Important lessons on Africa

Africans were able to examine what happened around them and oriented that to the present need, they did not have to suffer the stress of what was to happen tommorrow. It was always about the past and the present from which they would source knowldege. http://ctl.du.edu/spirituals/literature/time.cfm

The individual was part of the whole,; the generation of his past and wha was to come. He or she was inseparable from the rest of the community. National identify was derrived from one's identification from his or her ethinic group or tribe, and extended village communities. There was strong interconnectedness btn the community and the individual. African shared basic values especially ontology which demanded esistence of the community. The African sense of being in the world was religious, spiritual. http://ctl.du.edu/spirituals/literature/time.cfm

Spiritism was manifested in natural features. All Africans are essentially aetheists, from recognizing human limitations and acknowledgement of the forces around them. Parents were highly involves in the selection of marriage partners for their cildren to ensure expation of the clan. Natual calamities are associated to somethingthat has gone morally wrong to the individual or community. http://blojlu.wordpress.com/news-makers/review-of-john-s-mbiti-introduction-to-african-religion/

Children were of supreme importance to africans. Regardless of he qualities of children they had, they all meant a blessin from God. Extended family relations was highly commn in Africa. Everything was highly linke to everyone else, either living or dead through a complex network of spiritual relationship. natureal features were sanctuaries of gods and places of worship eg lakes, forests, fields, lakes and oceans. http://www.crvp.org/book/Series02/II-3/chapter_v.htm

1600s was the period when the luo from south sudan moved southwards and mingled with communitues in the far south, including Bunyoro and Buganda.http://www.ugandamission.net/aboutug/histimeline.html

Religion entered into everyday life of Africans. J. O. Awolalu. What is African Traditional Religion? Studies in Comparative Religion, Vol. 10, No. 2. (Spring, 1976). © World Wisdom, Inc.

ENKOLA MU BASOGA EKHOZESEBWA OKHUMALAWO OBUTAGHEMAGANA (CONFLICT RESOLUTION STRATEGIES AMONG THE BASOGA)

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

Background:
An estimated 3 million Ugandans speak Lusoga. Busoga region is shaped by Lake Victoria to the west, Lake Kyoga to the north, and Mpologoma River to the East (Wikipedia, 2011). Basoga have strong historical ties with the Luo (Ayo, C. 2008). The socio-cultural structure made it easy for the Basoga to prevent and resolve conflicts.

It was a segmentary social system comprising of numerous, relatively small autonomous groups -who generally regulated their own affairs, and who could periodically come together to form larger groups and who, in some senses, may collectively appeared to be a single large community (Answers Corporation, 2011).

Jurisdiction was defined according to those levels –with each having power to convene a court session and make decisions without the interferences of the other levels (LoveToKnow Corp., 2006). Indeed Basoga are peace-loving people (Jinja Tourist Center, 2006).

Ebitti Ebyendhaulo Abasoga Byebakozhesa Okumalhawo Obutabanguko
(The Different Branches for Resolving Chaos Used by Basoga):
The main branch was that of ancestral spirits (or emisaambwa) headed by Lubaale –the creator (Uganda Visit and Travel Guide, 2011). The spirits fed Clans (ebikha) with wisdom. The relationship between the spirits and the clan was like that the main river and its main tributary. The clans were headed by Abakulhu abebikha (Clan heads).

Extended families were responsible to the clan heads in as far as preserving the unique behavior of each clan was concerned like not eating specific animals and plants and desist from in-breeding. Amakkha (homesteads) comprised of the Baaba (father), Maama (mother), Abaana (children) and abhenganda (relatives). They also subscribed to large communities with similar traditional norms, culture and origin.

Okubwoigokelha Abaana (Barking at or Rebuking Children)
Anything forbidden or undesirable if done was barked at to prevent it from happening again. Doing so was a responsibility of any member of the community -who could be older siblings, parents and other relatives.

Okubonerezha Abaana (Punishing Children)
Different from rebuking, Okubonerezha Abaana involved smacking or caning them. This, too, was a responsibility of any responsible member of the community. This commenced from as early as 3 years.

Okhuwa Ebiraghilo (Giving Instructions or Laying down Rules)
This was preserved for the parents and any senior member of the community –who could be older siblings, Aunties, Uncles, older cousins, and grandparents. What entailed ebiraghilo were the dos and don'ts (do this... don't do this). Also began from 3 years.

Okubulirirha (Lecturing)
It featured older young men and women –who had passed the stage of being punished by cane or being rebuked (16+ years). Okubulirirha carried an element of gender roles -where boys and girls were lectured about their roles and responsibility according to sex and help to equip them with tools with which manage future challenges; for example on issues regarding hard work, respect, dressing, and marriage.

