A Peace Psychologist’s Response to the Gay Debate in Uganda

By

Jacob W. Buganga – Associated Projects Research (APR)

In brief:

Signing into law the anti-gay bill in Uganda appeals highly to Africans and Ugandans in particular: it is great stride in his role of championing Pan-Africanism and African culture that understood for centuries that the behavior was anti-social, a taboo like very many other socially-undesirable ones, which also was Divine, they way of life, religious exception! To naturalists, good for ecology and sustainability as it allows humanity to continue to regenerate rather than degenerate and thrive. He, m7 becomes a leader, straight away by providing leadership necessary to safe the human face, wherever elsewhere guys have failed! They now want other nations to fail by keeping them disunited and weak to help themselves. Every effort for Africa and other nations to unite and help themselves has been met by a terror hand of CIA. By doing so they are able to force anything down the throat of other nations, people -however horrific! Which justifies reactions from the people offended, who rely on weak-man's approach to save humanity face and Divine order! Such reactions amount to terrorism as much as CIA's and the West tendencies towards the developing world! So they create worse problems for themselves like terrorism and waste military resources to fight it, forgetting where they come from... Contempt for other countries norms, values and rich history will always be returned by a bad blow for them. Russia is already showing its fatigue for that... Then, react by cutting 'aid' whose impact has never been known. Despite it being given as the situations in hospitals, Agriculture sector are still the same. It only keeps Africans more poor and depend. ‘Cutting’ aid it will enhance creativity and stronger alliances in Africa, Russia and South America to continue to thrive. Aren't those bigger markets? President Museveni thus becomes a global hero and potentially rejuvenates his career as leader/politician! His action was also democratic as it expressed the wishes of the people of Uganda. I am told Americans believe in democracy. The universal human rights did not cater for the interests of Africans for them to ride by them. They were extreme views of victors in world war two, still angry. Ideas generated in anger are always very fundamentalist, terrorist! Respect for indigenous peoples' rights is consistent with the signed law, which is okay. Until do they start respecting other stakeholder in the world, will we find peace? Of course the law will define and redefine behavior. I have seen changed people (former gay). Good they are only a small number whose behavioral problems can be managed and helped for their better functioning.

I Begin with a True Story:

I am largely vegetarian for health reasons, not much in practice through... Great! Always knowledge comes first by understanding, when one understands makes rightful responses towards another person he or she has understood. You simply never go wrong in such a relationship... I travelled in taxi over the weekend when a woman stopped it to board. As soon as she did, she began preaching to us on board... guys began complaining to her, saying: we too have our religions. You are making noise... you did not ask whether we are first interested in your stuff...' do you know? She persisted! Everyone got disgusted! And to save the situation, the driver stopped and asked her to step out. As soon as she did, there was peace! That is what Ugandans are now experiencing at the moment... Conservative!? Essentially, every being has what it tolerates and what it does not –both physical and non-physical ones so that they can continue to regenerate and thrive in their natural states. Some natural states are only perceived so after years of getting convinced and practicing the same behavior with positive reinforcement for it to thrive and mean ‘natural.’ I prefer being described by others not myself... I can only guess: I am neither: I like living around the point of equilibrium... extremes can be irrational and dangerous... one an easily lose oneself... yet I am someone who struggles to be in control of my mind and behavior no matter my attempts to be either conservative or not... sexual? I am someone who likes to be in control and struggle to... to be able to manage my sexual needs, desires, interests, thoughts, feelings, and decisions I may make... religion? I like to think above religion: religions is organized from of worship to the superior being... I prefer to organize myself instead on how I relate with my God... because those organizations have people, are lead by people who are also prone to mistakes... if am a follower, I can easily make mistakes... nonetheless, I pick interesting stuff from all religions! Of course, by the time I came into being there were already religions! I was bound to be raised under one, and live among others! I have enjoyed them and came up with reservations, though for them all... I am happy for the good morals they greatly instill in followers and saddened by some aspects of conduct that are misleading, which instead of bringing prosperity, joy and happiness, they focus on taking it away!

