The Role of Civil Society Organizations in Good Governance: A Case of Ekimeza in Uganda

By

Jacob Waiswa

Situation Health Analyst

Dishma Inc.

Introduction:
According to the Wikipedia.org (2010), civil society was a composition of totality of voluntary civic and social organizations and institutions that formed a basis of functioning of a society. The idea of ekimeza in Uganda was generated in 1999 by radio one –the countries local English language station. The ekimeza was a roundtable discussion that mainly attracted the urban elites to topical issues of the day. It helped influence government policies and decision making process regarding issues discussed. The ekimeza is appreciated as one of the credible means to voice out local concerns, to influence policy and governance and, ultimately, peace –a condition free of violence and psychological trauma (or psychological peace).

There was need to cause an appreciation of the ekimeza as a clear mean of preventing conflict that lead to demeaning deaths and psychological trauma, and facilitation of psychological healing itself, or peace-building process. It was, thus, important to understand the contribution of ekimeza to good governance, to psychological peace and peaceful human environments through activism of freely expressing views and identifying oneself with others, sharing experiences.
Ekimeza (roundtable discussions) were witnessed and observed from 1999 to last year when such discussions were banned (end of 2009), listening in with groups of friends and experiencing the differences (changes), attending to local media to view ekimeza impact on society, and reading topical books on governance and peace.

Background
A decentralization system of governance in Uganda has been in operation since 1986 when the NRM government took over power. At that time, Uganda had had from a long history to tell of war and mass killings due to dictatorship and military takeovers. Decentralization in Uganda was implemented in two phases; using the RC system (1986-1987) that was given legal stature passed in 1987 and 1988, and October 1992 through an announcement by president Y.K. Museveni (Munawwar A., 2006:164). It, however, became a fully fledged system of governance in 1997 as a Local Government Act aimed at enhancing local participation in the affairs of government through local councils 1 to local council 5 (Nkongi E., 2002).

Only until 2004, when cabinet proposed the region tier arrangement to be granted to districts who desired it (Senyonjo J., 2007). And districts who felt undesirability of the system would through two thirds of the vote come out of it. As opposed to the federal system the regional tier, whereas district in the given region would cooperate to achieve common objectives, they still had to report to the central government. For federal system, both the regions and local government worked autonomously. That is: the central government, the region, and the local councils (Senyonjo J., 2007).

The inadequacy of representative democratic system in so many countries led to international agencies to support the development of civil society organizations as counter-weights to government. There was need to carefully design local level decision making to ensure balance and inclusion (of or with civil society) in an intimate relationship with those elected (Devas N, 2006).

UTS (2001) suggested five (5) performance measurements from the perspective of citizens and government, which included; feedback for decision-making, recognition of the potential impact of local government, the need for efficiency and effectiveness, public accountability, public pressure and the need improve public trust.

Participation and Influence on Decision Making and Peace
Those in power used the forum to explain government positions on different issues of contention, so that they could be understood and be accepted by the people. Equally, the opposition used it to constructively criticize government; reminding them of their failures so that they can correct or adopt new friendlier policies. By helping create a leveled ground for representative of the opposition, government representatives, and supporters, the forum was ensuring the principle of equality among Ugandans, as equal before the law.

In his view about democracy, Ekeh, P. Ed Berman Et al (2004:36), noted that it was a political expression of a relationship between individuals as citizens and the state. The citizen was a major stake in the political process that governed the state, and that he or she (citizen) belonged to the community of fellow citizens –who owned the state. If that relationship was harmonious, that, alone, would be peace experienced, injuries and demeaning deaths prevented, and healing caused.

Individuals who thought could offer better leadership, use the forum to let their ideals known to the population as well as identify themselves with them, such that during elections, chances were higher that they would be voted into power. Even those who lost chance caught up with them when President Y.K. Museveni appointed them Resident District Commissioners (RDCs) or deputies to the position, like Nakawa Assistant RDC, Fred Bamwine, and Tororo RDC Mpimbaza Hashaka, among others. The forum further helped young aspiring politicians to gain confidence and public speaking experience, many of them still pursuing the trade, for example Patrick Aroma (UPC), Moses Nuwagaba (Political Prostitute, Grace Musoke (FDC), among others.