Different people helped do this kind of job much as uncles and aunties were most favored. Others included mothers, fathers, grandfathers and grandmothers. They intervened in case of mishaps in desired behaviors of young adults.

Okutyaamya Mmu Lukiiko (Being Compelled to Sit Down in a Meeting)
This involved summoning wrong doer from wherever he or she was to attend a stated yet compulsory meeting. The meeting is called to discuss the unacceptable behavior of the wrongdoer and determine the way forward.

The way forward is a resolution reached by the entire community gathered -a meeting that constitutes elders, married people, and chaired by a clan leader. Actions taken include: caution, compensation, fines, and expulsion from the clan. Expulsion from the clan was the highest decision. It was so terrible that individual would not wait until such decision was reached.

Okwheta Abasweezi (Calling for the Services of a Spirit Medium)
The Chwezi influence in East and central Africa left no stone unturned in Busoga. This was a person or group of people –through whom the spirits could guide the community in decision making.

Some of the tasks were to forcefully have the wrongdoer who has just rejected the elders summon to attend the meeting to do saw by 'remote control' or by works of the spirit medium; revealing the truth in cases where wrong doers denied wrongdoing; identifying wrongdoer if he or she was unknown, and so on.

Merits:
Community Participation
Participants represented widest of the society. No costs were attached. Indeed, community participation was social capital for conflict resolution (Skidmore, P. Etal, 2008).

Consensus Building
Decisions reached were democratically voted upon by the community. There was no dictatorship or monopoly in the decision making process.

No Need for Investigation
There was no need for investigations as culprits were well-known. So in the meeting, it was a matter of the community letting the culprit know that they were aware of his misconduct, and whether he or she was aware of his or her misbehavior. That saves time.

Reintegration, Reconciliation and Community Harmony
The major aims of the Basoga justice system were to provide sufficient space and distance for reintegration of culprit into the community, reconciliation through forgiveness, and necessary compensation arrangements.


Demerits:
Summon to Attend Community Meeting had to be Adhered to
There was no way one would say no to attending the meeting once summoned. Even as far as overseas the spirits would posses him or her and bring him or her for the meeting.

No Defense Lawyer for the Culprits in Case they had Phobia to Face Public
Not every person can stand before a huge gathering to explain his or her wrong doing to the public. Some could have social phobia.

Listening Fatigue:
Lectures were often so long that listener developed listening fatigue. As a result, they soon turned out to be more of a punishment than a necessary source of knowledge.

Some Actions Used by Basoga are Today Forms Child Abuse:
Barking at children and caning today constitute physical abuse, emotional abuse and psychological abuse. Basoga are famed for that (Nalunkuuma, M. 2004).

Harmful Spirits:
They are widely believed to cause mayhem to the community by causing illnesses and death until rituals were organized to free person of the harmful spirits and eventually get well. They can be powerful weapons in a conflict (Ultimate Media, 2011).

Conclusion:
The socio-cultural design of the Basoga society was both conflicts preventing and resolving in its functioning. Little or nothing has been done about the lack of written materials on conflict resolution among the Basoga.

The responsibility now shifts from the elders whose source of information is their memory to the new generation –who have gone to school (Kakamwa, C. 2010). And some methods are in conflict with the contemporary thinking and practice, which threaten the traditional Basoga justice system. A common ground ought to be set to avoid possible conflict between traditionalism and modernism.

THE MERITS AND DEMERITS OF INDIGENOUS CONFLICT RESOLUTIONS MECHANISM: A CASE OF THE BASOGA'S MEETINGS (OKUTYAAMYA)

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

Background
Lusoga is spoken by Ugandans in Eastern Uganda; 50 to 100 miles, east of Kampala. With over 3 million Ugandans –who speak Lusoga, it turns out to be one of the major languages in the country –alongside English, Luganda, and Swahili.

Different authors put it second to Buganda in as far as the population size is concerned. Basoga speaking people are surrounded by Lake Victoria to the west, Lake Kyoga to the north, and Mpologoma River to the East (Wikipedia 2011). 1

The conflict resolution system among the Basoga is one of the most interesting ones that only suffered defeat with the arrival of Europeans in 1870s. They structurally eroded Soga culture to unprecedented levels, let a lone the absence of records on how the Basoga resolved conflicts.

For example; the idea of Kingship was alien –meant to ease colonial administration. Instead, Busoga shrived on clan system –with either limited or no role for chiefs –who were only known for mobilizing people to resist anything alien (Mbbe). That won them a label abemputu from the Baganda (stubborn) (Balunywa, 2009). Okutyaamya (facing a family, village or clan meeting) was the approach used to resolve conflict.

