Rwanda Journal, Entry 27: Peace to all Momkind

Warmest regards to mothers all over the world (especially mine) on this most cherished of commercial holidays!

I hope your sons and daughters got you all the right bath soap.

I hope your gift certificates were for the spa you like and not that other one.

I hope Lulu Lemon has some kind of a sale if they haven't already.

But most of all, I hope people take a moment to reflect on the women in their lives and the contributions they've made to it.

We wouldn't be here without you, and it'd be harder if you weren't. Respect.

Anyway, from Canada to Rwanda to the rest of the world, happy birthday momkind.

-Cam



P.S. We didn't get flooded out.

SPECIAL REPORT: Flood Watch on the Saint John River

Heavy rains and high temperatures have left communities along the Saint John River bracing for floods.

Environment Canada issued a heavy rainfall warning for the Fredericton York-Sunbury area at 10:41 a.m. this morning.  

Meteorologists predict between 20 to 50 milimetres of rain will hit the region by early tomorrow morning. The province has forecast flooding in Fredericton.

I have taken up flood watch at my father's house. He lives about 20 feet from the banks of the river and will be at high risk if it breaches the banks.

My dad tells me water levels are supposed rise to 7.3 metres by tomorrow, which is up to the front door.

There are sandbags at the ready and I'm waiting for word from the landlord to put them out.

New Brunswick River Watch Program

St. John River Two-Day Forecast

Rwanda Journal, Entry 26: A Short Break

I have arrived in Fredericton and I'm going to take a day or so off to rest up and visit family. I'll upload photos if there are any to share and I'll try to twitter the internet once and a while too.

Don't worry, I'll be back before you know it.

Rwanda Journal, Entry 25: May 2nd, 2011

I bought my ticket for Rwanda today and formally applied for a Rwandan visa.

I'll leave Canada from Montréal on May 14, and should get the visa a few days before then, (it takes about 7 business days.)

I also packed my clothes and travel items into a duffle bag and gave my apartment keys to the subletter. It's weird leaving my apartment behind and it was exhausting getting everything packed up.

Even so, I got out to vote because it's important to do that.  

I'll spend the night at my mother's house in Alta Vista and board a bus to New Brunswick at 7:00pm tomorrow evening. The bus trip is 14 and a half hours long, and I'll arrive in Fredericton at 10:30am the next day (May 4th.)

There are still a few things I have to do before I arrive in Rwanda, but for now I'm going to bed.

I hope Harper doesn't have a majority when I wake up.

Rwanda Journal, Entry 24: The Legacies of Nyerere

 Julius Nyrere was an unconventional leader who forged consensus among Tanzania's ethnic and political factions in the first days of the country's independence.

Tanzanians both loved and loathed Nyrere for his firm, even autocratic presidency, but none can deny his enormous role in the country's development.

Understanding Nyrere's rule and its influence on Tanzanian society was the goal of the Legacies of Nyrere conference, hosted by the Institute of African Studies earlier this year. 

The event brought together keen observers of African politics including the former speaker of the East African Legislative Assembly, Abdulrahman Kinana.

"First and foremost, (Nyrere) was a great African statesman and a man of international standing," Kinana said. "He was a man who provided a good example of leadership. Leadership, in terms of integrity; leadership, in terms of vision; leadership, in terms of eloquence and intelligence."

Kinana said Nyrere's greatest achievement was the unification of his country's more than 120 ethnic groups into a single people.

"He molded Tanzania as we know it today," Kinana said. "He united the whole country together and made one country. He broke down the tribal differences, the religious differences and he created one Tanzania." 

When Nyrere died in October of 1999, Tanzanians were left to consider the life and work of their first president, a man renowned for his integrity, conviction and commitment to his people.

After becoming independent Tanzania's first president in 1962, Nyrere implemented a sweeping series of economic reforms aimed at collectivizing the country's agricultural sector.

He also set about the project of pan-African unification and, along with fellow African leaders, established the Organization for African Unity in 1963.

Despite the geo-political climate of his day, Nyrere maintained a policy of non-alignment during the Cold War and maintained friendly relations with politicians in the East and West.

James Milner, professor of political science at Carleton University, said Nyrere's ability to resist the influence of the Cold War powers and maintain his country's economic and political independence was extraordinary. 

"He was able to take a desperately poor country, surrounded by countries in conflict, and chart an independent path for Tanzanians," Milner said.

Milner argues that Nyrere's time as president holds important lessons for Canadian leaders that wish to understand Canada's place in the world.

"Often in Canada we say we don't have control of our own destiny," Milner said. "We're tied into the American economy, the forces of globalization. What we learn from Julius Nyrere is that it is possible for a leader to begin their approach to leadership from principles."

The Legacies of Nyrere conference was held at Carleton University but was broadcast live over the Internet for scholars and students around the world.

Blair Rutherford, director of the Institute of African Studies and organizer of the conference, said the event was a great success.

"I'm really happy with the way things have gone," Rutherford said. "I feel like we've looked closely at the life and work of an exceptional African leader, a man whose impact and legacy are still relevant today," Rutherford said.

"I think everyone has come out with a more refined view of Julius Nyrere."

Rwanda Journal, Entry 23: Uneasiness and The Republic

I have been fighting a strange sense of uneasiness for the past two days. It is not vicious and does not keep me from my business, but it's as present as the wind.

The more I complete, the more the trip begins to feel real; the more uneasy I become. As much as I do to prepare, I constantly feel that I'm forgetting something vital.

I find myself checking my pockets frequently: "Passport? Here. Immunization record? In this one. Where's the camera? Ok, it's on that chair."

Today I got a call from Allan Thompson, he told me Mbonisi had gone missing while en-route to Rwanda. He wondered if I had heard from him, I hadn't.

I got a text later telling me there'd been a mix-up with the travel agent and Mbonisi had arrived safely in Kigali.

It's everything I've been feeling in a single event.

There is nothing I can do to address uneasiness I can't trace and so I have stopped trying. Instead, I've been acting on a strong desire to attend to spiritual and intellectual interests.

I've owned a copy of Plato's Republic for years now, but had not read much of it until this week. Now I can think of nothing I'd rather do than read about Socrates and his buddies, drinking Olde English at the Agora. There is something comforting in the meticulous logic of the text; it makes me feel grounded.

Even so, I'm really only able to relate to Socrates' Athenian friends, the ones with questions and few answers. I'm not sure what to make of that exactly. I wouldn't feel consistent if I could.

Rwanda Journal, Entry 22: Friday, April 29th

Today was full of more activity than I'm able to recount coherently now. I have more travel documents and fewer tasks; but the details have blurred together and I'm not sure how to separate them. I'll rest, reflect and try to sort them out in the morning.

(UPDATE: Saturday, April 30th)

Accomplished on Friday, April 29th:

• Submitted pre-departure research report to the International Student Services Office.
• Received vaccination document for yellow fever.
• Received visa information from Rwandan Embassy.
• Confirmed housing and logistical arrangements in Kigali.
• Made payment arrangements with travel agent.