They were an inspiration to many young people, and the immediate communities they came from –to be able to understand issues pertaining to events in their country in a two-sided manner, rather than the one-faced propaganda from government. There was often little by way of manifestos, or information about policy alternatives and little access about the real performance of those in power (Devas N, 2006:35). That facilitated informed decision making on choices about who would lead them. When the people have that freedom, there will be no doubt that they will feel peaceful within themselves in particular and the environment in general.

And psychologically, the ekimeza offered an opportunity for frustrated and disappointed citizens to vent such psychopathological conditions off –which alone was therapeutic as affected participants will leave the forum calmer and feeling better than they came –having ‘blown’ out the toxicity of anger on those leaders that betray their people. In the same way as earlier noted above, the need for identification can have significant influence on stability of the state once that state fails to respect such a need. But according Whitman J. (2005:2), the objective of policy was to preserve and increase the relations (like ekimeza) we value and to exclude or reduce the relations we hated. Preserving hate feelings only generated conditions for conflict rather than peace.

Truly, The People’s Parliament
With a huge membership to parliament, representation of electorates is poor. Ekimeza was thus a credible way for commoners to form civilian parliament and let themselves heard by both policy makers and their lazy MPs (member of parliaments). It was a sure way local participation and representation was ensured, helping to fill gaps left behind by the legislature.

It further filled the gap left behind by the representative democratic system –in which most MPs did not live up to the people’s wishes, instead represented their stomachs. The ekimeza was alternative to ineffective and bribery-prone parliament, such that with it (ekimeza), they could advocate balanced regional representation and development, improved infrastructure and services (e.g. better transportation system, equipped hospitals, quality education and health services, critical observance of human rights and freedoms (e.g. right to information, freedom of speech and assembly).

Individuals, who spoke at ekimeza did not only represent personal views but for their reference groups as well. Berman Et al (2004) argued that democracy was integral part of development. It is in democracy that we find a package of people participation in the affairs of their country and decisions based on the common good of such people.

When people are provided with a platform to identify with others, feel accepted, share information about their needs, acknowledge and solve problem them in a trust-worthy relationship with government or its representative, sustainable peace will be registered within themselves and society they come from. And having met their needs, the potential evil or criminal mind would have been prevented from developing into one.

The Famous Ekimeza Scene at Club Obligatto, Kampala-Uganda

Capacity Building, Problem-solving and Accountability under Decentralization Policy
Governance involved understanding systems, through consensus based on shared fates and common histories, possession of information and knowledge, the pressure of action or mobilization of publics and the use of careful planning, good timing and clever manipulation and hard bargaining either separately or in a combination to foster control mechanism that sustain governance without government [P.60,61]. The ekimeza provided for all that –where if government was idle, life went on peacefully as people or civil society took on mobilization and influence of outcomes.

An empowered citizenship was in position to make informed decisions and pressure government to pass people-friendly policies in line with decisions reached at personal and group level, and to further evaluate leadership performance (accountability). Like ekimeza, part of the common wealth secretariat objectives was to support decentralization through financial capacity, capacity building, and strengthening public management, provision of technical assistance and region symposia (Munawwar A. (2006:2). Decentralization of government functions has been a major theme pursued in both developing and transitional economies as well as in much developed world. At the same time there has been significant shift from the direct provision of services by government to more indirect approaches in partnership with the private sector, that is; the non-government organizations and the community organizations Munawwar A. (2006:6).

The ekimeza further aroused political consciousness of mainly educated youth –who either joined the discussions or began to view affairs of their country in a two-faced manner –and make informed decisions –accordingly. It showed relevancy to vernacular-speaking radios and to Ugandans in the countryside; together invoked a new radio programs –the ekimeza brand. These included simbawo akati (Radio Simba), mambo baado (CBS), among others.

Events following the September 11th, 2009 protests evolved out of the ekimeza fame –accused by government of inciting violence; the final assault being the closer of radio stations namely; Suubi Fm, Akaboozi kubiri (Radio), and CBS. Until now CBS remains closed. Agreeable, however, was that the ekimeza helped to empower citizens with knowledge about their human-rights including cultural ones. If government had listened and respected them as people who voted it into power, in the true spirit of democracy, violence would not have ensued. This follows Article 1 of the Constitution of the Republic of Uganda (1995) that power belonged to the people.

On the eve and after national or international holidays, the ekimeza discussed significances of such days to Ugandans. In that way it was helping to educate the masses on relevance and challenges to such days, for example; the 8th March (women’s day), the 9th June (heroes’ day), the 26th January (Teresita day), 9th October (Independence Day) and the mid-year Budget reading days as well as the hot topics in parliament.

