Rene Claudel Mugenzi
Rene Mugenzi in April 2015
Personal details
Born (1976-04-13) 13 April 1976
Pyatigorsk, Russia
NationalityBritish
Alma materKing's College London
ProfessionSocial Innovation Executive

Rene Claudel Mugenzi (born 13 April 1976) is a British author, community and social development practitioner,[1] human rights activist,[2] community organiser and politician.[3]

He stood as a Parliamentary candidate for Poplar and Limehouse[4] in The United Kingdom General Election of 2015 which was held on 7 May 2015.[5] He represented the Red Flag Anti-Corruption political party.[6] In October 2020, he was found guilty of fraud at Norwich Crown Court.[7]

Early life and education

Rene Mugenzi was born in Pyatigorsk, Russia to Rwandan parents. He grew up in Kigali Rwanda until age of 18 when he left his native country fleeing genocide and massacres. In 1997, at the age of 21, he moved to the UK, where he has been living since.

He studied physics and astrophysics in King's College London. He also studied organising for social and community development[8] at London Metropolitan University.

Mugenzi is a fluent speaker of English, French, Swahili and Kinyarwanda.

Community and social development work

Mugenzi was a community support and social innovation development executive. He has been granted Lifetime Membership of the Millennium Awards Fellowship[9] and was nominated as a Tower Hamlets community hero, in recognition of his achievements in contributing in improving the quality of lives of local people, through developing and empowering innovative community development projects and services. Mugenzi has also won various community awards such as Community Champion and UnLtd[10] awards.

Mugenzi has developed and taught various community support methods and social innovation development[11] for community, voluntary and statutory sector. As a social and community development practitioner, he has worked in addressing various social challenges within underprivileged communities particularly in East London.

Rene Mugenzi has developed award-winning social innovation initiatives[12] that have been used in various poverty alleviation and community development projects in the UK and abroad. He has designed various capacity building training for social and community development workers.

He is the founder of the British Grassroots Action Awards,[13] a national award giving initiative that recognises innovative and successful grassroots-based initiatives that have made significant impact in the lives of their service users.

Mugenzi is also the founder and chairman[14] of the London Centre for Social Impact, a UK social innovation development organisation and think tank.

Political and human rights activities

Mugenzi has been involved in UK politics particularly in relation to social policy development and social justice campaigns. In 2010, he stood as a candidate in a local election in Thamesmead Moorings ward within Royal Borough of Greenwich for the Liberal Democrats.[15]

Mugenzi stood as the Parliamentary Candidate for Poplar and Limehouse representing the Red Flag Anti-Corruption political party in the 2015 UK general election.[6]

As an international human rights activist, Rene has frequently criticized foreign governments that abused human rights.[16][17][18] He has a particular interest in Rwanda,[19] Democratic Republic of Congo,[20] Myanmar (Burma)[21] and Iraq.[22]

In May 2011, Mugenzi was informed by the Scotland Yard, that they had discovered a plot to assassinate him[23][24][25][26][27] by the Rwandan government. He was put under protection and the UK government warned the Rwandan government against trying to assassinate its citizens on its soil. The Rwandan government denied those allegations.[23]

Mugenzi has spoken at various national and international conferences and events on issues of human rights and freedoms.[28][29]

Fraud conviction

In October 2020, Mugenzi was convicted at Norwich Crown Court of stealing £220,000 from St John the Baptist Cathedral, Norwich while volunteering as its treasurer, in order to feed his gambling habit, and jailed for more than two years.[30] His legal team had attempted to prevent his name being released to the public, claiming that his life was in danger despite him having revealed his location frequently on social media and having stood to become an MP.[31]

Publications

  • Strategic Planning for Sustainability – A practical guide for social enterprises[32]
  • Enabling Social Mobility in London: Effective ways to facilitate social ladder climbing[33]
  • Sustainable Social Outcomes at the Grassroots: Effective Grant making methods and social investment to community-based organisations[34]
  • Community Development and Leadership at the Grassroots Level: A tool-kit for councillors[35]
  • Strategic Planning in Social Actions: A guide for not for profit organisations[36]
  • Financial Control and Accountability: A practical guide to not for profit organisations[37]

