Arena politics: Populism in the digital era

 

Today, electoral cycles determine the outcome of the developmental path countries take. Whether in democracies or dictatorships, in almost every country on earth elections are the most preferred way of enthronization.

We seat anxiously in front of our time line or TV screen to see who has won, then we know what comes next, stock markets react. Of late, this process has become loaded with suspense as election outcomes have become unpredictable. With relentless suspense, we actually follow more elections than in our own country because of the interconnected world we live in. Elections have become like a frequent reality show with live tweets coming from all over the world.

The process of electing a leader seems to have become a matter of a worldwide audience, whereby a national constituency casts votes after having been subjected to an international agenda setting through media. The process of selecting a leader can henceforth no longer be detached from the global arena.

At first, this may look encouraging because it would correspond to our democratic ideal or even to the emergence of a global citizenry. However, we know that ideas are not the only determining factor of social mobilization rather popular will is influenced by the most organized group. The latter can be amongst the contenders or an outsider desiring to influence the outcome of the election.

The problem with the global arena is of course that it favors simple ideas to explain complex cultural and political situations. In sense the rise of populism may be attributed to the fact that is much cheaper and easier to organize people around simple ideas in today’s digitally hyped world. Against common perception, there is actually a continuum between the election of President Obama and Trump: both used unconventional methods to get elected on the basis of their personality, simple messaging and better organization.

Another concern is of course, the abuse of the worldwide audience by propaganda. Here again, the instigators thrive because of our thirst for theatrical drama. For instance, many commentators lament about the boring German elections, yet Angela Merkel is the most successful European leader of her time.

The selection of a leader used to be secret and at times sacred affair, today even the papal smoke is not immune to real-time reporting and leaks. Can we therefore be surprised that the theatrical conditions under which leaders are selected are bringing about a certain type of leader? Both friends and foes see in President Trump an exception but what if he actually embodies the future breed of leaders?

Populism is the side effect of the ubiquitous digital era but for leadership to solve the problems of our time, we need to abandon the false sense of control given to us by zapping from one election to the other. Live tweets can be facts or fake news, the ubiquity of the internet does not translate into omniscience. Leadership is the art of rallying people around informed decisions to bring about progress. Such an art cannot be prepared and consumed instantly like fast food. Digital democracy has yet to find its path to leadership.

 

Hospitality: The bedrock of spirituality

Growing up in Rwandan culture, there is none more important than a guest. For example, one is taught that it is a sacrilege to spill over the milk of a guest (amata y’abashyitsi), to let a glass half empty or to eat before the guest. Children are told to seat arms folded calmly (kwifata neza), entertain the guest with stories (kuganiriza abashyisti) and decency (kudashyanuka).  As usual, President Kagame used the National Prayer’s Breakfast to give a landmark speech about Rwandan culture, its tribulations and how against all odds it is coming back. This year’s speech was about hospitality. Before going to the core of his message, it is worthwhile starting with a historical perspective of hospitality in Rwanda.

King Mibamabwe II Gisanura (who ruled at the end of the XVII century), aka Rugabishabirenge, was famous for his wisdom and legal reforms. He once coined the phrase: ‘I Rwanda ntihakabure amata n’icumbi’, meaning Rwandans should always enjoy shelter and milk. He didn’t put up a national budget to that effect, but rather relied on the mutual solidarity of Rwandans. It functioned like an insurance, every Rwandan needed to travel and with this came the need of shelter and a meal. By offering shelter and a meal to travellers, one was ensured to enjoy the same. Of course, Rwandans went beyond the Royal decree and hosting strangers became a culture. It had also its advantages: travellers would come with all sorts of accessories, stories and sometimes even new family bonds.

Interestingly, President Kagame linked this culture of generous hospitality to our national founding myth of Rwanda being God’s sleeping spot. According to this myth, God walks around the world, like a traveller, and sleeps in Rwanda, the country of Beninmana, the people of God. Students of religion will of course recognize that the figure of a traveller is at the center of many religious scripts. Indeed, Buddha, Jesus, Mohamed, were all travelers. To my knowledge, however, none had ever before explained generosity towards strangers as the currency to our claim of being God’s sleeping spot, like President Kagame did. He explained that a country, in which there is generosity to strangers, is a country in which God can rest. If we want to live up to our national foundational principle, we ought simply to be generous to each other, no need of big palaces of God, the palace is our home; our country. This fundamental pragmatism of Rwandan spirituality explains why our forefathers never thought in terms of the life after but rather found transcendent experiences in this life.

Incidentally, the value of hospitality is not just a path to spirituality but functions like a mirror to our country’s trajectory. In 1994, for example, we reached a point where only scavengers found Rwanda to be hospitable place. Today, the story is so much different, we just came from an election, where each district came out in its brightest colors. I remember, on election night, how I was dancing with a total stranger, we looked at each other and with a nod of our heads we silently enjoyed the renewed trust amongst Rwandans. As the popular song by Joan Osborne goes, what if God was one of us, just a stranger on a bus trying to make his way home?

Now, President Kagame went further and redefined the value of hospitality into modern times, where Rwanda is integrated into the global economy. He linked the value of hospitality to tourism and the free movement of people. He asked that we should become a country, in which people from all over the world find hospitality. It is now up to us to reignite the fire place of our homes, our restaurants and hotels. The future of our economy depends on how we will turn hospitality into our national brand. This comes with having legitimate expectations amongst each other and guaranteeing the same to the outside world.  It is time to cash in the trust we have been building through reconciliation and unity, well knowing that the warmth of a fire place can easily become ashes if not protected. Hospitality should be again our national wealth.