Think Different!

By Achille Manirakiza , Doctor, Ruhengeri

I was born in Burundi in 1990. I was born in the times of war, and yes I heard, quite everyday gunshots all around me. It reached a point of not even fearing them and sometimes missing them. I heard stories that Hutus killed Tutsi, vice versa and so on. That it was that way even before, that some people were noble more than others. It went on, I remember people around me dying. They would say Hutu rebels are fighting innocent civilians (which were true). My mother would avoid such stories at home, and we would be lost in prayers, which were securing and made us away I was born in Burundi in 1990. I was born in the times of war, and yes I heard, quite everyday gunshots all around me. It reached a point of not even fearing them and sometimes missing them. I heard stories that Hutus killed Tutsi, vice versa and so on. That it was that way even before, that some people were noble more than others. It went on, I remember people around me dying. They would say Hutu rebels are fighting innocent civilians (which were true). My mother would avoid such stories at home, and we would be lost in prayers, which were securing and made us away

I do not mean that people, especially young people should not get interested into politics. Far from that. I just do not happen to understand how mature young people would get intoxicated and driven away by the same political minds that rode Burundi and its citizen to chaos back in 1993. Who committed massacres? Who killed his neighbor? Yes it should be asked to the brains of the massacres but who did the dirty job anyway? Who is getting fool, just by imagining the people he killed with his own hands?

I get interested and get seriously septic with the future of politics in my country. Following the debates from media, everyone takes parts. Everyone belongs to a political party. Reason? Getting a promising future, because the government has got his time to eat and that they should get their own time as well. Are those the same aspirations of someone, let’s say in the depth of Cankuzo? The least he can think of is a supper and his children to attend school. Even though we avoid that reality, the same applies to someone in Bujumbura, who thinks he’s educated and well where he is; there is poverty and everyone knows it but hide it. Singing that the current government kills, steals and destroys will not guarantee the fact that your preferred political party, once on power will not do the same.

We have seen, by ourselves how politics of our fathers finished with massacres (I won’t talk of genocide, everyone was killed). They had their time; think different!What has value to you, young man? Going to demonstrations or executing what the political party says, and going back home and stay hungry? Or leave it to whom it belongs and keep on moving with a productive life? What legacy are we leaving to the future generations; don’t you see it’s a vicious cycle?

The way politics should be done is simple. I won’t be talking as renown politic; it will only be my opinion; get an all inclusive, peace-targeting forum and discuss developing and creative ideas. Get involved in politics but only with caution and not getting all fired up and alarmed about things you did not take part to set up. Bring a change; bring a new breath into the nation. Take note of this as an emergency: The only hope the nation has is you, but only if you think different from your predecessors.