Triggers to the Signing of the Gay Law:

because some foreign forces had started a campaign here among young people to make it an issue; intensively recruiting them into taking on the habit... so that after video-casing their work, including their women victims, they send back to their funders for more money... I mean, it had become a fortune for some people, who leaned their trade from overseas... and now wish others they left back home should experience as well... now imagine the case of one who married a dog? Would you now go around campaigning for the vice to develop in SA being is it the guy's human right... that is what Professor Mamdani the other day called 'human rights fundamentalism.' this in my terms becomes psychopathological situation/condition!

Implications of the Gay Law and Justifications:

If other countries neglect and avoid taking the moral leadership, Uganda will and be a role model to Africa as for the rest of the World. Of course a single country cannot provide leadership for everything; Uganda will provide it in this respect. The signing of the anti-gay bill will simply mean that whoever visits Uganda should respect the norms until he or she leaves. Even President Museveni can be in trouble to legalize it. He would be despised and thrown out easily even by his closest local allies. Signing it can only rejuvenate his rulership! People here believe in acting orderly ('mannerisms'), otherwise you never belong here. It is a yes or no response to the matter. this is what it is here: different; no question, no debate... that the way it is... if you were here, you could soon begin to agree to the notion here because you will never find anyone that will take you serious if fronted it as topic... guys will just walk away, not until you conform... conforming will only heal the behavior... otherwise any impulse has can easily be helped, even to kills, to have sex with a mosquito, sex with a blue fly... really... The west reacted by threatening to stop their aid to Africa, forgetting the by aiding Africa, they are adding to the menace of lack of creativity and dependency syndrome, a relationship that only empowers the west to force anything down the throats of the perceptually weak nations. Gay sympathizers have identified multifaceted personalities with felt and tested powers to model gay behavior by any means, anyhow. They have come up with individual scientists with their expert opinion on the subject –without a molecular background of African science. The gay missionaries raise memories that followed after the coming of church missionaries, leading to loss of independence. Africans who have always had their wise men based on experience are now said to be in need of lectures from another tradition that only tears it apart under their insensitive determination to universalize gay behavior, basing on the so-called universal norms, whose formation did not include Africans and Ugandans in particular but angry victors of the world war two –guided by far extreme ideas.

...definitely, the law will shape their behavior to be compatible with the national moral and ethical goals common to every tribe and culture here, exclusive of homosexuality... new law will help create order... some reactions may exist, but soon they end. We have seen behaviors change from the worst scenarios! Even dogs learn to do human work! I have seen reformist gays, now working against! Terribly so! Luckily, they are only a handful, which makes their case easy to manage. Phobia or negative force is essential to encourage behavior change. If you see a lion in its case, you cannot force your way to it just because you feel it is your right.  You will begin to avoid such a place.  ...globalization of opinion is dangerous as already seen in most African countries, whose wars hardly come to an end... national identity to the wellbeing of not only individuals but the nation... I cannot imagine a nation without values or just an individual... that nation of individual must be headed for nowhere: hell! these values vary; cannot necessarily be the same, otherwise we lose the true meaning of nature, rather than human concoctions... human curiosity is limitless, though...  it can try out anything! The more trials, the more realistic it begins to seem... and overtime, it is not only a trial but 'natural' as some people put it! ...man or woman has the power to concoct everything, anything; even to terminate personal life or of another... that's why he or she must work under certain common rules such that, if one is eating, he or she does not place the food in the nostrils, but rather in the mouth... that is a simple natural law, very recognizable...; that food must pass through the mouth! Otherwise, it is great to have working rules to achieve life goals... some people are now suggesting that, like poles attract... hm!? ...and suggesting that natural laws can be creatively reversed!?  Natural laws are also worship as Divine! So it is also as good as saying that the Divine can be challenged!? Nonetheless, man has all the powers to determine his destiny for the good (Divine) or for the worse (not Divine/artificial making/ from the human right of practicing the freedom of conscience). the ultimate goals/motive must be examined to safeguard life systems and support them (evolutionary nature) rather than destroy... and save humanity from other excesses that lead to self destruction and stalemates of the future generations under the guise of human rights fundamentalism... the west views are also draconian -true cases of human rights extremism that they wish to spread all over the world like some sort of religion -moreover by any means! Crazy! Will terrorism ever end? Indeed they created it! They do so by forcing what is understood to be dehumanizing down the resenting throats of other people, without any respect. The reaction from the offended becomes more terror than the offence as per the definition of terrorism today.  The extreme reading on the scale must be monitored to help support life patterns rather than dislodge... the complex nature of humanity has already caused problems around the world perpetuated by the same human rights fundamentalists that has placed African in endless violence... should they be listened to over matters of life or death of life systems? The law is thus important to moderate such fundamentalism... and help to achieve first, natural peace (or peace with Divine) and them human peace. We cannot see the world get wasted away yet we cannot some, through creation of order through respective laws. NO... if the so called world powers fail to lead the world through harmonious relationship with life systems, and only choose their destruction... someone who comes to save the situation is only JESUS CHRIST   to the entire world... Uganda can only take the leadership when it is not there... there is nothing that can make a Ugandans proud more than recognition of their culture, African culture, which is Divine in nature.