It not only helped to bridge the gap between those in government and its people, the ekimeza too acted as an empowering tool for Ugandans. According to Whitman J., (2005) governance was a social function (like ekimeza) centered on making collective choices regarding matters of common concern to the members of human groups (civil society one like ekimeza).

It (governance) comprised partners that emerged from governing activities of social, political and administrative actors; therefore, modes of sociopolitical governance were always outcomes of public and private deliberations [P.17]. Such gave participants eventful opportunities to comment on administrative corruption, the too many small and under funded districts, lack of patriotism and unbalanced distribution of the national cake –which if not addressed, could potentially lead to instability, notwithstanding that such structure of society, itself, amounted to absence of peace.

It was obvious that government would be put to task to explain ventures in foreign wars, expensive military expenditures, missing funds, marginalization, inefficiencies, and performance of key development sectors like agriculture, economic protection, under funding, and insecurity. Nickson A (2006:25) observed factors driving government reforms as external and internal. Internally, if there was a strong coalitions for reform of the fiscal policies to rid country of administrative corruption, overstaffing (the case of Uganda parliament with over 300 MPs), low productivity, absence of culture of service, inefficiency and inequitable resources distribution.

The ekimeza acted as a formidable force that put government to task to account for the mess in the country, like Khisa I. (2010:3) reported in the Saturday Vision that nine million Ugandans were facing hunger, 15% of the population was malnourished, and 40% of the child deaths recorded in the country were due to malnutrition. If such structural problems were taken into account after putting government on the right path and direction due to pressure, and addressed those, certainly, peace would prevail.

Human Rights Issues and the Rule of Law in Governance
At ekimeza participants were sure they were exercising their freedoms of association and expression –stipulates in Article 19 one of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights ( 1948) that people had a right to seek, receive and impart information and ideas without hindrance, and Article 29 of the constitution of the Republic of Uganda (2005) which provides for freedoms of association, and that every person shall have the right to freedom of speech and expression, which shall include freedom of the press and other media. Article 9 of the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights 1981 provides for the right to receive information and right to disseminate information according to the law. Berman Et al (2004) noted that multiparty politics shaped the context of the struggle among elites seeking to defend or challenge the distribution of state power and resources.

The long time of inadequate and corrupt judicial wing of government characterized by bribery, using it as a tool of oppression by the rich against the unprotected poor, they (the people) were forced to assume the power to defend themselves within their rights. Soon, mob justice replaced the weak and un-trusted judicial system upon conceding defeat to the concept of the rule of law. The new definition according to the “common man’s law” or mob justice seen by the same architects of failure as itself an act of lawlessness became a fairer deal to the people, very relieving of insecurity and rewarding in terms of peace.

A police report (2009) in Saturday Vision news article by Odong C., (2010), revealed 332 people killed out of mob justice –a figure said to be the highest in Africa. The police put the figure of the backlog cases at 103, 592 that year. Such was the temptation to police to think of wrongful means to stop additions of suspects to already congested prisons. So they could think of bribery as a way to send away suspects –which in another way was bringing injustice to the oppressed. Luckily, recent reforms in the judicial systems propose community service, recruitment of more judges and effective monitoring of decentralization of judicial services by the office of the inspector of government (IGG), and some of them like increment of staff and improved IGG actions are already underway. Once all those are dealt with, conflict resolution and peace will prevail.

The ekimeza only invoked the freedoms of expression and rights to assemble that, truly, were functional and a sign that government had a duty recognize such freedoms. Article 1 of the African Charter stated that:
“Freedom of expression and information, including the right to seek, receive and impart information and ideas, either orally, in writing or in print, in the form of art, or through any other form of communication, including across frontiers, is a fundamental and inalienable human right and an indispensable component of democracy. Everyone shall have an equal opportunity to exercise the right to freedom of expression and to access information without discrimination.”

(AU, 2002)

The Declaration of the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights –a body that monitors compliance to its provisions declare in Article II that: “No one shall be subject to arbitrary interference with his or her freedom of expression; and Any restrictions on freedom of expression shall be provided by law, serve a legitimate interest and be necessary in a democratic society.” Famous themes of the ekimeza over years was advocacy of federal system of governance to suit the diversity in cultures, promote true patriotism that naturally eliminates the cancer of corruption, and for effective utilization of local resources –noting that the ekimeza, from its composition was true manifestation of unity in diversity of ideologies and cultures. And it was argued following article 1 (i) of the constitution that people had the power to choose the system of governance under which they should be led.