Conflict Resolution at Family Level (O'butagemagana Ku Idhaala Elya'maka)
Conflict resolution (okumalawo o'butagemagana) had its first place in the family. It is also where conflict traits can be examined. It was both the epicenter of conflicts and immediate court to resolve it. Among the Basoga, families were extended type –consisting of father, mother and children, step brothers and sisters –followed closely by grandparents, aunties, uncles and cousins.

Conflict Resolution at Children Level (O'butagemagana Ku Idhaala Elya'baana)
Young siblings reported to older ones –in case of conflict between them. Older siblings ensured younger ones behaved in a way that was socially and culturally acceptable. Common troubles among younger siblings were; fighting for objects they used to play with and to show individual or group power between children of different families or parents.

In other words, older children deputized their parents in resolving cases at their level. When boys grew older (16+), they built huts around the homestead –usually to provide protection to their vulnerable sisters and parents.

Children and Gender (Abaana Obowala na Abaleenzi) in Conflict Resolution
Gender element mattered a lot in the care and discipline of siblings. Older male siblings were responsible for the welfare of younger male siblings. The same was for older female siblings towards their younger sisters.

Common at that level were conflicts between step children. Conflict at that level easily got blown up to conflict between older step children and later to one between step mothers. At conflict level between step mothers fathers were the only referral point.

Mothers (Ba'maama)
The power of mothers was insignificant in the family. They were in a similar position as children. They used power of words to cool down situations from going out of hand –and advocated a win-win strategy in conflicts involving children. They preserved children secrets not to come to the attention of the much-feared father (household head).

Household Head (Omukulu Wo’luya)
The household head was highly respected –if not feared –by whoever lived in his homestead of about 30 to 60 people. They handled cases that defeated mothers and those between older children and wives.

Household heads were naturally charged with ensuring discipline in the family –usually consistent with the cultural and social norms. They were known for action, not words. When approached for intervention, or when a given person has failed to heed to instructions from older ones, he simply swung into action to fiercely beat up the wrong doer.

The beating lasted until it elicited a call for forgiveness. Forgiveness was always welcome –to make a new beginning in the relationship between the punisher and punished as well as the wronged and the offender. In case the accused made insults that demeaned the father’s position, extreme of household head’s decision would be to withdraw parenthood.

It was horrible for the accused if that happened. In fact, him-self could not wait until such a decision was reached. He would quickly plead for forgiveness. Rarely could he fail to impart desirable behavior in members of his household. However, household heads tended to generate more of fear than respect.

Aunties and Uncles (Ba'seenga ni Ba'kooja)
Aunties and uncles had respectable positions among the Basoga –regardless of their age. However, their social role began when they were reasonably mature. They were known for being impartial during family conflicts. They overruled father’s position if they felt his decisions were too harsh.

They advocated reconciliation and restoration of family relationships. They were true ‘lawyers’ for the children. Besides, they were approachable, so children often sought counseling on their day-to-day developments. They are still excellent today.

Grand Parents (Ba'daada)
These provided refugee to children who fell out with their parents –or for some reason, no longer had parents. They provided the love similar or at times even more than that of parents –enough for the neglected child to feel at peace –until either he or she was restored with parents or old enough to solve his or her own problems.

Grand parents were so much full of love that they saw no blemish on accused grand children –regardless of any existing truth about children’s behavior. For that reason, they were criticized for being more of spoilers of children than constructors of rightful morals in them.

Clans (Ebikha)
Busoga has over 200 clans. 2 They solved cases regarding incest, land conflicts, and distribution or redistribution of family wealth. Clan meetings constituted the clan head as the chairman, mother of the accused, household head (who refers the case to the clan), his brothers, the elderly and all married people (understood to be responsible members of the community or adults).

Commonest decisions taken were: punishing culprit, to fairly redistribute family wealth, to forgive and guarantee community acceptance of repentant person, and excommunication in very extreme cases.

Clan leaders did not have term limits; the position was a reserve of the wealthy. Clans occupying a given sub region were manned by a county chief (Omukulu we isazza) –a local government or political representative.

Abasweezi (Spiritualists)
The Abachweezi influence in East and Central Africa did not leave stones unturned in Busoga –most especially regarding the concept of God. They gave birth to the Abasweezi movement in Busoga.

They were consulted in case of a dilemma in the community –to elicit explanations about the cause undesirable events. They took with them community members to a sacred place –to invoke spirits for guidance –with the help of songs, drums and sporadic dances.

In the course of time, they possessed one of the dancers –who then revealed vital information or explanation to the community. Through them, a community meeting was able to prove guilt or innocence, to invoke the dead person’s spirit to reveal his wishes (or will), and to explain a community dilemma. Some section of the Basoga used the power of the spirits to cause harm to other community members. Critics say songs sang by the Abasweezi were so obscene.