Comparison with the rest of other Countries that Okayed the Gay Behavior

...there is always a motive for everything we see or hear about: he certainly has his reasons, very strongly held by him as an outcome of his relationship with the gay world... everything evolves from somewhere: if is he is gay sympathizer today, tomorrow, who knows? To some people rationale or irrationality are the same. They have so many faces and heads to serve in different situations as means of survival and development. Already some countries with developed and nurtured gay tradition have made it a measure of development partnership with the countries that may need them. To some others, one is in the place of another, and others are specific to one for specific reasons best known after getting to learn well about the person, and others, because of the general standard set that has reigned for generations and that have to be preserved. So all these are people that we will come across... at the end of the day, however, rationality and irrationality, nonsense and sense, natural orderliness and natural disorderliness will always have a line drawn between themselves. Our people only need to make informed decisions so that they are not taken advantage of. This is therefore to help those who may be shocked to see any renowned social and media personality? That every one admired since the 90s and I have grown up doing so... what if he himself or herself is one? So what? What if not, so what? Life may be full of surprises. Anything is possible in life, more so from any person who feels he or she if got the power of anything, for anything and anybody... these may only serve to avoid any shocks of the kind from anyone, whether a big personality or small.

In Uganda, these events began their day last year... before then, they had never been an issue, not even microscopic one for discussion.... unfortunately, I am one of those that only have concern about it being an issue... it can be a subject matter for me even to research about, therefore. If you google gay issues in Uganda, it will bring you events how they have been unfolding... the industry has never been there! who registered it for it to take up the market... they were just agents (Ugandans who had picked up the vice and returned here), who were taking it up the campaign job based here to be able to raise money for themselves at any cost, despite the horrible nature it appears to anyone here... until videos of those agents leaked, and how they were recruiting young chaps, promising them to go live 'good' life in Sweden and wherever... Imagine those luring even women with the pretext of having normal sex, and instead pass the other way! All these can be found on line if you are interested... In SA, had the indigenous African been in control, given the strength of the cultures there as witnessed by me, even stronger than Ugandan's, I bet if homosexuality law would be passed there... Anyway, as I said this is never an issue that people here will want to even talk about... like anything you can imagine that only stresses you acutely... you can call it traumatic thing to talk about with a Ugandan... just like terrorism. that is how best you can understand the situation here... it became an issue to other countries other than Uganda last year, and probably, there were researchers who might have gone into it... try searching... probably someone might have travelled in to do research on it. And wonder if there is any CIVIL SOCEITY registered locally to promote gay rights here. These, if they were around, probably could have had the researched information and experience you may need. I doubt because those words, therefore are not the best to share here in Uganda. Not at all... It is a new issue as you now know... so you can take it up a research question: maybe you could be the first one of the kind to give a Uganda context results! I think I am also acting to the contrary by making it an issue to discuss here... LOOK: I have never voted this Museveni, but because of his position over the matter, I may vote him and forget the issues that never compelled me to... I think we better talk about some other things my friend, brother –not this one... inbox me!

