Fundamental Principles of the Rwandan State
Senior 6 · History
Fundamental Principles of the Rwandan State
Lesson 4 of 4
25 min
How well are the principles upheld? Opinions are cheap; evidence is what an examiner rewards. One important source is the Rwanda Reconciliation Barometer, a national survey carried out by the National Unity and Reconciliation Commission in 2010, 2015 and 2020. The 2020 round covered all 416 sectors and 12,600 households. The chart shows two of its measures.
Other findings of the 2020 Barometer: 98.2% of respondents said they see themselves as Rwandans first, up from 95.6% in 2015; but views on citizens' empowerment and participation in governance fell from 89% in 2015 to 83.1% in 2020, and more than 9.8% of respondents said the family remains the main place where a history of hatred and division is taught today.
Definition
Indicator: a measurable sign used to judge progress towards a goal, such as the share of seats held by women or the poverty rate.
Survey bias: a distortion in survey results. One common type is social desirability bias, when respondents give the answer they think is expected rather than what they really think, especially on sensitive topics.
Important
Source analysis: judge the survey before you use it. Ask four questions of any source. Who produced it? A government commission whose own work is being measured. How? A large random sample in every sector, which is a strength. What might distort it? On sensitive subjects such as ethnicity and genocide, some people may give the expected answer. What does it admit? The report itself records falls in some indicators, which makes it more credible, not less. A top answer uses the figures and states these limits.
| Principle | Evidence of strength | Source |
|---|---|---|
| (a) Fight genocide ideology | Share of respondents who say some Rwandans still spread genocide ideology and divisive politics fell from 31.5% (2010) to 8.6% (2020). Denial, minimisation and justification are specific crimes under Law N° 59 of 2018. | Reconciliation Barometer 2020; Law N° 59 of 2018 |
| (b) Unity | 98.2% see themselves as Rwandans first (2020); the overall reconciliation score rose from 82.3% (2010) to 94.7% (2020). | Reconciliation Barometer 2020 |
| (d) Equality of women and men | After the July 2024 elections, women held 51 of the 80 seats in the Chamber of Deputies (63.75%), more than twice the constitutional minimum of 30%. | Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Parline |
| (e) Social welfare | The poverty rate fell to 27.4% in 2024, from an estimated 39.8% in 2017 (the 2017 figure is re-estimated on the new survey method). | NISR, EICV7 Poverty Profile (2025) |
| (a), (f) Justice and dialogue | Gacaca completed 1,958,634 cases in ten years; Umushyikirano meets every year under Article 141. | Lesson 2 sources; the Constitution |
Warning
Do not write a one-sided answer. "Evaluate" and "to what extent" questions carry most of their marks for balance and judgement. An essay that lists only achievements, or only criticisms, cannot reach the top band, however many facts it contains. Weigh them, and say which side is stronger and why.
Tip
The "extent" ladder. Finish an evaluation with a precise verdict, not "both sides have points". Choose a rung: fully, largely, partly, to a limited extent, not at all, and justify it with your strongest piece of evidence. For example: "The principles have been largely upheld, because the measurable indicators of unity and inclusion have risen sharply; but the persistence of genocide ideology in some families shows that the work is not finished."
Important
Discuss. Which of the six principles do you think is hardest to uphold today, and why? Which institution or citizen action could make the biggest difference to it in your own district?
Practice
Further reading
Sources and credits
Written by Ganzaa: the chart, the tables, the analysis, the definitions and the exercises. This lesson adapts CC BY-SA material and is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.