Linking Ekimeza to Good Governance and Peace

 Fig.1.                                                                                                   

                                                                                                                                     

Disjointed Relationship, Bad Governance and Disharmony (or Instability)

Fig.2.

Healthy Relationship, Good Governance and Peace

Challenges and Situation Analysis
Censorship of information and closure of radio stations are concerns can be traced as far back as the revolutionary years of France, but now is here (in Uganda). Whereas development gradually transforms society from worse to better, recent history proves otherwise that an individual or a few of them can undermine press liberty and intellectual freedom.

Threats to close radio stations and intimidation which began way back in 2003 when government started crackdowns on live outside radio broadcasts (ebimeza). According to Basoga Nsadhu (RIP) radio stations were by law supposed to broadcast from within their studios (Reporters Without Boarders, 2003). Such actions only undermined government, de-nationalized Ugandans, and generated even stronger condition for internal violence and wars.

However, the ekimeza on most occasions was accused of intent to blow discussions out of proportion by personally insulting and sending abusive messages to those in power which culturally was grave –which tantamount to disrespect of elders. It was argued that the September 11th Baganda protest –in which over 30 people were reported killed by state security agencies, was an outcome of forum (ekimeza) activities.

Unfortunately, the people in power failed to understand the root causes of personal insults being targeted to the president, not at all understand that some speakers came from deprived areas of the country –with poor health services, poor roads, poor drainage systems, poor representation to parliament and above all; unemployment.

For the elite speakers their cries were on corruption, lack of political will to end it, insecurity, marginalization of certain areas of the country like northern Uganda, wrongful execution of war there and lost or no explanations for the Barlonyo, Atiak and Karamoja killings.

In dealing with the Buganda issues, government insensitive of the cultural rights of the Baganda went on to limit Kabaka Ronald Mutebi II’s peaceful movement in his Kingdom. Such an act was simply a provocation, a show of arrogance and contempt of the people it governed –which without question had to light up violence. It was, thus, wrong for government to interfere with the peace of movement of the Kabaka acted within his cultural and institutional rights and with ease shooting 30 unarmed people dead.

Good governance catered for citizens’ cultural (leadership), political (decision making), economic rights (access to development opportunities) and safety concerns –which if the government of Uganda had valued as one way to grant peace to a society that deserved such rights, violence would not have occurred. Indeed, the cultural-led violence was merely a spark that triggered the silence conflicts of economic deprivation, ineffective representation, and hopelessness of life under the sets of political, economic and security rights or concerns of the people of Uganda. And with the repeal of the law of sedition on August 25th 2010 by the constitutional court of the Republic of Uganda, there are even greater signs of a peaceful Uganda (Jurist.org, 2010).

As if happy with strangling the most reliable link (media) between government and its people, President Y.K. Museveni, at a dinner hosted by the Uganda National Association of Broadcasters, angrily said, “You rarely inform. You rarely educate. You entertain, yes. But you mostly lie and incite. I have so much evidence to prove all this.” But he was also able to prove himself right that government had failed to deliver services to its people effectively and efficiently when he said, “Ever since we started decentralization, we have been sending massive amounts of money to the districts. A lot of this money suffered ‘nyam nyam’. Very soon you will hear some stories.” Yet, as Devas (2006:35) put it, “…there was need to supplement local elections with opportunities for more direct citizen participation in decision making and by greater information availability and use of resources."

The ekimeza approach was very significant at bringing the picture mass discontent of the masses to the sitting rooms of policy makers through listening in –so as to adopt new policies, strengthen existing ones or filling in the missing gaps in services delivery and representation. It was one approach that brought together people from various walks of life together to meet and deliberate issues of national concern peacefully. By so doing it built relationships among participants and represented agencies like government or its opposition. In such a good, trustworthy relationship, harmony and peaceful situations were imminent.

At most times, government representatives were present to listen and explain incidents of inefficiency in its fiscal policies, and the existing repressive schemes by government on opposition leaders and their followers. If the days’ leaders could pick one or two concerns from every discussion, a lot of ‘wounds’ could be healed, and society emancipated economically, politically and in expression their inalienable rights of assembly and speech –among others. They, themselves, would change morally and ethically as much of the criticisms were on political corruption and socio-cultural immorality. And once that exists, there would be perceived fairness and predictable peace.