It is not just about me or my it is not just my views, it is about the country's position, including the clergy, Muslims communities and all cultures all over this place... it is not just about me... That is what makes Uganda different at this time when the gay thing has become an issue... Even when you are here, you will not have break the countries laws just like I when I come to SA, or to anywhere in the world. In Thailand where I often go, if you caught ferrying or using drugs, that is death sentence... In Uganda it is ok... So many young people use them without police wasting their time... for some reason... I have never heard of a death sentence for anyone on those grounds... Never. As a result many Ugandans are serving death sentences elsewhere in Asia for the same reason. But our country has never complained to anyone about it! They only show respect for the laws governing those places... So it is about respect, really... I can only play a role of helping manage behavioral change... I can do my best on such researches: on how to help gays, rather than on how to promote... I think lets look at Uganda from the perspective of another context altogether, different from others... as differences are normal, be if in the worst form of best form: the issue remains contextual to consider... If I was doing research on the matter, my conclusion would be that gay tradition is not for Uganda, it could be only for some other country... Every place has its norms, traditions, standards, and so is Uganda... I cannot move around imposing my values to places I travel to... I may speak about them, but it is up to them to take it or leave it... But I only try to speak well about them full stop... Just like thieves, robbers... and all other characters exist; definitely, you will find some of them... Already as I said, there has been underground recruitment and inductions into the practice... that why authorities came up... otherwise, guys had the resources and foreign support to do their trade... As I said, the issue arose just recently... you can as well do a content analysis and come up with something... I like to deal with issues contextually... I usually do not mix... And that is also what research is all about. This can be considered a Uganda's case... All I am saying here mean much to what any Ugandan will tell you... even the least or uneducated one... Here we have Christians... powerful Christian leaders and practitioners... but they cannot receive this topic. Never... And they have serious Biblical considerations... to prove that... That same is the case to Muslims... and others...

Pan-Africanism and Family Mental Health: Is there any Link?

Jacob Waiswa
Situation Health Analyst
Dishma-Inc.
P.O. Box 8885,
Kampala-Uganda
Tel. +256392614655/+256752542504
dishma.imhs@gmail.com
www.situationhealthanalysis.blogspot.com

Pan-Africanism is a spirit, it is love, a feeling and an action towards betterment of the land of Africa and the life of people of its origin abroad. Family mental health, on the other hand, is the state of wellness cognitively, spiritually, culturally, socially, economically, environmentally, and even physically in a family environment. To achieve mental wellness, all spheres of person’s life must be interacting harmoniously with each other.

From a case of a client –who suddenly left work and began walking “aimlessly” on streets of Kampala, back home and away from it, accusing every one of her troubles –including those that cared much, losing understanding of the environment by 50%; identify reasons for walking away from work and from home distrustful of everyone and everything, it was found vital to find the extent of pan-Africanism in helping patient recover.

Interventions involved holding discussions colleagues in the field of psychology, with religious leaders, with a psychiatrist in Jinja Psychiatric Ward, reading, analysis of existing data on mental health, analysis of held data verses reviewed literature and professional opinions and recommendations, analysis of observed client behaviors, use of cognitive-based therapy, analysis and consideration of traditional medicine, consideration and analysis of Christian and Muslim prayers (or exorcist powers).

Integrated spirituality to counter lack of trust for anyone and raise self-control, enactment to prove to self that people accused –indeed loved her and wished her well, counseling to give direction, re-socialization with the right people (caring and loving) to gain positive identity (social networking sites like face book were brought into play) and, equally important, drug therapy.

Inculcated positive life values (as part of on-going counseling), like respect, love, tolerance forgiveness, flexibility, peaceful coexistence, harmony, patience, building on positives out of a trying situation, exploring personal development goals, giving back to society, appreciation of diverse cultures and religions, friendliness and talking as way to positive change others, exposure to inspiration books -containing lots of wisdom and/or life-skills -including the Bible and some elements of Islamic teaching.

Cognitive based therapy was highly effective at creating realistic images in the mind of the victim; psychologists met (4:1) preferred to address the case spiritually by seeking interventions of powerful, prayerful Christians; traditional healers where not in any way rightful in their work –only exploited the client by asking huge sums of money –sometimes for no positive results.

In the earliest stages of her illness, churches and Duwa prayers did not yield results despite the client spending a period of six months of residence at a church. They inflicted more fear to glue the patient to their services –so as to continue thriving financially.

