<div dir="ltr">Rwanda Prospers Because We are not good at Foreign Languages <br><div style="display:block" class="">
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<cite class="">By Lonzen Rugira</cite><p class="">Over
the past couple of weeks this column has tried to point out how
imported values, even when well-intentioned, can distort collective
aspirations, and how the pursuit of 'democracy of form' undermines our
efforts to engage society substantively on the changes that its members
would like to see in their lives.</p>
<p class="">Societies seek
change from democracy. This is the reason the discourse around it
ultimately brings about issues of development, which is why it is often
stated that the two go 'hand-in-hand.' For the same reasons, it is often
said that the pursuit of one over the other is likely to lead to
undesirable consequences for a society.</p>
<p class="">They must move in
tandem. However, the pace of this shift must be a result of an inclusive
process that involves the majority of the would-be beneficiaries. All
this is underlain by the idea that both democracy and development are
about the expression of the values of such beneficiaries.</p>
<p class="">When this is not
done, a tenuous relationship between democracy and development develops
and the potential negative consequences vary from social stagnation to
outright violence meted out among compatriots.</p>
<p class="">It is this
misguided pursuit of democracy and development - the inability to
recognise that it is a struggle about values - that has been at the root
of a tenuous social context for much of post-colonial Africa.</p>
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<p class="">This is also why
democracy and development have been elusive - they do not speak to the
aspirations of the ordinary person. Which leads us to an equally
powerful, and emotionally-laden, third force: language.</p>
<p class="">Language expresses
culture. Culture is a set of people's values and language is how they
express those values - their sensibilities: fears, hopes, and dreams.
When language and culture are not considered in the discourse on
democracy and development, what is left are ideals that are devoid of
meaning and are therefore rendered impossible to identify with.</p>
<p class="">Our cultures and
languages must be the vehicle through which we conceive both democracy
and development. Moreover, it should be obvious that the pursuit of the
kind of either that renders its beneficiaries mute is problematic to say
the least, and is likely to suffer stillbirth. More problematic,
however, is the idea that we must undermine our values and people in
order to access the 'virtues of a higher civilisation.'</p>
<p class="">This is the story
of post-colonial Africa. Indeed, raising such issues was often treated
as subversive activity. That is because language policy is always a
sensitive matter, and a possible career-killer for policy makers. As
such, it has been treated as a hot potato - left alone to cool on its
own.</p>
<span id="ipc-mpu-native-marker"></span>
<p class="">But that is only a
tactical, not strategic, move. The fact that values in general, and
language in particular, undergird democracy and development isn't going
to change, ever. Crucially, change that minimises the negative
consequences thereof will not happen on its own.</p>
<p class=""><strong>The Irony of Rwanda</strong></p>
<p class="">And so, the policy
makers have had to dither. Which is why the most generous
characterisation of our language policy over the years is that it has
been inconsistent. There's been so much switching from French to English
to French and back to English that parents, teachers, and students get
surprised when they complete their academic cycle without any
pronouncement of another policy change.</p>
<p class="">Consequently, the
joke in the town is that Rwandans neither know French nor English, the
two major foreign languages. In fact, the Ministry of Education has
often been maligned for this confusion, er, inconsistency.</p>
<p class="">My view is that
this has been a blessing in disguise. That we neither possess command
for English nor for French has forced us to resort to our native
language, ikinyarwanda - the one we comprehend most, the one in which we
are able to comfortably convey our sensibilities and aspirations.</p>
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<p class="">Most importantly, the resort to our native language has had a lot to do with why our country has prospered.</p>
<p class="">Unwittingly, the
language of development and democracy has taken on a national character,
and has helped to create a sense of national purpose along common
aspirations.</p>
<p class="">Which then begs the
questions: Shouldn't this be how we conceive progress? With some
serendipity, we seem to have discovered what works. But shall we stay
the course? Or shall we eventually return to the tested - and failed -
path of being uncritical recipients of antidotes to misdiagnosed
problems?</p>
<p class="">Let me end with two
thoughts. They are rebuttals to the potential counterargument that what
I am advocating for undermines our competitiveness in a 'global
village.'</p>
<p class="">I turn to Edwin
Mukizawabo, on Twitter, as my lead counsel: @mukizaedwin "The Turkiya
constructing our symbol of hospitality the Kigali conventional center
barely speak English. I wonder why they got the</p>
<p class="">contract."@mukizaedwin
"So the Cuban/Chinese/Russian doctors who can't speak English or French
can't compete on the international arena?"</p><p class=""><a href="http://allafrica.com/stories/201602010305.html">http://allafrica.com/stories/201602010305.html</a><br></p><br clear="all"><br>-- <br><div class="gmail_signature">**************************************<br>N.b.: Listing on the lgpolicy-list is merely intended as a service to its members<br>and implies neither approval, confirmation nor agreement by the owner or sponsor of the list as to the veracity of a message's contents. Members who disagree with a message are encouraged to post a rebuttal, and to write directly to the original sender of any offensive message. A copy of this may be forwarded to this list as well. (H. Schiffman, Moderator)<br><br>For more information about the lgpolicy-list, go to <a href="https://groups.sas.upenn.edu/mailman/" target="_blank">https://groups.sas.upenn.edu/mailman/</a><br>listinfo/lgpolicy-list<br>*******************************************</div>
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