Government stability was determined by its own actions –where if such actions were in the best interest of the people, security and peace would be guaranteed. And so long as such actions worked that way, then political paranoia would be replaced with psychological peace on the part of the political leadership, insecurity would be replaced by sustainable peace, as greed and mass discontent and contempt for government are diffused in favor of trust, tolerance, acceptance and love among Ugandans –all of which are strong predictors of peace and tranquility.

Conclusion and Recommendations
It can be submitted that there is need to let ebimeeza (plural) flourish at all leaves as forums to brainstorm societal problems, for problem-solving, for venting and psychological healing or peace and for enabling policy reform and formulation for the benefit of the common man, and for healthy relationship building as meaningful avenues for good governance and peace-building and prevention of psychologically traumatizing condition of war. However, more research is needed to define and set limits of the ekimeza so that, while it assumes the rights and freedoms of assembly, information and expression, and appreciative of its responsibilities to society and governance, it knows it limits for orderliness Uganda and common good of its people.

SPIRITUAL AND RELIGIOUS WARS AS NECCESARY EVILS: JUSTICE BY MAN AND FROM BEYOND: A PRESENTATION OF OPTIONS

Man and his relationship with religion and spirituality has been the most enduring but particularly much neglect for spirituality. Unfortunately, both, religion and spirituality have struggled to find a common relationship in vain. Of the two, religion has tended to serve man’s interests better -most of which are inhuman to others and sometimes to self. While religion would be looked as the attempt to find rationality of spirituality while the latter could be an enduring desire to understand the infinite, the unknown and that is beyond human grasp.

What seems as the major aim in all could be to engineer the being into organized set of perception, interpretation and functioning –with their pre-determined consequences in the constant face of uncertainty. To achieve this, generation of unbearable fear of the consequence would be strongest weapon used by the political unit, cult, religious, and cultural-norm or values leaders – a time during which true spiritual leaders, like any other leader, would be too hard to find.

The leaders, from scratch or humble background, soon become new capitalist with lots of wealth. This, understandably, is a manipulation of spirituality to ensure man’s control to yield “prosperity” and self-advancement –something that marginalizes, impoverishes, and retards individual mental power of the followers. Could he (Carl Marx) have been right to say religion was a tool of exploitation?

Yet true spirituality following and practice would require separation of monetary attachment as a source of living, ensuring equity perception of; the benefits enshrined in spiritual-individual relationship and no boundary and control to it –since it is simply above or beyond humans. Any claim of control of fellow men and women would be pretence and false and a joke to the good spirit (God) –with respect to whatever name and description tied to it (the good spirit).

It is surprising, however, finding or hearing of some people being fronted as custodians of the unknown (good spirituality or God or good natural forces as alternate references given their similar characteristics), and sometimes acting like God. Isn’t this impersonation? To the extremes, they even ask for bodyguards to “protect the church or God”, yet in real sense it is protection of amassed wealth –a goal fulfilled (kiwede) and newly attained social class that high on the social ladder.

What they fail to tell their followers is perhaps them (leaders) as being God or the unanswerable to anybody, who must be served and fed by their following, yet all people, share the same rights before the good spirit. As NRM cadres put it, while referring to a vocalizing opposition members; who are these people and whom are they fooling? The same would apply to so-called custodians of the good spirit.

No wonder, to some, “being a custodian” is a career to admire and work hard or train for. While those, who have personal gifts as charisma and power of speech would not need a trainer or school to excel at lying to selfishly gain, to deprive progress of others, to suffocate and sort of sentence others to life as fools.

The same people tell their followers to stop medication for prayers only. Recent research showed that HIV positive patients, who left Anti-retroviral (ARV) drugs for prayers only later died. Yet prayer only helped boost the immune system and have the body respond best to drugs.

The difference, perhaps, would be that intellectual liars (so-called leaders, who have gone to school) would be most dangerous because they are “professional”. Perhaps if it was not professionalism they would have lived much dangerous yet helpless life. And because of the professional tag, it is not easy to oppose and castigate them. If mere suspicion cropped in, the fellow could have gone very far with destruction of other if not to self. Actually, if they were punishable the penalty could be biggest.

Kibwetere, being a catholic priest and behind the overflowing cloth and sorts of labels, he managed to organize hell for himself and others, perhaps, because the prophesized one was not coming to pass. We still live among such people who must be quickly identified and managed so as to protect the innocent ones, yet unsuspecting the danger caused by those they follow and entrust lives to.

