Today we celebrate and commemorate our national heroes. The men and women who, through their selfless acts, laid the foundation for the country we now call home.
We celebrate the lives of the thousands of young men and women who died liberating this country from genocide and sectarianism.
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We celebrate Maj Gen Fred Rwigema, who died leading his troops in battle. We remember King Mutara III Rudahigwa, Félicité Niyitegeka, Michel Rwagasana, Agathe Uwiringiyimana and the brave young Nyange School students who stared death right in the eyes and refused to blink or back down from their belief in a united Rwandan people.
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On this day, we mustn't forget people like the late Dr. Paul Farmer, Howard Buffett, Dafroza Ghautier and the two Ghanaian UNAMIR commanders, Maj. Gen. (Rtd) Joseph Narh Adinkra and Maj. Gen. Henry Kwame Anyidoho, who refused to leave thousands of innocent civilians defenseless in the face of forces out to annihilate them.
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I believe that all these men and women, Rwandans and friends of Rwanda, have a testimony to share with the newest generation of young people. This age bracket, between 5-25 years of age, is probably the only generation in our nation's history, if I'm not mistaken, that has enjoyed over two decades of relative peace, stability and growth. And while it is my belief that this peace and development is directly linked to the acts of the national heroes, I also believe that we, as a society, haven't done enough to bring our national heroes to life for this very generation.
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Yes, we commemorate these heroes every year with a national holiday and a ceremony led by the President. But I fervently believe that we haven't even begun to scratch the surface on the story telling element of commemoration and remembrance. And it's not as if we don't know how to do it. All we need to do is take a leaf out of the American book. I don't think anyone would argue that they are the best in the world at harnessing storytelling and myth-creating for the national 'good'.
The Americans have taken storytelling to a level that we must aspire to. The majority of the world (and many younger Americans I bet) learnt about US civil rights leader, Malcolm X, not from a book but rather an autobiographical movie about him that starred Denzel Washington. The same could probably be said about Fred Hampton, the young Black Panther leader killed by the Chicago Police, whose story is being kept alive through movies such as 'Judas and the Black Messiah' starring Daniel Kaluuya.
Hollywood has kept the memories of World War I and II, the Civil Rights Movement, their fight for independence from the British and other seminal moments in American history alive by telling the stories of their national heroes through the medium of television and cinema. In addition to Hollywood, writers, artists, graphic designers and cartoonists have used their talents to bring to life American heroes as well.
This has not only kept the memories of the heroes - some who died over a century ago - alive, it has also ingrained in young American minds a respect for, and willingness, to commit acts of heroism as well. Acts of heroism, in their psyche, have become almost as American as apple pie.
What I find most interesting is just how much money and resources the US government has spent on this kind of storytelling. According to public documents, between 2008 and 2021, it spent $ 1.2 billion on movie production and distribution. If you look at the numbers in more detail, you'll find out that the Department of Defense (the military) spent the most, $721 million in total. Their space agency, NASA, was the second biggest spender, at $124 million. With all this money spent it is little wonder that their kids want to grow up and become soldiers and astronauts. It is in this vein that I call upon our own Ministries of Defense, Education as well as National Unity to create well-funded programs to fund the arts. And most especially television and cinema.
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The visual medium that is cinematography is, in my humble opinion, the most effective storytelling tool in the world. Far more effective than radio and even the written word. We only have to look at the impact of the best produced movie on the fight for Kigali, 'The 600: The Soldiers' Story'. This movie, released in 2019, brought to life the sacrifices that were made by the 600 RPA soldiers that were holed up in the CND building (now Parliament). I remember watching the movie and feeling so very proud of those young men. Not only did I feel proud of them, but I felt represented by them. This movie not only further cemented my personal bond with the uniformed men of then, but also the uniformed men and women of today.
This kind of bond is what well-funded art can do. And that is what our national heroes deserve. To be brought back to life once again. We need their stories told and retold over and over again. Not just to celebrate them, which they so richly deserve, but to enrich ourselves as well.
The writer is a socio-political commentator