Conclusion
Indigenous conflict resolution mechanism presented above greatly helped to preserve peace among the Basoga community. However, the approach was eroded by Bunyoro expansionism, Buganda-British imperialism and, now, neocolonialism. The ‘modern’ judicial system today makes no reference to the indigenous one.

To revitalize the indigenous approaches, there is bound to be a conflict –which if resolved to Basoga’s favor, their culture will be redeveloped, their religion reborn, and African solidarity built and strengthened.

A DISCUSSION PAPER ON RELIGION AND CULTURE AND SALIENT FEATURES WITHIN THEM THAT CAN BE USED AS CONFLICT RESOLUTION MECHANISMS

Introduction
Spirituality is functional in connectivity with the belief system (a set of ideas, principles, and meanings attached to them. These, gradually, reinforces the development of mental and behavioral structures towards new personality-self. According to Father Musaala, A. (2010) Christians believe in 3-oned God –consisting of a person (mind, will and soul) –soul, (emotions, intuition and conscious) –spirit, body (fresh, blood and bones), and God –the Divine person.

There are other persons called angelic persons called demons or fallen angels –and without body. Then, there is Jesus Christ (with both Divine and Human Nature); and lastly, God –the Divine Nature. The spirit is said to be more powerful than the body, and some writers think it was Jesus’ spirit that rose, not the body in light of the Egyptian religious traditions (Nijel BPG, 1999).

Conflict is widely understood as actual perceived threat or opposition to one’s needs, interests, and positions –involving disagreements between two or more parties. Conflicts can refer to internal disharmony within individuals, disagreements between individuals, fighting, or wars between countries. And peace is the state of harmony and tranquility experienced by the individual at all levels –that may be family, community, national, regional and global.

Human growth and development is undisputedly characterized by conflict. This, though, cannot be accepted as a norm, but transformed for the human or social good, or otherwise resolved and prevented. But, according to the Wikipedia.org (2010), peace describes a relationship or society that is functioning harmoniously and without violent conflict. Peace is believed to be an outcome of a conflict after lessons have been taken and integrated into individual and social values. However, peace experts aim at not only overturning the ugly face of conflict for peace to prevail but also its sustainability.

Background
Religion is manipulated spirituality meant to serve interests of man either for the worst or for the best. Identifying region-mythical elements is essential to peace-building. In pursuant of patriotism, religions begin to scramble for dominion in the different spheres of a nation’s life for prestige among its followers and promoters.

Religion is often used by nationalists to promote own ideologies and to support war. In both ways religion can be both ugly and positively rewarding in peace-building, for example, it can respond positively towards peace-building efforts –through forgiveness, restoration, healing and transform them people from viewing it as personal faith to community-level wellbeing (Rodrigues, D. 2010).

Many writers have pointed an accusing finger at religion for being troublesome and a source of conflict, and now think we can use the thief to catch a thief. Religion, thus, has emerged as important ally to peace makers and builders. There are different aspects of religion or its traditions wherever they have been practiced, observed, read, and discussed or taught that can be exploited to resolve conflict in favor of peace and harmony –both within the self, among friends, within family, in community nationally, regionally and globally –through religious and cultural features like the cross, statues of saints, dharma wheel, the faith, the belief system, the ethics, morality issues, transcendentalism, communalism, and so on.

Universal Spirituality and Universal Nature
Religions evolve through learning from each other. Using Buddhism as a case; despite its relative lack of organization, is now a global faith through “reverse evangelism,” that is, people are naturally attracted to its teachings of self-reliance, inner peace and universal spirituality, without the necessity of being religious, attracted to it as secular religion or non-religious spirituality (Piya, T. 2010).

Religions wherever they went formed cultures and got mixed up to form new breeds of religion compatible to African way of life, South African way of life, South American way of life or Asian way of life and Arabia way of life (culture) be it Muslim religion, Christian religion, or Buddhist religion. Each adopted a section of societies traditions suited to the people they found –and through which it made ‘rightful’ meaning to them yet carrying same universal message of love and peace.

According to religionist Van Harvey in Wallace, B. Allan (2003:4) , we deem a system of belief and practice religious if it expresses a dominant interest in certain universal and elemental features of human existence. One way of achievement inner peace is subscription to acceptable or rational ethical and moral codes. From individual the peace extends to family, groups of individuals, local community, regionally and internationally.

Buddhism has been found to posses a lot of philosophy and science (knowledge and empiricism of the nature of the mind, the physical environment and generally about the natural world). It concerns itself causality within the human experience and empiricism rather than transcendentalism Wallace, B. Allan (2003:8). Experience search for the truth elicits on-spot understanding of phenomenon and right decision making whilst considering sustainable development for sustainable peace.
Dharma teaching guides individuals into those who respect biodiversity and begins to appreciate unity in natural diversity for sustainability of life.

