By Rabindra Rooplall in Kigali, Rwanda
RWANDA has shown the developing world that the answer can be found “among ourselves and within ourselves” as “bold, innovative, visionary thinking” exists in the Commonwealth to addresses crises.

This is according to President, Dr Irfaan Ali in his address at the closing press conference on Saturday at the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Kigali, Rwanda.

The President praised the way Rwanda has emerged after a horrific genocide in 1994, when almost a million of the Tutsi people were killed.

The East African nation now has one of the fastest-growing economies in Africa, and its capital Kigali, is hailed as the cleanest city on the continent.

He also congratulated President Kagame and the Rwandan people for their “hard work in building their country and the city of Kigali, saying that what they have done has “gained tremendous respect.”

“When you look at what President Kagame has achieved here with the people of Rwanda, it tells about a leader and a country that have a vision – bold initiatives, creative initiatives,” Dr Ali said.

He continued: “And when you look at the crises and the insecurities we face in the world today – food crisis, energy crisis, a climate crisis, a crisis of inequality – we require this type of leadership and the characteristics to navigate us through these difficult paths.”

President Ali said that he thinks President Kagame, coming in this time as chair, will help the Commonwealth family to navigate through these paths.

“And with the SG bringing that stability and pushing those programmes, I think we have an excellent opportunity to confront these challenges,” the President stated.

In conversation with Kagame, President Ali said he noted that many times the developing world will look to the developed world for answers and best practices.

He said that the answers to the energy, climate, food crises facing the Commonwealth may lie within and it need not look at the developed world.

“What the world needs now and what the Commonwealth needs now, is stability, bold, innovative and visionary thinking. And the combination of our SG (Secretary General Patricia Scotland) and the incoming chair (Rwanda’s Paul Kagame) offers us a great opportunity,” the President noted.

He added that “this is the type of leadership and example by doing what is required in creating some of the changing circumstances that are so critically needed.”

The President underscored that “having a chairman that brings experience in a practical way, I think allows us to have something that is functional, direct and creative in dealing with the challenges that we’ll confront.”