Rwanda Initiative for
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE
On my behalf and that of Rwanda Initiative for Sustainable Development (RISD) staff, we welcome the new Chairperson of RISD Board, Dr. GASINGIRWA Marie-Christine, PhD. We feel honored and privileged for the timely joining of Dr. Gasingirwa to lead RISD in this era of digitally driven development business. Dr. Gasingirwa has been a member of the International Scientific Committee on Science and Climate Change in East and Horn of Africa Regions and has served on the Governing Board of EASTECO. She is notably recognized as the former Director General for Science, Technology, and Research at Rwanda’s Ministry of Education (MINEDUC) and an advocate for STEM education and women and girls empowerment in science. In terms of professional expertise, Dr. Gasingirwa specializes in integrating quality research with policy-making as a foundation for sustainable development.
Since 2016, RISD has used an ICT4D system in gathering data on land related disputes and their management. RISD is very excited about the technical expertise guidance of Dr. Gasingirwa in the current 5-Year Strategy for the period 2022-2026. Furthermore, RISD aspires to grow and expand in the areas of networking and advocacy, in advancing sustainable development and social justice for the poor, the disadvantaged, including women, through digitally driven data and process transformation.
Guided by RISD’s vision of “ensuring equitable access to and rational use of land resources, for peace and economic achievement directed towards sustainable development and social justice”, RISD continues to implement the technical option of accompanying Rwanda’s land reforms, given the importance of land to Rwandans in all aspects of life: political, economic, gender equality, and rights-based. An important component of Rwanda’s land reform that RISD has committed to support, given the existing gap, is the area of dispute management. The latter touches on the four important aspects of land mentioned above. Further, based on preliminary feedback from the grassroots, gathered through RISD’s action oriented research, the biggest gap in the area of managing land related disputes is not only the lack of data on existing disputes, but also the lack of confidence in the existing rich knowledge of mediation at the grassroots, without going to court.
A major experience derived from over the last 27 years of RISD’s existence has been that successful pursuit of sustainable development is rooted at the grassroots. Here the beneficiaries are the main partners of the program as well as the main source of real data and knowledge. They own it, apply it with you, and demonstrate its impactful benefits! RISD’s success has been a positive outcome of the existing tripartite partnership between the Government, her Development Partners and the Civil Society.
It is no wonder, therefore, that due to the highly well-modeled Board of Directors, with clear policy guidance, RISD is able to achieve its set objectives.
With many thanks and best wishes,
Annie Kairaba (MA)