Mathilde Mukantabana

"We only need to change one thing: is social norms. Kids learn on the laps of their parents, the way you treat women is the same way your sons will treat them."

"In Rwanda, we have removed all barriers that women used to face. Women have been included in different sectors even in Government and economic empowerment."

"We do not have to wait for someone to organize us when we are already organized, we should take charge and lead the way and also partner with others as we cross boundaries of race, color and have human solidarity that will help us to promote our cause."

"For me this land is not about what it produced, but about the people, where I was born and raised."

"It was my protection. If I allowed myself to feel anything emotionally, I was not going to be able to do anything."

"Rwandans have engaged in a heart-to-heart conversation to strenghten the bonds of what make them to be truly one people. They have collectively rejected factionalism and divisionism of all kinds and have embraced the ideology of Ndi Umunyarwanda: I am Rwanda."

"We didn't want our new generation and future generations to ever to go through what we have been through. We want to be Rwandans."

"But you can't just come with promises of better things when you are not really offering anything."

"We designed a roadmap and made transformative choices that are still guiding us today […] that can be summarized in three words: unity, accountability and thinking big."

"Rwanda is a country governed by the rule of law where unity and reconciliation have allowed people to come together to build a cohesive and prosperous nation."

"The notion of forgiveness is at the core of our being and has become our duty."

"I urge and encourage our young people present today to embrace your heritage, draw inspiration from those who came before you, and use your talents to build a better Rwanda, a better Africa, and a better world for all of us."

"If you dream of something that can break boundaries, Rwanda is the place to be."

"women are competing as men. Women are now flying the high skies in my country."

"That change is key, because full development cannot happen if half the people of Africa are not fully recognized as equal partners in society."

"Giving a forum to promote genocide ideology is laying a breeding ground for preparation of future genocide."

"Sometimes we look at Rwanda with genocide, Most of the time we don’t look at the incredible culture, the people."

"It is the state’s responsibility to protect the freedom and human rights of all people within its borders."

"The potential failure to learn from history carries risks."

"But you can move forward and you can actually find strength by acknowledging even your frailties as human being."

"The commemoration is a healing experience."

"Rwanda would have been called a “failed state,” but people refused to surrender to despair."

"This (Genocide against Tutsi in 1994) was not just a Rwandan failure, it was also a major failure for the international community."

"I am very proud of my people. We faced big challenges, but we successfully confronted them together as Rwandans. We now live in peace. Rwanda has turned the corner. People are happy and there is hope and light at the end of the tunnel. Remember, Reunite, and Renew"

"When you are a refugee, you rely much on what people give you. Some people fall through the cracks. When you are a refugee and a girl anything can happen."

"In Rwanda, we are now investing in making the agriculture sector an attractive and profitable business opportunity for our young entrepreneurs. They are bringing in new energy and advanced technology that will further diversify our crops and ensure quality production in the future of our agriculture sector."

"They were the backbone of reconstruction of our country but at the same time also there was a political will to empower women."

"Part of our job is teaching. We travel all over the country to major institutions and help organize conferences to teach people about Rwanda."

"We must remember not to dwell on the past, but to strive for a better future."

"Rwandans became agents of their own destinies."

"They (Rwandans) have come from the ashes and have created a society that the people are proud of, and I’m proud to expand where I can in terms of the understanding of the American public."

"I can pretty significantly say that I learned more from them (students) than they learned from me. They pushed me to become who I became."

"You can’t really solve problems without linking with regional entities because the problems of one country become the problem of another country."

"You have to own up first, you have to own your own failures."

"The savior mentality does not really take root in our country because it doesn’t work. You have to get something from us before we can get something from you."

"You can’t embrace if you believe somebody is more superior than you are."

"We’re a small country, but we have our own dignity."