Downtown Kigali, Rwanda

[SouthByMidwest]

Originally Posted by jens

If you know anything about what happened on those streets - very likely in every single photo there - I can not look at these streets without seeing people hacked to death or slowly dying on them. RIP.

You and I both live on landmasses where, not all that long ago, people arrived from somewhere else and killed untold legions of indigenous inhabitants, whether actively or passively. There's a bloody story to be told on every corner of the Earth.

That said, it looks like Rwanda has made a lot of progress since 1994.

Show some more of these places we don't see much. How much of a difference is there in the countryside as compared to the city?

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by Jeeper

As far as language, President Kagame made English the country's official second language a few years ago. He claims the sole reason for the change was to make Rwanda more competitive in commerce and education (the other countries that make up East African Community, aside from Burundi, have been using English since colonization), but many feel he also changed it to thumb their noses at France, who many still feel contributed to the 1994 Genocide. The transition from the Francophone to Anglophone system has been slow, and for people like me who deal in education, very painful.

.

Very true. Also, Kagame himself lived in exile in Uganda (official language = English) for a period and his political movement, the Rwandan Patriotic Front, was actually founded by Rwandan exiles in Uganda. In recent years, Rwanda has at times been closely aligned with Uganda, although on other occasions the relationship has also been conflictual. Nothing is ever simple and cut and dried in this part of the world I am afraid.

[i_am_hydrogen]

Interesting shots. Kagame has indeed done a lot to promote reconciliation between Hutus and Tutsis. It's just unfortunate that his leadership verges on despotic.

[harryc]

Thank you for a look at streets rarely seen.

[Nantais]

Originally Posted by Jeeper

As far as language, President Kagame made English the country's official second language a few years ago (...) but many feel he also changed it to thumb their noses at France, who many still feel contributed to the 1994 Genocide.

Only in his sick mind.
But I guess it's pretty convenient to use a foreign country as a scapegoat in order to promote the reconciliation of people who used to kill each other a few years ago.

PS : nevertheless, thanks for the pics, it's always interesting to see African cities.

[shakman]

I wonder how much China is investing in Rwanda. How much of the infrastructure investments are from China?

[Jeeper]

Originally Posted by shakman

I wonder how much China is investing in Rwanda. How much of the infrastructure investments are from China?

I'm not really sure to be honest. Throughout Africa China generally trades infrastructure for access to raw materials, but Rwanda doesn't really have much to offer. I imagine their primary goal is to become a trading partner with what potentially could become a major economic player in Africa (although I doubt that will come to fruition, to be honest).

Nantais I think Kagame has mastered spreading guilt across the International community and making that guilt endure over time. There is some basis for that, of course, and anyone who would disagree would be wrong, but it's become the cow that continues to provide the milk so Kagame continues to milk it as much as possible. The French of course provided weapons to Habyarimana's regime prior to April 7th but that doesn't make them party to the Genocide. It obviously left a bad taste in many Rwandan's mouths, however, and led to the freeze in diplomacy that was just recently thawed last year.

[Tom In Chicago]

Cool pix. . . thanks for sharing. . .

. . .

[sterlippo1]

interesting pictures and even more interesting comments. It is always nice to see some of Africa on here

[Connect]

Nice Thread. Thanks for posting!

[M II A II R II K]

New plan for Kigali designed to help Rwanda realise a brighter future


Read More: http://www.worldarchitecturenews.com...pload_id=17498

.....

Rwanda is a microcosm of global urbanisation; in the next 20 years, its capital city, Kigali, will grow from 1 million people to a city of 3 million people. The planning work outlines an implementable framework centered on sustainable, holistic and locally based solutions, which acutely address issues commonly felt in developing cities such as growth of informal settlements, environmental degradation, rapid population growth and lack of services and economic investment.

- The goal has been to create a new 'clean, green and safe' Kigali, promoting its emergence onto the regional and world stage and becoming a model for development which is economically, socially and environmentally sustainable. The plans reflect integration of the natural environment with transect / terrain based planning, and concentrated development, as well as principles for establishing urban agriculture, sustainable transportation and infrastructure systems.

- The primary module for planning considers 'the way people live' with compact, pedestrian-friendly and diverse communities; each neighbourhood is centered on a primary school with co-located health clinic, worship centre, internet café, shops, micro-enterprises and public gathering space.

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