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President Paul Kagame today said that Rwanda is pleased to be part of the Commonwealth and to contribute to the organisation as it adapts to new global challenges.

Speaking at opening ceremony of the 21stCommonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Perth, where Rwanda was officially welcomed as the newest member, President Kagame thanked Commonwealth members for the support extended to Rwanda during its admission in 2009.

President Kagame noted that Rwandans shared the values and principles that have shaped the Commonwealth and pledged Rwanda’s support to collective efforts to make the organisation stronger and more dynamic;

“Our citizens know from experience that peace, security, and equal opportunities for all –including gender equality – are important pillars of good governance and a strong basis for socio-economic development.”

“We also believe that when we work together, we win together. The economic and political challenges that the global community has witnessed recently provide more than enough evidence regarding the degree of our interdependence.”

President Kagame also pointed out that Rwanda was happy to associate with the Commonwealth aspirations of mutual respect and understanding which supports cooperation and partnership framed by fair rules that are equally applicable to all.

Queen Elizabeth, celebrating her 60th anniversary as the Head of the Commonwealth, said that almost a decade after the last CHOGM was held in Australia, new challenges exist and member states must remain steadfast and rise to the occasion in order to provide long lasting solutions to these common challenges.

“The theme this year is, ‘Women as Agents of Change’. It reminds us of the potential in our societies that is yet to be fully unlocked, and it encourages us to find ways to allow all girls and women to play their full part.”

“We must continue to strive in our own countries and across the Commonwealth together to promote that theme in a lasting way beyond this year”.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard of Australia said that the meeting was a fitting moment for reflection and renewal as it marks the 80th anniversary of the Commonwealth and urged fellow CHOGM members to consider it a call to action;

“How do we best pursue our timeless values in a world of change? Let us make CHOGM 2011 memorable for answering this question. Memorable for being the Meeting that gave the Commonwealth the direction it needed at a time of global uncertainty and risk. In so doing, we will be faithful to our values, and faithful to the people who have sent us here. “

Kamalesh Sharma, Secretary General of the Commonwealth, described the importance of CHOGM to its citizens;

“CHOGMs have also become the occasion to bring together in celebration the full breadth of our Commonwealth community. All can serve our three aspirations of Democracy, Development and Diversity.”

“And in offering global wisdom and value, we must continue to strive for equity, especially for the rights and causes of the small and the vulnerable, and in the service of our people”.

Over the next two days President Kagame will take part in closed working sessions with other Heads of Government during which they will deliberate over the CHOGM agenda.

The reading of the final communiqué this Sunday will mark the end of the 2011 CHOGM meeting.

An online website that publishes Rwandan based information has won United Nations Association of Australia Media Peace Awards.

The judges said the website placed the Rwandan genocide into both historical and contemporary contexts, and was an excellent example of an interactive, educational site.

“We’re very honoured by the award I wasn’t expecting to win. The other finalists were large media organisations, but all the work for rwandanstories.org incorporating the writing, film editing, web design and so on, was basically just me working in a spare room, or in the local cafe. So it’s very exciting,” said Dave Fullerton, the film-maker and web developer.

RwandanStories.org is a close-up look at genocide and recovery in Rwanda. In 1996 John Steward, an Australian from Melbourne, took a job with World Vision Rwanda.

In 2007, on one of his last visits, he introduced Fullerton to some of his Rwandan friends. Fullerton fell in love with the place and www.rwandanstories.org is the result.

The website was written primarily for Australian students. It includes about twenty short films and look at ‘big-picture’ questions like, What happens in a society to make something like a Genocide possible?, What happens when the media attention has long gone – how can you possibly recover from something like that?

“I thought, if I can talk with young Rwandans about what happened, and about what life has been like for them since 1994, some big conversations could come out of that. Perhaps this ‘out-there’ African story could get kids in Australian schools talking about our own society, about our inclination towards prejudice, and along the way maybe we could learn something about tolerance, resilience and the nuts and bolts of building a peaceful society.” Said Fullerton.

“In testing, it’s clear that Australian students have a high level of engagement with the films. The fact that these are ‘real people’ and not actors is very important. It’s exciting to see students engaging with the shared human issues that apply in their own classrooms and communities, as much as they apply in Rwanda,” Said Sally Morgan, the curriculum developer.

