“Let’s continue with rebuilding Rwanda together”, states president Kagame during the Umaganda, a national public service every last Saturday of the month. All Rwandans are obliged to help build and repair roads, houses and schools. Even the president himself is participating.
In front of dozens of cameras he throws cement into the groundwork of a new building, which has to become a community center for genocide survivors. Later, when he gives a speech from a small stage, built the same day, a crowd of people obviously convened for the occasion singing just too exuberantly how the Umuganda develops and unites their country.
Critics argue, however, that as long as history can’t be discussed openly and honestly, Rwandans will never fully recover from trauma of the genocide, they won’t be able to fully reconcile with each other and the hilly country will remain a volcano to erupt any moment.
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