The Jinja medical official associated the problem with unsatisfied libido –which made sense as it had been found that the client was a victim of a failed relationship –more so having given everything to secure it in vain.

Analyses of them all showed that the client had been abused during her teenage years causing her to be distrustful with exception of her friends and boy-friend.

That, then, got worsened by father’s abuse in the 20s and neglect by family members she thought were responsible for her wellbeing.

The final trigger was when the boy-friend she loved so much too off-loaded her –and whoever had hurt her in the past (including job loss) was made responsible with statements such as, “she took my boyfriend, she is be-witching me, I saw her during prayers by pastor and sheikh and so she was responsible.”

Nigerian movies were misleading as the patient, a fan of them, took all images for the truth and applying them in the day-to-day running of life. Such images included: a big scale of witchcraft, evils spirits, relationship breakdowns and confrontation –which greatly constituted her perceptions of the environment –be it towards people, animals, or objects.

A combination of drug therapy, good feeding, drinking a lot of fluids to meet bodily needs, counseling, re-experiencing motherly love –as if she was being reborn and re-introducing prayers at this stage, re-socialization to develop a new positive identity –using facilities like face-book to make connections to caring old friends and family members by phone as well as conducting visits to trustworthy and goodwill personalities –while keeping a temporary distance away from people listed to have hurt her –for at least a year, and re-orientation to the work settings were very effective at re-shaping her.

While churches and traditional healers remained prominent in healing practices, initially their approaches were not in anyway useful as they worsened the client’s state of mental wellness through imparting more fear that: “so” and “so” were responsible for the problem at hand.

Spirituality became most effective when introduced at the time a client was being furnished with mother’s love and care –who sooner introduces her to a worthwhile faith for further healing.

The ability of religion to solve human problems cannot be disputed. It is important to note the fact that, there are people in its leadership –who have selfish interests and continuously misguided clients for the sole aim of ripping big –financially. In fact, spirituality being above human understanding and power is excellent haven for the neglected sections of society, the mistreated, and the suffering ones.

When individuals lose trust and confidence in others or every other thing in life, it became an escape route or emergency door (by to going spiritual). But it all began with believing in order to experience the healing effect. Positive religions had means to restore broken social relationship and to cope with rejection.

Numerous studies indicate that the quality of child up-bringing influenced future of a child life confidence of the self, improved intelligence quotient, resilience and sense of trust in the self (self esteem). Brain studies demonstrated that early years were critical in the development of intelligence, personality, and social behavior before the age of three.

On the other hand, the media influences negatively the attitudes already held by individuals –where if a movie showed robbery, adultery, witch-craft, confrontations and murders, viewers took them for real life issues –and went on to form values based on what they have seen.

Mental health interventions call for a wholesome package of inputs that constitute food, fluids to drink, supported information by way of counseling, rightful spiritual guidance and rightful associates –who kept using constructive and positively transformational statements away from hurting people of the past and present.

Encouraging reading culture and exposure of books that impart real life values and skills empowered young people –such that: where there is no parent or doctor intervened in their life. Self liberation came from with knowledge and exposure to right role models. Megna in 2010 once wrote, “Through reading, I have learned a lot about life and the world I never would have known by watching TV for instance.”

In the final analysis, the client had been abused during her teenage years causing her to be distrustful with exception of her friends and boy-friend. That then got worsened by further abuse in 20s and neglect of family members she thought were responsible for her wellbeing.

The final trigger was when the boy-friend she loved so much too off-loaded her –and whoever had hurt her in the past was made responsible with statements such as, “she took my boyfriend, she is be-witching me, I saw her during prayers by pastor and sheik and so was responsible.”

It was a combination of abusive family, neglect and failed love relationship. These combined with negative media influences as Nigerian movies, limited social support to give guidance on coping and problem-solving gave for way panic attacks.

It is therefore important to note that children need love, understanding and acceptance through their teens -which cannot at all feature in broken families or under step-parent care (especially step-mothers).

Such can be a ground for all forms of child abuse -including unexplained torture, rebuking, bullish from mainly the male guardian, constant scrutiny in search for anything reflective of a negative label, and denial of equal opportunities with other children in the home.

