Fairbanks was speaking on Saturday, July 5, at the Rwanda Convention 2025 in Dallas, Texas, a gathering of Rwandans in the diaspora attended by high-ranking officials, including Foreign Affairs Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe.<\/p>\n
A central theme of his message was the contrast between dysfunctional and thriving value chains. Drawing from a personal experience in Colombia, Fairbanks illustrated how closed systems, lack of accountability, and absence of competition can stifle economic development.<\/p>\n
“In Colombia,” he said, “everyone in the leather supply chain blamed someone else for failure, from the ranchers to the tanneries, until the blame landed on the cows themselves. They said, ‘We have dumb cows.’ That\u2019s when I knew the problem wasn’t the cows, it was a broken system with no incentive to innovate or cooperate.”<\/p>\n
In Rwanda, Fairbanks noted, the opposite is true. \u201cWe embrace competition as a positive force,\u201d he said. \u201cEven when we fail, we learn why we failed.\u201d<\/p>\n
He highlighted several key characteristics that have enabled Rwanda\u2019s value chains to flourish. Among them is a spirit of healthy competition, where open market dynamics and clearly defined rules encourage innovation and raise the standard of quality across industries. <\/p>\n
Fairbanks also pointed to the strength of cultural continuity, an enduring sense of shared identity among Rwandans, including those in the diaspora. This deep-rooted connection fosters strong bonds of trust and purpose, a phenomenon he described using political scientist Francis Fukuyama\u2019s term, \u201cspontaneous sociability.\u201d<\/p>\n
Another defining trait is collective accountability. In contrast to his Colombian case study, where stakeholders deflected blame at every level, Rwandans tend to confront challenges directly and take ownership of outcomes. <\/p>\n
Finally, he emphasised the nation\u2019s optimism and clarity of vision. Rwanda\u2019s well-structured governance and unified national goals provide a roadmap that aligns stakeholders and drives coordinated progress.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou pay your taxes better than most, you believe in the future, and you know where you\u2019re going. That\u2019s why Rwanda\u2019s value chains are working\u2014and why the future is so bright.\u201d<\/p>\n
He also commended the diaspora for preserving Rwandan culture, citing traditional games and shared experiences that kept communities connected across borders. <\/p>\n
\u201cWhether in Congo, Burundi, Uganda, or Brussels, Rwandans played the same games and ate the same food. That unity matters,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The Rwanda Convention in Dallas is a diaspora-led initiative aimed at strengthening ties between Rwandans abroad and their homeland, recognising the diaspora\u2019s vital role in national development through investment, remittances, and knowledge exchange.<\/p>\n