Yet with genuine spirituality, which everybody is subject to or automatically qualify, there would be only round table discussions and anywhere to brainstorm how we get through the unknown rather than the sorts of confining the good spirit (God) or persuade people to be lectured, instead a collaborative learning and contributions, equally. How really does one confine the good spirit? Is it possible yet powerless to it (the good spirituality)?

If the good spirit’s reaction was clearly observable or experiential, we would have been able to see very many people being laughed at for no sense in their practices. Unfortunately, the constant subjectivity to opposing spirits of both good and bad only creates puzzles to making good decisions while the contrary comes with regrettable consequences.

And nature (state of things or anything), good spirituality (or God, the unanswered questions or the unknown, of what is beyond us) and man himself are one and share in the objective of making good, truthful and fair-fetched progress –and equally contributing to sustaining life.

In this kind of relationship harmony would be central to avoiding dangerous consequences. In the same way, whatever choice man made had to be consistent to required truth and goodness or justice -all of which help drive life, still, in the true and right destiny.

In such a bid, whatever applied intelligence, innovations or so-called modernization might have to comply with the needs of the other members in a kind of relationship like signatories to the bank account or three organs of government. Absence to consultations, harmony and agreement across the three organs or elements would, in most cases, lead to the demise of the weaker or less privileged person. Remember man is a perishable good and the spirit, imperishable and so one needs the other most to survive.

In this case man falls under that category while nature only evolves much in response to his activities towards it -as big dam building along with heavy floods and sterility over time (with long periods with no power or worsened frequency), wrong and back-firing policies coupled with insensitivity, attack and attempted de-forestation of mabira forest or the general thinking and thriving on ideals and values that are misleading and destructive to self and others. But even with members of the cat family, which are animals, once forced into a corner –with no room to escape, they would definitely pounce onto the aggressor in self-defence. If there were tragedies as after effects, whom would we blame?

It would be hard to believe though believable that much of what is convenient to do for man like man’s justice that is in the real sense actually injustice, forming values, issuing decrees, materialism (over-eating and robbing for wealth creation), making orders or coming up with one, which are famed in most cultures and customs and forming cults or religion –with its practices and set of rules would be the same constituents of what religions hold.

Better justice could, therefore, come from far beyond other than the court martial and high court judges since every one is would be equally accountable to the unknown or the good spirit at one point in time. Much of humanly justice is actually injustice. It is characterized by wealthy ones bribing to deny the poor justice, and the greedy leaders ones to sustain their greed and continued oppression of their subjects. In the perspective of spirituality, people who acted that way are worthy laughing at as loud as possible.

It would also mean that what is unknown at man’s level cannot be judged and like man has no right to even judge anything like we must equally be humble and treat fellow men rightly. Unfortunately, this never stops man from setting his own system of affairs or manipulating anything at any cost to meet his selfish interests of wanting to conquer and become the only lion in the forest, moreover, at any cost.

Actually, the sense would be that good spirituality is most unique with greatest powers but influencing us differently –depending extent of the relationship. That is, it part of the individual’s personality set or an extension of the being. Indeed, as the saying goes, God helps those who help themselves, complimenting each other or that we are co-creators with him and the part of him –where the defect mainly at our level would affect the entire set or system.

Like socialism being a ladder for the opportunists’ emergence to fame and become capitalists, Religion is another that has over years been used for self-gratification, attain proprietorship, amass wealth and heal from humble backgrounds and sometimes to attain political power as well as consolidate it.

This could explain how Christian-based political parties as the Democratic Party came in existent and made a number of people become powerful politicians or ardent fans to it. As a ladder for a few to reaching wealthy levels, much biting poverty would go to those who helped them rise.

Interestingly, they remain full of healing words for the then poor by forging whatever statement could cause blindness to their followers to continue feeding them. They could be undefined brand of politician with a terrific tongue to play about follower intellect and control their ability to grasp.

Simply, they would make statements like happy are the poor, for the “kingdom of God” is theirs –which God could actually be them, as kings made by poor people. As dominant people, with control of the information channels and almost anything, success can always be on their side.

And that they (followers) would be rewarded for giving to the made “king” –which rewards turn out to be poverty. Using people’s desperate need to find hope, certainty of what they aspire for and strength to progress in the ever challenging world for personal gains by the leadership is as similar as using global fund money meant for those dying of malaria, tuberculosis and HIH/AIDS. What a genocidal act! Wouldn’t we need to have criminality extend as far as this?