Because of that, it is worthwhile that children in their adolescence grow up with their biological parent; in this case -the mother –while ensuring access to physical support through legal and gender support systems.

Patience and persistent matters a lot as no specific time line can be attached to complete healing. It is the kind that takes between one and half to two years. Moral support continues into the youthful and adult years –since no man is an island. We need each other for strength, encouragement, mutual assistance to achieve life goals.

With the concept of pan-Africanism too in line with the values of unity, cooperation, love in development, it serves a purpose in directing supportive forces against a social evil and assimilation of negative past together for a positive future –henceforth a means to control and prevent psychological trauma from individual level, to family level, to national level, and to global level –benefiting Africans in Africa and in Diaspora directly, and indirectly everyone –through meetings, bargaining and negotiation at different levels to solve problems and keep peace.

BUDDHISM, THE MAINSTREAM RELIGIONS AND THEIR CONTRIBUTION TO HEALING AND PAN-AFRICANISM –A COMPARATIVE STUDY

Psychological trauma denotes a person vulnerability and inability to cope with stress and even to the seemingly slightest challenges of life as a result of acutely stressful past event (or events) –which leads to dysfunctional mental and physical being and, ultimately, to inappropriate mental and physical activities in his or her interaction with the external environment.

Pan-Africanism calls for a politically united Africa. In a true Pan-African spirit, Murindwa (2010) said, “Buddha was an African, Buddhism started in Africa, and so it is worth celebrating.” Buddhism is an ancient practice of achieving and preserving wisdom –which in turn facilitates eradication of suffering, misery and disease in all beings –to total liberation and happiness. Pan-Africanism entails looking back to one’s origin (Africa) with pride, confidence and high esteem –inspired by its rich heritage –to achieve success in all spheres of life.

Religion precisely organizes people towards attainment of spiritual expectations as pathways to achievement of life goals. Therefore, there must be a kind of relationship with the Divine –bound by a covenant (or set of rules) in order to realize one’s goal in life. Many Buddhists writers and practitioners believe their practices are beyond religion.

“Christian definition of religion practically excludes Buddhism. Unfortunately, English language is not a spiritual language and many words do not do; just the Pali language words like Dhamma, Buddha sasana and so on... I think, a philosophical point of view is more inclusive.” -Ven. Bhante Buddharakkita, The African Buddhist Monk.

It is necessary and natural to decide which development path to pursue as several options arise in order to preserve life. And regardless of individuals’ independency and contentment, they ultimately decide which philosophy or religious inclination will best work for them. In contemporary life, we are often confronted with pressure to choose one or more desirability among the many with difficulty –in a given time and space.

The quality of decisions made will determine nature of results –with varied influences and intensities on life of an individual or community –both in short-run and long-run. Therefore, it calls for critical thinking and analysis in order to make the right decision. Although spirited devotees turn ritualistic, Buddhism was either non-religious or religion by choice. It is a way of life –with amazingly positive outcomes to life-systems leading a practitioner to happiness as final destination. Unlike religions, Buddhism is experiential.

It has enshrined practical values yet universal (recognizing diversity) that guides one to empirically undergo sustainable healing to attain total state of wellness –rather than if it was merely a matter of believing. It was applicable to day-to-day-life bids to yield harmony for oneself and others. Moreover, it is one way of empowering oneself in particular and psychologically traumatized people in general with the tool of objective decision-making rather than if one rides on love-hate interactions, imaginations and emotions. Its reception in Africa is still poor –though.

Mainstream African religions, too, give many testimonies about healing and success. Indeed believers in Islam as is the atmosphere in the mosque, show great feeling of acceptance from God –which strengthens that relationship and continued adherence to the teaching of Prophet Muhammad. There is a lot of freedom for Christian counterparts; their sinful nature only calls for mercy and prayer, rather than humiliation from others or a sense of it within themselves.

For Muslims, sin is terrible and feared, but that does not apply when it becomes a religious “right” to organize assaults against Christian nor do peace-loving ones advocate otherwise. During conversion rituals for new entrants, both demonstrate sharply divisive and aggressive messages –a potential seed to future wars. For example –whereas Muslims stressed that Jesus is not a son of God because he (God) does not have biological attributes to father anyone –and they rubbish the resurrection story, Christians are quick to assume superior rights over inheritance of worldly riches and preserve their stance that Jesus rose from the dead –and as more powerful than Muhammad preserve.

