed the country’s steady and rapid development in various sectors to good leadership and citizen participation in the decision-making processes in Rwanda.

He made these remarks during the opening ceremony of the ‘Strengthening Citizen Participation in Decision-making in Rwanda’ conference organized by Never Again Rwanda in collaboration with the Dutch Embassy in Rwanda.

The two-day conference which ran from 13 – 14 March at the Kigali Convention Centre, aimed at exchanging ideas among policymakers, analysts, and civil society to assess democratization progress in the past 30 years, challenges, enhancing local governance and citizen participation, while evaluating the role of civil society in democracy. The conference also provided recommendations for improving voter education and the election process, come July 2024.

While speaking at the conference, Minister Musabyimana noted that after the Genocide, rebuilding Rwanda from the shambles was a hard but necessary task.

‘’In the aftermath of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, Rwanda faced the monumental task of rebuilding a shattered nation. It became evident that to overcome the deep divisions that had plagued our society, a governance system built on unity, reconciliation, and citizen participation was imperative,’’ he noted.

He went on to say that it was because of this, that Rwanda’s commitment to consensual democracy and citizen participation was enshrined in its constitution, laying the foundation for a resilient and inclusive political landscape.

The conference brought together various individuals and actors in different fields such as the media, development partners, civil society organizations, researchers, political analysts, and academia among others who were able to share knowledge, opinions, and ideas over the period of two days.

Diverse panel discussions were held to delve deeper into issues such as consensual?decision-making, decentralization and citizen participation and the role of non-state actors in promoting and enhancing participatory governance in a democratic society were discussed.

While speaking at the conference, Never Again Rwanda’s Executive Director Dr. Nkurunziza Joseph Ryarasa noted that the roles of the civil society in different countries cannot be overlooked, but there are challenges in various cases where the different actors in this field can not effectively execute their roles such as defending human rights, holding the government accountable and this is mainly because they are not empowered in terms of funding and do not have qualified staff.

Throughout the conference, recommendations centered around CSOs role and relevance in Rwanda were offered. These included, reviewing, and adapting legal frameworks and participatory processes for inclusivity and accountability, investing in capacity-building for officials and citizens, fostering strategic partnerships, encouraging open dialogue among stakeholders, and empowering youth engagement, as well as continuous evaluation and refinement of approaches drawn from Rwanda's historical context to address evolving governance challenges.

While officially closing the conference, Dr. Ryarasa emphasized Never Again Rwanda’s commitment to continue fighting for transparency, youth empowerment, and holding the government accountable among its many roles.

‘’As we move forward, Never Again Rwanda remains committed to working alongside all stakeholders including the government, civil society organizations, political parties, and the citizens themselves, to turn the recommendations from this seminar into tangible actions. We will continue to champion transparency, accountability, and the protection of human rights, ensuring that the lessons learned from our history are never forgotten. It is through collaborative efforts and an unwavering commitment to these principles that we can build a truly inclusive and participatory Rwanda, where unity triumphs over division, and where the voices of all citizens are heard, respected, and empowered to shape the nation's future,’’ he said.