During mindfulness, it is through understanding dynamics of nature that suffering ceases. Buddhism is accommodative of diverse cultures religions and or ideology, rather than zealotry and fanaticism –tokens of patience, tolerance and cooperation among various faiths which promote peace (Premaseri, 2008). Understanding suffering as nature subject to change helped to individuals detach from cravings that caused suffering. By doing so healing from negative past begins –leading to peace within oneself and shared peace with others.

Station and Symbolism
In the Roman Catholic Churches there is a box –a consecrated place where sacred objects are kept and is set over the Alter. That box and its contents show divine presence of God (Kevin Knight, 2009). In the Catholic Churches the box specifically houses the bread (body of Jesus Christ) and wine (his blood). Taking of the blood and bread are taken by Catholics to embrace the life of Jesus Christ and reunite with him. As a result, Catholics go on to do Christly works and be good role-models in the community. They, for example, showed love to other Christians, showed meekness daily living, and in peace and harmony with themselves and others.

In addition, there are specific stations for God (or a any other representation of God). For example, among the Muslims is a mosque marked by a ‘sliced moon symbol, a temple of Hindus, Buddhists and others, synagogue for the Jews, and churches for Christians. Worshipers find it a privileged to attend sermons or sessions in those centers or houses of God. That not only helped to directly communicate to God (to repent, to ask for providence and protection), build man’s relationship with nature or God, but strengthened it. And at the end of the sessions of prayers, there is a marked difference between how a worshiper felt before prayer and after –really, a great feeling to keep such a relationship with one’s God.

Universal Spirituality and Universal Nature
Religions evolve through learning from each other. Using Buddhism as a case; despite its relative lack of organization, is now a global faith through “reverse evangelism,” that is, people are naturally attracted to its teachings of self-reliance, inner peace and universal spirituality, without the necessity of being religious, attracted to it as secular religion or non-religious spirituality (Piya, T. 2010).

Religions wherever they went formed cultures and got mixed up to form new breeds of religion compatible to African way of life, South African way of life, South American way of life or Asian way of life and Arabia way of life (culture) be it Muslim religion, Christian religion, or Buddhist religion. Each adopted a section of societies traditions suited to the people they found –and through which it made ‘rightful’ meaning to them yet carrying same universal message of love and peace.
According to religionist Van Harvey in Wallace, B. Allan (2003:4) , we deem a system of belief and practice religious if it expresses a dominant interest in certain universal and elemental features of human existence. One way of achievement inner peace is subscription to acceptable or rational ethical and moral codes. From individual the peace extends to family, groups of individuals, local community, regionally and internationally.

Buddhism has been found to posses a lot of philosophy and science (knowledge and empiricism of the nature of the mind, the physical environment and generally about the natural world). It concerns itself causality within the human experience and empiricism rather than transcendentalism Wallace, B. Allan (2003:8). Experience search for the truth elicits on-spot understanding of phenomenon and right decision making whilst considering sustainable development for sustainable peace.
Dharma teaching guides individuals into those who respect biodiversity and begins to appreciate unity in natural diversity for sustainability of life.

During mindfulness, it is through understanding dynamics of nature that suffering ceases. Buddhism is accommodative of diverse cultures religions and or ideology, rather than zealotry and fanaticism –tokens of patience, tolerance and cooperation among various faiths which promote peace (Premaseri, 2008). Understanding suffering as nature subject to change helped to individuals detach from cravings that caused suffering. By doing so healing from negative past begins –leading to peace within oneself and shared peace with others.

Faith, Trustfulness and Patience
Patience and trust can only be practiced to perfection and are important not only in one’s relationship with his or her God whilst awaiting providence but with fellow men as well whilst dealing with difficult people and in helping them change for the better for social peace and harmony. In trusting God there is no way man would resort to armament programs as a replacement of him (the Almighty).

Man would only trust the omnipresent and all powerful God, the God of love. This will help eradicate internal insecurities and external fears, militarism, re-emergency of cold wars and major international crises –in favor of love and mutual friendship, cooperation and trust which are relevant to peace, harmony and happiness. Otherwise, the world is now witnessing frightening development in biological weaponry and robotics (Francis, D. 2010). It would be interesting to see religion play a reinforcement role in the disarmament schemes.

Justice and Equity for Mutual Respect
Before God men and women are equal. The Ten Commandments were given to man to man and woman for foster mutual harmony, spiritual harmony, inner peace and environmental peace. However, the post conflict recovery has been a critical challenge for women and girls in northern Uganda after two (2) decades of war –according to the European Union (Lirri, E. 2010).

The UN Security Council Resolution 1325 responses that women are rarely involved in decisions to wage war –even though they bear the brunt of atrocities committed in conflict situation. The resolution seeks to protect women from violence –particularly sexual violence in conflict and post conflict situations. It should be noted that by virtue of their masculinity and socialization to be brave, courageous and rough, men tend to trigger violence to fulfill those attributes and orientation to them. Until men realize such disserving lifestyle would they realize environmental peace; tangibly.