Christian actions and belief system help to create calmness within an individual and tremendously caused relief from stress, anxieties and depression –through messages of love, and assurance of healing and eternity. As they sing music that carries the burdens of life, the process of attaining relief too began to full results. As an outcome, followers find a kind of health center in attending church services –especially those active in singing and dancing. That increases connectedness to their God. Unfortunately, that connection is lost by mid-week to necessitate re-fueling the next Sunday or Saturday.

In addition, it is business to run churches for Christians and owners become filthily rich at the expense of unsuspecting followers. The case is different with their Muslim counterparts –who open Mosques for the good of the Muslim fraternity and basing on faith –itself.

Main African religions, thus, open healing doors for psychologically traumatized Africans much as they do not provide exit route for misery and suffering through individual empowerment with the masterly and diversity principle. Instead, such come back to haunt believers before the week’s end –and all they look for is the pastor’s residence for a miracle healing. Level of Pan-Africanism prevails basing on strong respect Africans attach to tradition healing approaches –even with much infiltration of foreign religious cultures.

However, amidst all that, Africans make enemies of them-selves –through mindless destruction of nature and marginalization of fellow Africans because of greed and differences based on ideology, tribe and religion. Religiosity fails to tame evil in spite of the liberation message engraved in their faiths. Instead, centuries of misery continues to rule them. There is much emphasis on believing (or faith) to justify religious belonging rather than actions –the path to healing. Such inconsistencies between beliefs held and actions that occurred deny Africans and people of African decent comprehensive and sustainable healing.

Moreover, much western influences negatively affect Africa way of life in terms of speech, clothing and music. African church leaders and their followers “become more catholic than pope himself” by adopting western lifestyle. Any decision made in regards to what faith and understanding one belonged to is based on whether or not leads to attainment of complete states of psychological and physical healing (and security), wellness, peace, harmony and happiness for oneself and all other beings.

These include; the need for entertainment, to bury the negative past and to be healed, influences of family and friend, association with “big” personality figures in the church (role-models) –in the aspects of eloquence and ability to perform miracles as well as strong media advertisements and customer care techniques.

Deceptions potentially denies psychologically traumatized Africans the opportunity to make right decisions (from direct experience of mastering and understanding of nature) in the times of misery as a right path to effective and sustainable healing –as followers only work to generate church leaders’ material wealth. Meditation, though, is a Buddhist concept used in modern medicine as a means to achieve wellness.

Therefore, meditation is not just about the label, “Buddhist thing” but a very helpful yet effective practice to achieve complete state of well-being –regardless of the religious affiliation, race and tribe or origin. Above all, the beneficiary develops a sense of collectivity with all elements of life and nature –which in a sustainable manner is catalyst to healing.

In other words, healing is real and complete if the individual does not have negative conflicts in the mind or defeating perceptions about life (or body). Optimism is associated with variety of positive benefits that includes, lowering production of stress hormone –cartisol, bettering body function and reducing risk of chronic diseases. During the practice of VMT, optimism about life and love for everything as nature, or for every human and animals rather than divisions of them are constituent principle to healing.

Religious practices involve living a prayerful life as a means to come closer to the Supreme Being. Through faith and actions of a pure “heart,” the healthy relationship with humans is preserved. Islam, on the other hand, adds the dimension of ritualism –where cleansing with water, dissolving the ego and replacing it with complete humility before Allah (God) –showed by removing shoes before entering mosque and sitting down on the floor –which is later reflected in the follower’s interaction with fellow believers.

In that respect, Islamic faith portrays God, as internal and external -this means coming near God through performing rites with inner and outward significance to God. For example –purification through prayer for mercy and forgiveness of sins committed due to body dirt as to internal and ensuring hygiene by washing oneself as to external (Seyyed, 1987 Pg 111).

Man’s failure to adopt and master nature dictates his downfall –helplessly. His decision to hand over management tools to the Divine is only a reflection of failure that came back to taunt him. Yet God as noted therein had no role to play in man’s failures and self-extinction –if he (man) chooses to. Instead, man himself has to take up the responsibility to secure his natural place to avert present challenges as nuclear threats, uncontrollable sexual urges, drunkenness, drug abuse, environmental degradation, and deaths due to preventable diseases.