Since God cannot be questioned and above human laws, the poor, unsuspecting and unquestioning are made to believe anything put forward to them –including causing violence against fellow men and women with contrasting faiths or go as far as creating an artificial hell as Kibwetere, and most recently, one (hell) in Buddo Junior School in Wakiso District.

The “churchmen”, perpetuators of violence and persecutors could have take control of people’s minds and having them by the fist like a remote control –to achieve their aims. In Africa, the industry has believably grown –a sector that economist have barely considered for comprehensive figures about economic growth and call for further investment in the sector if found positively benefiting to all. But already it is a black market.

As if leading blind people, they soon take them wherever they want and dictate for anything. But even the blind man’s other senses develop extra power to sense in compensation for what the eyes failed to do. Here all the six senses of followers are remote controlled. It is another form of brain washing if not a mini-communist practice. In Uganda, tendencies have gone so far that after every ten meters one would find a kiosk-like “church”.

On the contrary, a good spirituality (God) and man (religion) relationship could be found the objective of establishing socially accepted morals and providing presumably right or true direction for man -to help predict his or her position of good health and prosperity in the face of uncertain future.

Any kind of association or group with common interests and values turned religious wing with vested interests and values as could be enshrined in any religious group, and that concertedly aid individuals in negotiation with the unknown future. But to prevent getting blinded, drowned or destroyed by most religions we would, seemingly, need to measure extent of their contribution to moral uprightness and wellness of people.

Spirituality on the other hand would be a humble bid to derive conclusions amidst complexities of life -with the unknown known as superior authority figure and in better position to help physical being to understand such complexities. Interestingly, people soon place themselves in the position of the infinite or the unknown after some how understanding part of the complexities while advancing in life and realizing their goals. They are only reminded of their originality when another life puzzle and confusion comes-by or that prevalence of complexities in life are infinite, whose encounters are a lifetime –until perhaps, we tire through death.

According to Leon (1988), religious rationality need to be tied to the principle of good and truth, where evil had to be shun for the sake of God, with the consequent love of good, delighting in him, loving the truth and having determination to apply the truth to life. As if to reinforce this, several findings have shown evidence of relief from hardships and wellness thereafter through positive religious and spiritual practice.

No one can say no to the powers beyond (good spirituality) or claim to be independent from it; instead we need it to have fulfillments of life goals. Seyyed (1987) on his part found spiritual experiences as very transforming cognitively and in character of the individual.

With verbal proclamations made before the perceived all-knowing, a lot of emotional relieves are experienced as burdens of fear of the unknown and even of real cases drop off the individual (Holmes, 2006). With the good spirituality we can constantly re-discover our strength, direction and meaning to life.

Several organizations, institutions and individuals have adopted the ideal of prayer as a force towards strengthening them in the face of complexities and the unknown. These include; the government of Uganda in the face of disasters that often hit the country under the nose, non-government organization and health center dealing with chronic illnesses, and people living in periods of puzzle and confusion or when a calamitous event ambushes them.

Much as man has the freedom to make choices, form guidelines run his or her own life, and have domineering values determine anyone’s type, all must represent and be in harmony with the truth, natural and spiritual justice (after getting answers from the unknown or good spirit) and of good intent to self and others. All policies and values must be friendly across the board as indicated above.

Until so people must not aggressively push for their human interests anywhere and anyhow, especially if they adversely jeopardize the lives and progress of the other. Life and fellow men must be handled with gentility and respect. The good intentions of the good spirit must be separated from man’s interests until a harmonious relationship and proven agreement are felt while understanding of human complexities is done with respect through free collaborative learning and round-table or small group discussions. And with members working having side jobs and together to sustain such meetings every other time. Such would potentially help create change for the better of humanity and the world we live in.

On the other hand, when nature and unknown dictates the worst as a result of our bad actions, we would have no choice but to humbly accept. Real justice that is above man shall always rule, regardless. Our good efforts will always be rewarded while those that are maimed, deprived, dehumanized, suffocated and unfairly treated are both compensated plus a reward. But first victims must be helped to rise against human foxes while those who get conscious quickly escape and if possible confront the “beasts”.


Jacob Waiswa
Situation Health Analyst
www.situationhealthanalysis.blogspot.com
waiswajacobo@yahoo.co.uk