Franicis Muhoozi, myself and Elysee Nyilimanzi at the British Department for International Development after the publication of the UN Mapping Report on October 1st, 2010.
Play Your Part is the title of a book in progress for some time now that I have been working on. It will come out towards the end of March 2014.
The title was chosen by my eldest daughter after I explained to her what the content would be about. I had initially tried many alternatives, but I finally settled for this one, as it encompasses the message that the book carries.
The idea of starting writing the book came from a reader of my blog – The Rising Continent. This was in 2009. I was at my 40th posting and today they have reached more than 500.
The person liked what she saw and suggested I should compile it in a book. She said the ideas shared were enjoyable and could help many in different ways. That was the beginning of the process.
Writing the blog in itself was triggered by a desire to participate actively and differently in helping primarily Rwandans to take part in the political change they wanted for their country.
Though anyone reading the postings will find out, it is not all about Rwanda in its recent and past history, but equally issues as diverse as African development, human rights, democracy, relations between developed and developing countries, African unification, political leadership, and so forth.
The blog as a medium has been that means of sharing ideas about African focused subjects of interest, but it has not been the only way of my participation to the change I want for my native Rwanda and other African countries starting from the neighbouring ones, particularly the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda.
The reader of the blog can also find that my contribution has been through other actions such as talking at conferences, contributing to discussion panels on radios and televisions, giving interviews, organising public protests, writing to members of parliament, and many others.
But why did I felt I had to write then about a book in the making? In fact the initial draft has been completed since July 2011. Some of my friends have had a glimpse of what it might look like once finished and have given some feedback.
On September 14th, 2013 while at Piccadilly Circus – London, with Congolese, Ugandans, Americans, Cameroonians, advocating for the stop of genocides in the Great Lakes under the banner of Don’t Be Blind This Time. The initiative itself is called Dying in the Great Lakes.
People including myself, being who we are, we all have our strengths and weaknesses. And one of my weaknesses has been not always to complete what I have started. We can even have genial ideas of things to do, but most of the time we need the help of others to take those initial thoughts to their next steps and even to their conclusion.
A friend sent me a video clip recently which explains how important it was to think differently or outside the box to adapt to a changing environment, or simply put to make change from routine or same emotions that produce same actions and thoughts all the time.
The outcome of watching that video in relation to the writing of my book has been that I had to announce the project to the general public. Another video clip I watched at the same period and in the same line of thinking indicates tools and techniques that help someone staying focused.
So to the readers of this note I give you rendez-vous at the end of March 2014 for the publication of Play Your Part.
You can reserve your copy at discounted prices as follow:
50% discount if your order between now and November 30th 2013.
30% discount if you order between November 30th 2013 and January 28th 2014.
10% discount if you order between January 28th 2014 and March 31st 2014.
Please email at [email protected] to place your order. The asking price for the book will be between £15 and £20. You don’t have to pay anything right now or provide any details of your credit card. Just email us your intention of buying to benefit from the promotional offers.