Independent Variable (Religion): the Guide, Not the Doer
Religion can only be sought by man for appropriate approaches to life and not vice-versa. It provides recommended behavior to be truly belonging to it for the right intentions of orderliness, harmony and peace. It is only unfortunate that man drags religion and God’s name for own selfish ends and accordingly justify them. While religion has been used to support and to incite people into anarchy as was the case in Serbia, Yugoslavia, and Northern Ireland, it indeed preaches peace. Religion has only suffered from man’s greed, and has been used as opium to achieve his selfish interests.

Many writers argue that Islam and terrorism are never bed fellows, and no religion has ever supported violence as its mission. Yusuf, T. M. (2010) argued that prophet Ibrahim, Musa, Isa and Mohammed came to preach love, create harmony among mankind and cause people to believe in the creator and to promote faith and trust. The belief in the God of peace, and the faith and trust in him are important predictors of sustainable peace.

However, in his article, Maguire, D. C. (2010), an ethical and critique of the United States (US)-Israel alliance reveals how abusive of religious men and nations can be. According to him, both Israel and United States claim special security needs that justify violence, unchecked militarism, torture, violation of human rights and international law, and imperial expansion basing on prophetic remembrance and inspiration. As a result, 700,000 Palestine were driven from their land to make room for Israel. A situation of people without land (Israel) led to landless people (Palestine), only forced in camps deprived of basic necessities of livelihood. To maintain and at other occasions worsen the Palestine situation, Israel received ten million dollars a day; more than any country accept Iraq from the US.

It can be noted that Israel actions were a violation of 1948 UN resolution 194 –which says Palestinian refugees violently removed from their homes should be allowed to return while the 1967 UN resolution 242 cites inadmissibility of acquisition of territory by war after Israel tripled its size in six (6) day war. That resolution was reinforced by resolution 338 in 1971. It is further conceived that both Israel claim unique victim-hood; 9/11 for US and holocaust for the Israel, and use that the counter fear through same terrorism tool whilst mindless of open and insensitive suffocation of the Palestinian people –directly or indirectly by both countries. It propagation of injustice, misery and suffering against which the country like US claim to strive for globally.

Science (Human Intelligence) and Religion
Most religious practitioners think fronting science and utilizing it for humanity’s betterment and harmony is rebellion against God. They argue that God must not be replaced by human creations or impressions because that loosens or detaches him from his or her God. Some go ahead to say that it is the foolish –who are indeed ‘wise,’ or that the ‘poor’ will go to heaven –as justifications. However, man has to be knowledgeable and able to understand his environment if he or she has to be able to tame negative consequences that continuously threatens his existence. Knowledge and ability to deal with life challenges helps him to her to be in control of everything that surrounds him and make life easy and comfortable through advancement in technology –ensuring that it is appropriate with less or no side-effects to endanger himself.
Fear causes internal disharmony, however, most Christians greatly fear application of logic and science in objectively understanding mysteries of life. Instead, they displaced science and logic with Divine rule yet until man understands his natural environment will he gain internal security and peace extendable to greater social interaction circles. However, Pope Benedict XVI cautioned about extreme attitudes towards science that it holds answers towards life problems (St. Andrea Parish Catholic Church, 2010).

At a plenary assembly of the pontifical academy of sciences under the theme: “the scientific legacy of the twentieth century,” he noted that science, because of its innumerable advances was taken and answers all questions of man’s existence, and even his highest aspirations. He observed that the task remains patient yet passionate search for the truth about the cosmos, about nature and about the constitution of the human being.

Leadership in Religions
On top of the hierarchy is God who exists in different ways according to how man finds it befitting. The freedom to choose specific aspects of God or conceptualize him or her gives man a true sense of spiritual democracy. Indeed, where there is a problem is the question of leadership. The leadership like subjects too fall prey of sin. Perhaps the only difference is the unique rob or garment they wear to distinguish them from the congregation.

However, still, there must be an organization with structures, units, tasks and responsible people taking on such tasks. Such tasks could be mediation by mediation committee, HIV/AIDS department for creating awareness and conducting counseling session, family unit for marriage counseling and conducting holy matrimony, and communication office for releasing organization position on countries moral aspects. Failure to impart these means leadership failure.

In Rwanda, genocide ensued as church leaders either watched it happen or actively participated. It failed o condemn the genocide; some of the members of the religious hierarchy were accused, charged and convicted by the ICTR for participating in the genocide, however, he majority of Rwandans, and Tutsis in particular, are Catholic, so shared religion did not prevent genocide.