Very interesting to note also regards Buddha's background and principles of thought traced in the Black people in India known as Dravidians –another connection to Africa. They inherited India's older Black civilization known as the Harappan civilization, which existed from around 4,000 BCE and was the contemporary of Nubia prior to the first Egyptian dynasty.

In the centuries that followed, the Dravidians of India experienced a cultural and religious invasion from the north (circa 1,500 B.C.) by Indo-Europeans who called themselves Aryans (Nijel BPG, 1999. In 520 A.D., a monk named Bodhidharma left southern India for China to re-define and spread the teachings of the counter religion to Hinduism called Buddhism. Buddhism was a religion founded on the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama who taught the Four Noble Truths to enlightenment. While often portrayed as Asian, the Buddha was a Black man.

Today, we awake to the facts that Buddha's tightly curled knots of hair, and elongated ear lobes are unmistakable African cultural traditions (Nijel BPG, 1999). African traditional religion continues to play a leading role in healing ways. A study carried out in eleven (11) Districts in eastern Uganda, 90% of people mental health-related problems preferred healers to health centers as the first point of contact –though there were no cases of patients cured confirmed. 59.3% sought religious leaders, 0.6% went to traditional healers while 2.3% visited modern health units (Nafula, 2007).

However, the trust and satisfaction between patients and traditional healers was enough to cause relief and hope that are essential elements of healing. In light of the popular traditional healing approach, Kigozi (2007) observed, “…highly educated contacted traditional healers.” Conflicts as usually are a routine, crop up only to motivate Africans to choose appropriate ways to live fulfilling lives. Availing options with accompanying information was relevant to that effect –from which to experience and, ultimately, make right decisions.

Unfortunately, it turns into competition and hostility for fame among mainstream religious traditions –leading to violence and loss of religious importance. Buddhism uniquely argues that happiness is for all –regardless of race, ideology and background (Goenka 2007). It respected diversity and peaceful co-existence, which now uniquely presents itself as the mirror of Pan-Africanism.

In that regard, VMT is a very effective remedy against psychosomatic conditions as migraines –and helping to facilitate behavioral change, bettering patients with ADHD, dissolving depression and anxiety states, fostering social harmony –and providing a permanent solution to environmental degradations and associated human impact. VMT benefits as much as the dangers or challenges of life affects everyone –regardless of religion. There are different healing practices reviewed with confirmed benefits –which included; 15 minutes group silence, contemplating, self imagery, positive reinforcement, and positive self-talk and masterly –accompanied by a drill or physical exercise, seeking the magic touch of a “witch doctor” or traditional healer –and prayerful nature of Christians and Muslims. Particularly Christians, their approach dictates more of believing than reflections from actions –solely because God is a merciful –who would forgive them.

Besides, they use scriptures to justify violence against fellow men, to degrade the environment nature and nurse their own egos –which only leads to disrepute for the religious organizations they belong. However, VMT has sustainable benefits yet holistic and positively full on impact on life of both human beings and nature in diversity. The accompanying message (dharma talk) champions the rights of every living thing, respect for nature and, interestingly, viewed man and other beings as equal members of the eco-system.

Man is not in any way superior but rather part of the WHOLE in diversity. Unlike other belief systems and healing technologies, VMT has practical experience of suffering and misery as part of the program to realization, connection with nature (of which God is part), and masterly of the mind (to attain wisdom necessary to realization of peace and happiness). It provided practical experience of life’s misery and suffering as best way to gain wisdom, rather than merely believing. It also deals with ailments not at their surface, or symptomatic view but, accordingly, from the root of the case.

With Buddhism, having originated from Africa and Gautama –an African himself: is time for Africa to claim her rightful values as pathways to healing –through practice of the VMT –given such amazing positive influences on mental health as portrayed therein? As a matter of decision-making, the answer is yes –which now confirms that Africans wherever they are have the means at their disposal to attain the goal of unity in excellent mental states, peace and harmony.

Jacob Waiswa
Situation Health Analyst