References

  1. ↑ "Home | LCSI: London Centre for Social Impact". Centre4socialimpact.org. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
  2. ↑ "GLOBAL CAMPAIGN FOR RWANDANS HUMAN RIGHTS – GLOBAL CAMPAIGN FOR RWANDANS HUMAN RIGHTS". 20 February 2015. Archived from the original on 20 February 2015.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  3. ↑ "Home | Red Flag". Redflagac.org. 22 May 2014. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
  4. ↑ "Statement of Persons Nominated". www.towerhamlets.gov.uk. 7 May 2015. Archived from the original on 15 April 2015. Retrieved 23 August 2023.
  5. ↑ "East_End_Life_13Apr2015". Ebook-tm.s3.amazonaws.com. 19 April 2015. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
  6. 1 2 "Red Flag candidates announced. | Red Flag Anti-Corruption". Redflagac.org. 19 April 2015. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
  7. ↑ "Human rights activist is jailed for stealing £220,000". EuroWeekly. 23 October 2020. Retrieved 24 October 2020.
  8. ↑ "Organising for Social and Community Development – MSc – London Metropolitan University". Londonmet.ac.uk. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
  9. ↑ "Number10.gov.uk » Millennium Commission Awards Fellowship [21/1/1999]". Government of the United Kingdom. 27 January 2003. Archived from the original on 9 November 2004. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
  10. ↑ "for Social Entrepreneurs". UnLtd.org.uk. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
  11. ↑ LCSI Training Programme Coming up Events. "LCSI Training Programme & Events | LCSI: London Centre for Social Impact". Centre4socialimpact.org. Archived from the original on 26 June 2015. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
  12. ↑ "Our work profile | LCSI: London Centre for Social Impact". Centre4socialimpact.org. Archived from the original on 27 April 2015. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
  13. ↑ "British Grassroots Actions Award Scheme | LCSI: London Centre for Social Impact". Centre4socialimpact.org. Archived from the original on 26 June 2015. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
  14. ↑ "Our Board & Advisors | LCSI: London Centre for Social Impact". Centre4socialimpact.org. Archived from the original on 19 June 2015. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
  15. ↑ "Record number of Lib Dem candidates at local elections (Greenwich Borough Liberal Democrats)". Greenwich-libdems.org.uk. 11 April 2010. Archived from the original on 27 April 2015. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
  16. ↑ "British development aid 'success' model turned to be a mirage. – Mugenzi's Point of View". The Daily Telegraph. 20 October 2014. Archived from the original on 27 April 2015. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
  17. ↑ "The wind of democracy, Rwanda's turn and Kagame fate – Jambonews EN". Jambonews.net. 12 May 2011. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
  18. ↑ "Danger of criticising Rwandan government in post genocide era". Pambazuka.net. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
  19. ↑ "Attacks against the BBC documentary Rwanda's Untold Story are a betrayal of freedom of speech and democracy in Rwanda – Mugenzi's Point of View". The Daily Telegraph. 27 October 2014. Archived from the original on 19 June 2015. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
  20. ↑ Margaret S. Maringa says. "Can political freedom in Rwanda help to pacify the eastern Congo ? - Jambonews EN". Jambonews.net. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
  21. ↑ '+pcm+' comments. "Call To End Rohingya Genocide With Endorsements". Rohingyablogger.com. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
  22. ↑ "KAK RASH IN HAWLER | LCSI: London Centre for Social Impact". Centre4socialimpact.org. Archived from the original on 19 June 2015. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
  23. 1 2 Milmo, Cahal (20 May 2011). "Rwandan assassin 'sent to kill dissidents in UK' – Crime – UK". The Independent. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
  24. ↑ The British police warning Rene about an assassination plot against him, The New York Times, 20 May 2011
  25. ↑ "Rwandan exiles in London 'threatened by hitman' – BBC News". BBC. 21 May 2011. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
  26. ↑ Haroon Siddique (20 May 2011). "Rwandan exiles warned of assassination threat by London police". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
  27. ↑ Croft, Adrian (20 May 2011). "Police warn Rwandan exiles of murder risk". Reuters. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
  28. ↑ "Rwanda 1994–2014: Looking Back, Looking Forward". Royalafricansociety.org. 24 March 2014. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
  29. ↑ "Call To End Rohingya Genocide With Endorsements ~ Zarni's Blog". Maungzarni.net. 30 April 2014. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
  30. ↑ "Cathedral treasurer stole £222,000 from church to feed gambling addiction". Eastern Daily Press. 23 October 2020. Retrieved 24 October 2020.
  31. ↑ "How we won fight to name cathedral fraudster". Eastern Daily Press. 24 October 2020. Retrieved 24 October 2020.
  32. ↑ "STRATEGIC PLANNING FOR SUSTAINABILITY – A Practical Guide for Social Enterprises. | LCSI: London Centre for Social Impact". Centre4socialimpact.org. Archived from the original on 27 April 2015. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
  33. ↑ "ENABLING SOCIAL MOBILITY IN LONDON: Effective ways to facilitate social ladder climbing | LCSI: London Centre for Social Impact". Centre4socialimpact.org. Archived from the original on 27 April 2015. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
  34. ↑ "SUSTAINABLE SOCIAL OUTCOMES MADE AT THE GRASSROOTS: Effective Grant making methods and Social Investment to community based organisations. | LCSI: London Centre for Social Impact". Centre4socialimpact.org. Archived from the original on 27 April 2015. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
  35. ↑ "COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND LEADERSHIP AT GRASSROOTS LEVEL: A Toolkit for COUNCILLORS | LCSI: London Centre for Social Impact". Centre4socialimpact.org. Archived from the original on 27 April 2015. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
  36. ↑ "STRATEGIC PLANNING IN SOCIAL ACTIONS – A Guide for not for profit organisations | LCSI: London Centre for Social Impact". Centre4socialimpact.org. Archived from the original on 27 April 2015. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
  37. ↑ "FINANCIAL CONTROL AND ACCOUNTABILITY – A practical guide to not-for profit organisations | LCSI: London Centre for Social Impact". Centre4socialimpact.org. 14 November 2013. Archived from the original on 27 April 2015. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
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