Palestine Civic Education CurriculumJed Oppenheim

MCID Consultant

RWANDA

UNITY

WORK

PATRIOTISM

Exercise 10 Exercise 10 Building and Sustaining National Values Building and Sustaining National Values

after Destabilization: after Destabilization: Exercise: RwandaExercise: Rwanda

Rwanda had an ethnic Genocide in 1994. Nearly a million people were murdered. Today Rwanda has a new constitution and is recovering from its violent and dictatorial past. Read the new constitution and explain the ways in which the Rwandan constitution values tolerance, justice and cooperation. Explain the institutional framework that protects these values. Think of a place in the world where these values are needed now. Defend your choice.

: العاشر :التمرين العاشر التمرين : االستقرار عدم حالة بعد الوطنية القيم ودعم : بناء االستقرار عدم حالة بعد الوطنية القيم ودعم بناء

رواندا رواندا مثال مثالعام في جماعية عرقية ابادة رواندا قتل 1994شهدت

. البلد هذا استفاق فقد اليوم أما الماليين فيهاشهداهما اللذان والعنف الديكتاتورية من االفريقي

للبالد جديد دستور بناء واستطاع .بالماضيالقيم من لعدد طرحه كيفية الدستوروبين هذا أدرس

. كالتسامح بشرح قم كذلك التعاون و والعدالة , . أخيرا القيم هذه يحمي الذي المؤسساتي االطاربحاجة هو اعتقادك في بالعالم مكان اي اقترح

باختيارك اآلخرين اقناع حاول و القيم تلك .لمثل

The Rwandan Constitution:TOLERANCE & JUSTICE

Article 24:Every Rwandan has the right to his or her

country.

No Rwandan shall be banished from the country.

The Rwandan Constitution:JUSTICE

• Article 7:

Every person has a right to nationality.

Dual nationality is permitted.No person shall be deprived of Rwandan nationality of origin.No person shall be arbitrarily deprived of his or her nationality or of the right to change nationality.Rwandans or their descendants who were deprived of their nationality between 1 Nov, 1959-31 Dec 1994 by reason of acquisition of foreign nationalities automatically reacquire Rwandan nationality if they return to settle in Rwanda.All persons originating from Rwanda and their descendants shall, upon their request, be entitled to Rwandan nationality.The conditions of acquisition, retention, enjoyment and deprivation of Rwandan nationality are determined by organic law

The Rwandan Constitution:JUSTICE

• Preamble 6: ‘Resolved to build a State

governed by the rule of law, based on respect

for fundamental human rights, pluralistic

democracy, equitable power sharing,

tolerance and resolution of issues through

dialogue;’

The Rwandan Constitution:JUSTICE

• Article 22:

‘The private life, family, home or correspondence of a person shall not be subjected to arbitrary interference; his or her honor and good reputation shall be respected.

A person’s home is inviolable. No search of or entry into a home may be carried out without the consent of the owner, except in circumstances and in accordance with procedures determined by law.

Confidentiality of correspondence and communication shall not be subject to waiver except in circumstances and in accordance with procedures determined by law.

The Rwandan Constitution:COOPERATION

• Preamble • 7: Considering that we enjoy the privilege of having one

country, a common language, a common culture and a long shared history which ought to lead to a common vision of our destiny;

• 8: Considering that is necessary to draw from our centuries-old history the positive values which characterized our ancestors that must be the basis for the existence and flourishing of our Nation;

• 11: Determined to develop human resources, to fight ignorance, to promote technological advancement and the social welfare of the people of Rwanda

TOLERANCE & COOPERATION

• Fundamental Principles Article 9:‘Fighting the ideology of genocide and all its

manifestations; Eradication of ethnic, regional and other divisions and promotion of national unity; Equitable sharing of power; building a state governed by the rule of law, a pluralistic democratic government, equality of all Rwandans and between women and men reflected by ensuring that women are granted at least 30% of posts in decision making organs; Building a state committed to promoting social welfare and establishing appropriate mechanisms for ensuring social justice; and the constant quest for solutions through dialogue and consensus.

CRITICAL THINKING QUESTION

What are the core documents we need to know about in order to understand Rwanda?

• Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948)• African Charter on Human & People’s Rights (1981)• Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989)• Arusha Peace Agreement (1993)

• RWANDAN CONSTITUTION (2003)

If tolerance, justice and cooperation are the core values of these documents, what values are excluded?

CRITICAL THINKING QUESTION

• How does ethnicity inform notions of citizenship in Rwanda?

Pre-Genocide?

Post-Genocide?

What informs citizenship in Palestine?

CRITICAL THINKING QUESTION

How did concepts of liberty, justice and the rule of law get translated during regime change in Rwanda and how were and how can such subject matters be appropriately taught in primary schools?

What about in Palestine?

CRITICAL THINKING QUESTION

1. How can a strong democracy survive internal and external threats to their stability without betraying the primacy of their founding values and institutional balance of power?

2. In other words, if Rwanda’s (or Palestine’s) stability is threatened, either externally or internally, what can be done to ensure that tolerance, cooperation and justice are still what drive the country forward?

3. If a nation, like Rwanda or Palestine, betrays these values, how are they recovered?

CRITICAL THINKING QUESTION

Based on what you have read, what you know and the podcasts you have heard:

What is the meaning of citizenship in Rwanda? In Palestine?

What is discrimination in Rwanda? How does it affect the well-being of all Rwandan citizens? What about in Palestine?

Why are language and ethnic identity important civic assets in Rwanda? In Palestine?

To Conclude: Powell’s Quote

In response to some republicans who accuse Obama with being a Muslim, Colin Powell said:

“He is not a Muslim, he's a Christian, he's always been a Christian.' But the really right answer is 'What if he is? Is there something wrong with being a Muslim in this country?' The answer is 'No. That's not America.' Is there something wrong with some 7-year old Muslim-American kid believing that he or she can be president?”Colin Powel: Meet the Press

NEXT…

Small group work: the relevance of the Rwandan Constitution in Rwanda today.