The Mind and Body in Buddhist Practice of Insight Meditation and Yoga
The exercises, directing and re-directing of mind and body, like prayer for Christians or Duwa for Muslims, can be done either in solitude or in groups. Buddhists apply insight meditation and yoga activities to gain understanding of nature, master it, and make right decisions –aimed at eradicating current problems to achieve inner peace.

Inner peace then contagiously penetrated different levels of human interaction –be it family, local community, regional and international characterized reciprocally by peace, harmony and tranquility. Insight meditation involved sustained awareness of the conditioned habits of the mind. Such are tamed, got rid of, and replaced by a new understanding of universal principles of nature encased in the four noble truths (acknowledging existence of suffering, the cause of suffering, existence of the path to end suffering and the way to liberating the self for ultimate peace).

Yoga on the other hand has been experiences as uniformed body movement patterns accompanied by natural breathing and exercised breathing (emphasizing lengthy oxygen in-take). Such have a wellness effect of increasing oxygen intake to the lungs and other parts of the body, improving blood flow, and achieving mental and physical fitness. According to Rahula, B. Y. (2009:53), sustained awareness of the challenges faced during such activities (yoga and insight meditation) like rising thoughts, ideas, worrying, breaking of pattern, day-dreaming, restlessness, tiredness, sheepishness –all of real life experience which patiently are seen vanishing under the universal principle that everything naturally change towards a certain orientation –which must be accepted as realities. Healthy minds and bodies thus provide way foe sustained inner peace within individuals. According to Nigel, BPG (1999), constantly power was drawn from the spirit into the body through Egyptian martial art. For the ancient Egyptians, this led to enlightenment and resurrections.

Futuristic, Evolutionary and Revolutionary
The International Humanitarian Law document (American Red Cross, 2001:10) provided that occupying powers must permit access to ministers of religion to give spiritual assistance to members of their religious communities. There are changes taking place instinctually and in the natural and social environments –whose dynamics man must master to progress alongside them –more so understanding of natural phenomenon that all other beings may fall short of. Contrary to that man suffers from disorientation, malfunctioning and extinction or selected out for being unfit to live in the dynamic world. Therefore, whatever happens, life must continue or ‘let go.’ There must be transformation from worse to better and from better to best –regardless. Religion facilitates healing from past negative experiences of war to building resilience and positive states of hope for peace and peace towards its achievement.

Appeasement, Forgiveness and Reconciliation
The Acholi culture (in Uganda) has one of the most interesting models for conflict resolution. They have got rituals which have facilitated reconciliation and amnesty in their communities. Forgiveness and reconciliation is said to be the center of that culture. They believe in the world of the living dead and spirits, and that shapes greatly their way of behavior, particularly how they see justice and reconciliation.

The divine spirits guided the Acholi moral order. When something wrong happened, they send illness and misery or misfortune –until appropriate actions were taken by the elders and offender. Some of the codes suggested by the Acholi Paramount Chief Rwot David Onen Acana II are; do not be trouble maker, respect sincerity, do not steal, reconcile and forgive, problem-solving through discussions, and children, women and disabled are not to be harmed in war.

Healing Power of Religion
African Traditional Religion is still popular to many including those subscribing to revealed teachings and post-colonial religions. South African communities are highly superstitious and believe that ancestors guide and protect the living through traditional healers. They are considered holy men and women who can bring good luck to their communities and chase away evil spirits, cure all sorts of illnesses, make poor rich, bring back lost love, win court cases, win lotto and predict the future (Among, B. (2010).

Moral Being and Religious Personality
In Buddhism, laziness is one cause of misery and suffering within individuals and society. During meditation, value of diligence is imparted characterized by individual application of interest, time, alertness and energy to achieve success –relevant for peace and harmony within self and others (Knight, M.L. 1999). But like the work ethical mannerism of Muslims, and ‘rightful’ Christian teaching in favor of hard work, Buddhism works past or against laziness. During meditation, value of diligence is imparted characterized by individual application of interest, time, alertness and energy to achieve success –relevant for peace and harmony within self and others.

Dharma teaching and the Buddhist practice of mindfulness transforms individual into one who are compassionate to others, kind and generous which is shown to not only fellow human beings but animals, as well. Through Buddhist practices and teachings individuals begin to be so caring about others, full of empathy and constantly wishing to share happiness with others. Egocentrism relegates individual to himself and inconsiderate of others in pursued of pleasure. Jealous is associated to increased mental pain, which after replacement with compassion for all beings and re-launching thoughts from wrongful and actions to rightful ones that cause happiness and peace.

During the practice of insight meditation, or mindfulness (in it), individuals are conditioned to be non-responsive to previous negative reactions –a time the gives room for the thinking system to be exercised before behavioral manifestations. Individuals prefer to define situations and develop systematic steps towards problem solving. Even after meditation the person will not fall back to the past –as he or she will be thinking different from the past, and find past habits odd, and wanting to behave differently –especially following the newly imparted values.

