The Chairman of RPF Inkotanyi, H.E President Paul Kagame has rallied the Rwandan Diaspora, urging them to have an active role in the country's ongoing transformation journey.
He was addressing over 4,000 Rwandans who turned up for the event dubbed Rwanda Day that was held on Saturday at World Conference centre in the German city of Bonn.
During his address, he took them through the progress made by the country, saying that much as there is a lot that has been achieved, there is a lot more to be done, and urged them to have an active role along that journey.
He equated the country's journey to a moving plane, saying that there are always winds that pull it in different directions, but it keeps moving ahead.
He said that though there are winds that try to push the plane backwards, these are always overpowered but those that push it ahead.
The winds pushing backwards, according to the Head of State, are those detractors who wish ill of Rwanda.
"But we also have winds that push us forward. That is each of you. You are the ones pushing Rwanda in the right direction," he said, adding that there was a need to keep increasing efforts to not only reach set goals but to also move even faster.
He said that Rwanda has been able to achieve what it has achieved by making the right choices and doing the right things.
"A country cannot move forward based on doing the wrong things. It is a contradiction. We are moving forward because we are doing the right things. What can we do, to do even better, to increase the number of people doing the right things," he said.
He stressed the importance of dignity, which he said is about doing the right thing.
"Dignity is about doing the right thing because it is the right thing to do, not because you are told by others. This would not be sustainable," he said.
He added: "Rwanda has challenges we want to solve, we have poverty, that we want to fight, Rwandans are dying from diseases others dont die from, some Rwandans were not getting enough to eat."
The event was characterised by discussions that centres around patriotism, culture, heritage, innovation and global connection.
There was also a career fair, where different Rwandan organisations pitching opportunities available in the country for those in Diaspora interested in returning back home.
This was the 10th event to be held since the inaugural Rwanda Day was held in Brussels in 2010.
Similar events have been held in the cities of Chicago (US), Paris (France), Boston (US), London (UK), Toronto (Canada), Atlanta (US), Amsterdam (The Netherlands), San Francisco (US) and Ghent in Belgium.
