# Mathilde Mukantabana

Mathilde Mukantabana (born 1958) is a Rwandan politician and diplomat born in Butare, currently working as the Rwanda's ambassador to the United States and non-resident Ambassador to Mexico, Brazil, and Argentina. She is the President and co-founder of the non-profit Friends of Rwanda Association (F.O.R.A.).

## Quotes

* We only need to change one thing: is social norms. Kids learn on the laps of their parents, the way you treat women is the same way your sons will treat them.
** Rwandans, friends of Rwanda in Dallas celebrate efforts of women in socio-economic transformation. Igihe. (March 2022)
* In Rwanda, we have removed all barriers that women used to face. Women have been included in different sectors even in Government and economic empowerment.
** Rwandans, friends of Rwanda in Dallas celebrate efforts of women in socio-economic transformation. Igihe. (March 2022)
* We do not have to wait for someone to organize us when we are already organized, we should take charge and lead the way and also partner with others as we cross boundaries of race, color and have human solidarity that will help us to promote our cause.
** Rwandans, friends of Rwanda in Dallas celebrate efforts of women in socio-economic transformation. Igihe. (March 2022)
* For me this land is not about what it produced, but about the people, where I was born and raised.
** 20th Anniversary of the Genocide in Rwanda: An Interview with Mathilde Mukantabana. SocialJusticeJournal. (April 2014)
* It was my protection. If I allowed myself to feel anything emotionally, I was not going to be able to do anything.
** 20th Anniversary of the Genocide in Rwanda: An Interview with Mathilde Mukantabana. SocialJusticeJournal. (April 2014)
* Rwandans have engaged in a heart-to-heart conversation to strenghten the bonds of what make them to be truly one people. They have collectively rejected factionalism and divisionism of all kinds and have embraced the ideology of Ndi Umunyarwanda: I am Rwanda.
** 20th Anniversary of the Genocide in Rwanda: An Interview with Mathilde Mukantabana. SocialJusticeJournal. (April 2014)
* We didn't want our new generation and future generations to ever to go through what we have been through. We want to be Rwandans.
** In Rwanda, Human Rights Questions Persist Despite Peace. npr. (April 2014)
* But you can't just come with promises of better things when you are not really offering anything.
** In Rwanda, Human Rights Questions Persist Despite Peace. npr. (April 2014)
* We designed a roadmap and made transformative choices that are still guiding us today […] that can be summarized in three words: unity, accountability and thinking big.
** Diaspora Community Discuss Country’s ‘Rebirth And Growth’. KTPress. (January 2022)
* Rwanda is a country governed by the rule of law where unity and reconciliation have allowed people to come together to build a cohesive and prosperous nation.
** Diaspora Community Discuss Country’s ‘Rebirth And Growth’. KTPress. (January 2022)
* The notion of forgiveness is at the core of our being and has become our duty.
** Diaspora Community Discuss Country’s ‘Rebirth And Growth’. KTPress. (January 2022)
* I urge and encourage our young people present today to embrace your heritage, draw inspiration from those who came before you, and use your talents to build a better Rwanda, a better Africa, and a better world for all of us.
** Rwanda marks Liberation Day; Taiwan exhibit at Twin Oaks. WashingtonDiplomat. (August 2022)
* If you dream of something that can break boundaries, Rwanda is the place to be.
** Rwandan ambassador visits Indianapolis. IUPUI. (November 2017)
* women are competing as men. Women are now flying the high skies in my country.
** Ambassadors See Progress in Empowerment of African Women. Voice of America. (June 2015)
* That change is key, because full development cannot happen if half the people of Africa are not fully recognized as equal partners in society.
** Ambassadors See Progress in Empowerment of African Women. Voice of America. (June 2015)
* Giving a forum to promote genocide ideology is laying a breeding ground for preparation of future genocide.
** Amb. Mukantabana calls on international community to fight Genocide ideology. CNLG. (April 2016)
* Sometimes we look at Rwanda with genocide, Most of the time we don’t look at the incredible culture, the people.