Fullerton said that he sometimes wonders what Rwandans think about the way he has portrayed their country. He is very aware that this was just a tiny part of Rwanda’s story.

There are many important events, experiences and viewpoints not included, but he hopes the website will continue to grow since Rwandans are doing interesting work in so many areas; healthcare, education, conservation, sustainable energy.

“ I’d love to come back and film more stories about those things,” he added.

“It’s easy for Australians to like Rwanda. The big skies, the light, the eucalypts – it can feel so much like home that sometimes you almost forget you’re in Africa. And the friendly people – their warmth, intelligence and grace regularly made me feel very uncivilised so now, when I talk to people I say, go to Rwanda – you’ll love it!” Says Fullerton

The United Nations Association of Australia Media Peace Awards were established in 1979, and recognises media efforts oriented in the realms of Humanitarian, social justice, and promoting Peace.

Approximately nine months remaining for the government year plan, Districts have not yet achieved a quarter of their performance contracts (Imihigo) they signed last July.

The Districts have the battle now to attain over 75% of what the Mayors vowed to do for the public when they signed their 2011-2012 performance contracts.

In a quarterly progressive review of performance contracts yesterday, among 1377 activities planned, in 30 Districts have so far completed 234 activities, a press release have indicated.

A release indicated however that 414 are on track, 390 needs to perform better and 341 activities will be implemented by next quarter.

“After evaluating this quarter’s Imihigo, we are confident that we will achieve our targets for 2011/2012,” Local government Minister James Musoni said while addressing Mayors who had turned up for the Imihigo quarterly progressive review.

The Minister nevertheless urged local government leaders to always communicate the challenges they face in implementation so as to get the due support to achieve 2011-2012 targets of the Imihigo.

Last July, Mayors convened at the lower chambers of parliament and vowed to the president as they signed performance contracts to improve people’s lives in different aspects including economy, social welfare, good governance and justice.

The public waits to see their leaders improve their lives by improving agriculture, financial services, land registration, rural transformation, environmental protection and management, infrastructure development and promotion of ICT services, according to the release.

Other areas include construction of classrooms for the 12 Year Basic Education program, adherence and subscription to health insurance scheme, and poverty reduction initiatives like the gir’inka -one cow per family programme.

In the last 2010/2011 performance Rulindo District emerged Imihigo best performer and went home with a trophy for topping all Districts.

It was followed by Nyamasheke, Kicukiro, Burera, Kirehe, Bugesera, Nyamagabe, Muhanga, Karongi, and Rutsiro districts, in their descending order.

President Paul Kagame has again noted that aid from foreign countries isn’t enough to satisfy the well being of citizens in developing countries saying Instead there should be promotion of investment and trade if sustainable development is to be achieved.

“No matter how big aid is, it can’t be enough to fulfill all plans the government has in regard to ensuring welfare of its citizens,” the president noted in a commonwealth business summit held in Perth city Australia.

Kagame was joined on the panel by two heads of states including Mozambique’s Armando Guebuza and Namibia’s Hifikepunye Pohamba and Canada’s Prime Minister Stephen Harper was also at panel.

He noted that promotion of trade should also go hand in hand with innovation since the same concept has worked well in developed countries. “If this is accomplished it would benefit 1.2 Billion people living in Africa.”

“I often encourage my fellow African politicians to promote investments in their respective countries as a way to grow their economies,” he remarked.

Dr. Mohan Kaul who has chaired the commonwealth’s business chamber for 14 years, and his term nearing completion, hailed the fact there’s US$100 billion to be invested in countries under the commonwealth.

In this respect, the Rwanda Development Board (RDB) had a stand at the event’s premises which is meant to explain to its visitors some of the investment opportunities in the country.

According to Rwanda’s minister of foreign affairs Louise Mushikiwabo, among the reasons why Rwanda decided to join commonwealth is to enjoy trade relations among the member states as a way of promoting the country’s economy.

The Commonwealth Business Council prepares this forum after every two years before the heads of state meeting, the aim is to review and enhance tried ties among member countries.

The Minister of Justice also the government attorney Tharcisse Karugarama has condemned the decision by the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda(ICTR) granting an early release of Michel Bagaragaza.

Bagaragaza who was sentenced to eight years in prison will be released on December 1, 2011 following a pardon by ICTR president Judge Khalida Rachid Khan as proposed by Swedish government following on jurisprudence of the International Criminal Tribunal for former Yugoslavia (ICTY).

