Fundamental Principles
Senior 3 · History and Citizenship
Fundamental Principles
Lesson 3 of 4
25 min
A constitution does not only give orders to the government. Rwanda's Constitution also gives duties to every citizen. Read these three short extracts.
Article 46. Every Rwandan has the duty to respect and consider his or her fellow beings without discrimination and to maintain relations aimed at safeguarding, promoting and reinforcing mutual respect, solidarity and tolerance.
Article 48 (2). All Rwandans have the duty to participate in the development of the country through their dedication to work, safeguarding peace, democracy, equality and social justice as well as to participate in the defence of their country.
Article 52. The State and everyone have the duty to preserve and safeguard memorial sites of the Genocide against the Tutsi.
Constitution of the Republic of Rwanda of 2003, revised in 2015 and 2023.
Analysing the source. Compare the extracts with Article 10. Article 46 is principle (b), no discrimination, turned into a personal duty. Article 48 names peace, democracy, equality and social justice, the language of principles (d) and (e). Article 52 begins "The State and everyone": some duties are shared. The principles are upheld by two partners, the government and the citizens, and neither can do it alone.
Definition
Duty: something a person must do because the law or the community requires it. Example: respecting the Constitution and the laws is a duty of every Rwandan (Article 49).
Civic engagement: citizens taking an active part in the life of their community and country, for example by voting, doing community work or speaking at public meetings.
Mediation (in Rwanda, kunga): helping two sides in a dispute reach an agreement they both accept, without going to court.
| Principle | Role of government | Role of citizens |
|---|---|---|
| (a) Fighting genocide, its denial and its ideology | Courts and the National Public Prosecution Authority try genocide ideology and denial; the Ministry of National Unity and Civic Engagement (MINUBUMWE) organises commemoration and civic education. | Take part in Kwibuka; refuse and report genocide ideology, including online; help preserve memorial sites. |
| (b) No discrimination; national unity | Programmes such as Ndi Umunyarwanda and Itorero teach shared Rwandan identity; Article 57 bans political organisations based on ethnic group, region or religion. | Treat classmates and neighbours equally; refuse divisive jokes, names and rumours. |
| (c) Equitable power-sharing | Apply Article 62 when forming the government; the National Consultative Forum of Political Organisations brings parties together for dialogue (Article 59). | Vote; join or support any lawful political organisation; accept election results peacefully. |
| (d) Rule of law, democracy, equality | Independent courts; the National Electoral Commission runs elections; the Office of the Ombudsman fights injustice and corruption; the Gender Monitoring Office checks gender equality. | Obey the law (Article 49); pay taxes; report corruption; share chores and chances equally between girls and boys. |
| (e) Social welfare and social justice | Community-based health insurance (mutuelle de santé), support for needy survivors (Article 50) and for persons with disabilities and other needy people (Article 51). | Pay health-insurance contributions; help vulnerable neighbours, for example by building or repairing their houses during Umuganda. |
| (f) Dialogue and consensus | The National Umushyikirano Council (Article 141) and the Abunzi Committees (Article 142). | Bring disputes to the abunzi; speak at village meetings; settle quarrels at school by talking. |
Figure 1. Some roles belong to the government, some to citizens, and some to both.
Principle (f) asks for a "constant quest for solutions through dialogue and consensus". The Constitution creates two institutions for it, one at the top of the state and one in every community.
| National Umushyikirano Council (Article 141) | Abunzi Committee (Article 142) | |
|---|---|---|
| Who takes part | "the President of the Republic and citizens' representatives" | "persons of integrity who are recognised for their conciliation skills" |
| What it does | "debates issues relating to the state of the Nation and national unity" | "conciliating parties in conflict with the aim of consolidating unity and peaceful co-existence" |
| How often or where | "at least once a year" | in the local community, before a dispute reaches the courts |
| What happens next | Its resolutions "are submitted to the relevant institutions to enable them to improve their service delivery" | If the parties do not agree, the dispute can still go to court |
Both are home-grown solutions: Article 11 says that "the people of Rwanda, based on their values, initiate mechanisms for home-grown solutions to their problems". A citizen's role is to use them: to bring a land dispute to the abunzi before a court, and to follow and discuss the resolutions of Umushyikirano.
Worked example: describing roles
Question: Describe two roles of citizens and one role of government in promoting the principle of national unity. (6 marks)
Citizens. (1) Every citizen must treat others without discrimination, as Article 46 requires; for example, a pupil refuses to call a classmate by a nickname based on region or origin. (2) Citizens take part in programmes of unity such as Kwibuka and Umuganda, where people of every background work side by side for the community.
Government. The government runs civic education such as Ndi Umunyarwanda and Itorero through the Ministry of National Unity and Civic Engagement, so that every generation learns a shared Rwandan identity.
Why this scores: each role is named, explained, and tied to a real example or article.
Tip
"Who does what?" For every principle, ask two questions: what does the state do (laws, institutions, programmes), and what do I do (behaviour, participation, reporting)? Examiners often ask for both in the same question.
Warning
Don't confuse the abunzi with a court. The abunzi conciliate: they help the parties agree. A court judges: it decides who is right and can punish. Also note that Gacaca courts, which tried genocide cases, closed in 2012; the abunzi are a different, permanent institution.
Article 49 (2) says: "Every Rwandan has the duty to defy superior orders if they constitute a serious and obvious violation of human rights and freedoms." Why do you think the people of Rwanda made this a duty and not only a right? Link your answer to the history behind principle (a).
Practice
Sources and credits
This lesson adapts CC BY-SA material and is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.