** Rwandan Ambassador pays homage to past and present. Mshale. (May 2014)
* It is the state’s responsibility to protect the freedom and human rights of all people within its borders.
** Rwandan Ambassador pays homage to past and present. Mshale. (May 2014)
* The potential failure to learn from history carries risks.
** Rwandan Ambassador pays homage to past and present. Mshale. (May 2014)
* But you can move forward and you can actually find strength by acknowledging even your frailties as human being.
** Rwandan Ambassador pays homage to past and present. Mshale. (May 2014)
* The commemoration is a healing experience.
** The 24th Commemoration of Genocide against Tutsi in Rwanda. Michigan State University. (April 2018)
* Rwanda would have been called a “failed state,” but people refused to surrender to despair.
** The 24th Commemoration of Genocide against Tutsi in Rwanda. Michigan State University. (April 2018)
* This (Genocide against Tutsi in 1994) was not just a Rwandan failure, it was also a major failure for the international community.
** The 24th Commemoration of Genocide against Tutsi in Rwanda. Michigan State University. (April 2018)
* I am very proud of my people. We faced big challenges, but we successfully confronted them together as Rwandans. We now live in peace. Rwanda has turned the corner. People are happy and there is hope and light at the end of the tunnel. Remember, Reunite, and Renew
** The 24th Commemoration of Genocide against Tutsi in Rwanda. Michigan State University. (April 2018)
* When you are a refugee, you rely much on what people give you. Some people fall through the cracks. When you are a refugee and a girl anything can happen.
** Women Ambassadors Discuss Their Roles as Diplomats. GWToday. (April 2018)
* In Rwanda, we are now investing in making the agriculture sector an attractive and profitable business opportunity for our young entrepreneurs. They are bringing in new energy and advanced technology that will further diversify our crops and ensure quality production in the future of our agriculture sector.
** Rwanda is making agriculture, an attractive business opportunity for young entrepreneurs. Igihe. (April 2016)
* They were the backbone of reconstruction of our country but at the same time also there was a political will to empower women.
** The Nation That Elects The Most Women Is. Vermont Public. (May 2014)
* Part of our job is teaching. We travel all over the country to major institutions and help organize conferences to teach people about Rwanda.
** They came to remember the genocide against Tutsi in Rwanda. The Baltimore Watchdog. (April 2019)
* We must remember not to dwell on the past, but to strive for a better future.
** They came to remember the genocide against Tutsi in Rwanda. The Baltimore Watchdog. (April 2019)
* Rwandans became agents of their own destinies.
** Rebirth and Recovery of Rwanda Celebrated 25 Years Post-Genocide. The Dicksonian. (December 2019)
* They (Rwandans) have come from the ashes and have created a society that the people are proud of, and I’m proud to expand where I can in terms of the understanding of the American public.
** History professor appointed as Ambassador of Rwanda. The Connection. (April 2013)
* I can pretty significantly say that I learned more from them (students) than they learned from me. They pushed me to become who I became.
** History professor appointed as Ambassador of Rwanda. The Connection. (April 2013)
* You can’t really solve problems without linking with regional entities because the problems of one country become the problem of another country.
** R2P AND THE RESPONSIBILITY TO REBUILD: A NEW YORK CITY PANEL DISCUSSION. Auschwitz Institute. (January 2015)
* You have to own up first, you have to own your own failures.
** Could the Rwandan Genocide Happen Again? USNews. (April 2014)
* The savior mentality does not really take root in our country because it doesn’t work. You have to get something from us before we can get something from you.
** Could the Rwandan Genocide Happen Again? USNews. (April 2014)
* You can’t embrace if you believe somebody is more superior than you are.
** Could the Rwandan Genocide Happen Again? USNews. (April 2014)
* We’re a small country, but we have our own dignity.
** Could the Rwandan Genocide Happen Again? USNews. (April 2014)