This depended on three-quarters of a sentence served, and on the fact that Bagaragaza confessed to crimes and expressed remorse and on his good behavior in jail as attested by the Swedish prison authorities.

“We think it was not considerate enough. In the light of this background, an early release was equally not necessary,” Karugarama the state attorney remarked.

Karugarama added however, that there has not been any breach of rules of procedures by the Court.

“We naturally have to put the matter to rest. In these international justice processes, there are so many things that defy logic and which we have to learn to cope with,” said Karugarama.

It’s for the first time ever, the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda has granted an early release to genocide convicts.

“Under Article 27 of the Statute of the Tribunal, there shall only be pardon or commutation of sentence if the President so decides in the interests of justice.”

“My predecessor president Byron decided on 20 October 2010 that the initial early release of Michel Bagaragaza proposed by the Government of Sweden from 1 December 2010, after having served only two-thirds of his sentence, was premature,” the judge said in a case sheet of which also igihe.com has reads in part.

Judge Byron further decided to review the appropriateness of early release for Bagaragaza after three-fourths of his sentence had been served.

“In accordance with Rule 125 of the Rules of Procedure and Evidence (“Rules”), I have consulted with the Sentencing Chamber and the Bureau, and the Government of Rwanda has been notified of Michel Bagaragaza’s eligibility for early release under Swedish Law,” Judge Khan said.

On 17 November 2009, Michel Bagaragaza was convicted of complicity with genocide and was sentenced to eight years in prison with credit for time already served.

Bagaragaza was the former head of the Rwandan Tea Authority and is currently jailed in a Swedish prison.

He surrendered himself to the ICTR on August 15, 2005 and pleaded guilty to complicity to commit genocide.

Bagaragaza confessed to stocking arms used during the genocide at the Rubaya tea factory in Rubavu of formerly Gisenyi prefecture in northern Rwanda.

He also said he gave money, arms and the use of tea factory vehicles to Interahamwe militia who were massacring Tutsis, out of fears for the safety of himself and his family.

On November 17, 2009, the ICTR found Bagaragaza guilty and sentenced him to eight years in jail with credit for the time already served in the ICTR Detention Facility since 2005.

He was sent to Sweden in July 2010 to complete his sentence. In the past, the ICTR has always refused requests for early release of its convicts.

Rwanda’s president Paul Kagame is expected to give a keynote speech at the 7th Commonwealth Business Forum.

The forum which has been officially opened by the Australian Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, will be attended by 15 other Heads of Government and a large number of business leaders from developed and developing nations.

This becomes the first time Rwanda attended this high profile commonwealth meeting which convenes every after two years.

Previously, Louise Mushikwabo Rwanda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs said that Rwanda was going to benefit a lot both politically and social-economic in this meeting.

In her keynote address, Gillard welcomed the participants to the forum noting it was taking place at a time when the world was facing enormous challenges.

She however pointed out that the Commonwealth was enthusiastically looking at opportunities in Africa and Asia as growing markets and noted that global growth and development can only be realised if there is significant emphasis on trade and investment.

“Other parts of the world are growing significantly too, Africa is home to 1 billion and already has an extraordinary story to tell, one day, perhaps we will talk of the African century too…Sub-Saharan Africa as a whole is expected to grow by 5.3 percent this year and 5.8 percent next year. This is well over twice the pace of the developed world.” Australian Prime Minister said.

The Commonwealth Business Council has said that Commonwealth investment flows are expected to reach 220 billion dollars in 2015, more than double what was achieved in 1997, and that trade would triple in value over the same timeframe.

In his remarks, the Director of the Commonwealth Business forum, Dr. Mohan Kaul said that the Commonwealth can be a practical tool for members in building partnerships to address the challenges in the organization.

“The relevance of the model Commonwealth lies in its potential to leverage economic opportunities and to generate jobs, income and sustainable growth, we need to shift the balance of effort and the branding of the association to achieve this. “ Kaul said.

The Rwanda Development CEO, John Gara and Faustin Mbundu, Chairman of the Rwanda Private Sector Federation led the Rwanda delegation that attended the Commonwealth Business Forum.

Wednesday, the Rwanda Development Board, which has an exhibition stand at the Forum, will host the “Rwanda Breakfast” during which Rwanda investment opportunities will be showcased.