As I write there are drums banging, people singing and shouting, balloons and party lights shining in the distance – an exuberant party is happening just down the road, (and I haven’t been invited!)
But it’s not a party; it’s a political party gathering because tomorrow there will be a national election. It’s compulsory for all adults to vote here, and from the people I have spoken to, they are looking forward to it. There is an atmosphere of expectation, hope and peace – people are happy.
Some of this hope comes from the events leading up to this election. Like the bible precedence, all families were told that they must return to their village of birth and there register as citizens of the Country. But this time there was one major detour from previous registrations.
In the past people have been identified by their cultural heritage – their National Identity Card marked them as Hutu, Tutsi or Twa. But this year this divisive categorisation, a catalyst for one of the worst mass genocides in history, has been outlawed and people are no longer being classified by heritage but rather claimed as Rwandan’s.
This apparently small change is a powerful message in the continuing process of reconciliation and a source of rejoicing and partying.