Instead of being afraid, individual will be confident, have courage instead of worries, realist and un-distractible instead of suspicious. Individuals practicing Buddhism are composed, firm, steady and stable. They know when to respond to stimuli and not to. They calculate different situation with full awareness of the need to bring happiness to oneself and others, rather than guilt and hurting others. Very noticeable in the Buddhist practices and principles is inculcation of the individual tool of concentration; one way through which distractions of life (pleasures and negative issues) are collectively eliminated to pursue planned and conscious actions.

Generosity is a product of loving kindness to all beings promoted in Buddhism. It is a wonderful feeling to present gifts –bringing a tremendous sense of emotional satisfaction. It strengthens the positive spirit within the individual and sustains peace. Kindness to all beings –including the grass and earth helps to build sustainable environmental peace, free from insecurities caused by famine, economic consequences of bad weather, and natural calamities as effects of hailstorms and landslides. Also through loving kindness, individuals learn to respect life, love themselves and behave in a way that creates peace within self and others rather than destruction. And through conservation of the environment as a virtue, individuals were guaranteed environment peace.

With obedience, individuals’ ties are built between those in authority and their subjects. This breeds peace within a given community. Obedience to seniors also helps individuals to gain experience and excelling at task or during challenging times, to gain wisdom (problem-solving abilities) that increased certainty of the future. Obedience is sealed by mutual respect.

Other related approaches to peace within individual and oneself includes; prayer, cultural rituals of invoking ancestors interventions, prostrating about symbolic objects, drinking local herbs, talking to a trusted friend, community meetings chaired by respected personalities etcetera.

Believing and Seeking Refugee (Trust) for Religious Coping
Part of the foundation of Buddhism teaching is acceptance and acknowledgement of the realities of life as change, pain, suffering, worry, anger, grieving, loss, grief, embarrassment, agitation, unpleasant feeling –which man must be mindful of through their entire process awaiting change for the better. This is the natural truth which according to Buddhist cannot be thought about otherwise to cause delusions, disorientation, strained immune system, disease and misery. Understanding the truth an observing it as it or they (phenomenon) happens not only caused to vanish to devolution but caused right understanding and patient decision making or proactive responses towards a prevailing cause of the problem –through adoption of new compliant and rescuing values enshrined in the teachings of Buddha (Four Noble Truth-[reality of suffering, existence of the cause of suffering, an end to suffering, and a way to end it]). Having gone through that, sanity prevails characterized by inner peace and contagious community peace.

Communality of Religions
The company of people we have, or the social environment we live in influence individual values for wellness, peace, harmony and happiness. Such social environment is one characterized joy, kindness, compassionate love, humility, rather than argumentative, envy and slanderous one. It is thus important to make right decision over which group of people to associate with as they can consciously or unconsciously influence individual values, feelings, thoughts and behavior for the good or worse. For the sake of individual peace and environment peace, it is pertinent that individuals seek company construct them positively into the right states of mental functioning and behavior relevant for individual and community peace.

Peace is central in the life of individual Africans. In African society, the relationship between individual and community was intertwined. It is expressed by a dictum from John Mbiti, ‘I am because we are, we are therefore I am’ (Vision Thoughts, 2010 ). However, on July 11th 2010, Uganda suffered a terrorist attack –killing over 74 people and more injured. The world over interpreted as terrorist attack executed by Islamic fundamentalists –The Al Shabaab militants in anarchic Somalia (Biryabarema, E. 2010). Such an act was a threat to peace and ridicules African and Islamic concept of peace. It thus important to note that human ego easily penetrates religion and man begins to behave religious yet being judged evil (or Devil worshiping).

Constitutionalism in Religion
Spirituality is guided by acceptable morals and ethics for personal and community discipline. These enforced orderliness, prevented conflict situations with fellow men and associated consequences, fostered and sustained individual and community peace and harmony. The Christians have the ten (10) commandments (e.g. worship God only, do not worship idols, do not use my name for evil purposes, observe the Sabbath, respect parents, do not kill, do not steal, do not accuse any one falsely, and do not desire another man’s wife(American Bible Society 1976).

A Buddhist value system is based on eight values (Eight Nobel Fold Path), which include: right thought, right speech, right intentions, right actions, right effort, right livelihood, right mindfulness, and right concentration. The positive outcomes from these teachings are that they helped individuals to avoid possessiveness that caused unnecessarily worrisome, anxieties, and suspiciousness; to avoid jealous which increased mental pain; helped to build individual diligence through application of energy and alertness of right intensities to achieve success; right intentions (or a life without stealing, taking other man’s wife) to avoid embarrassments, shame, guilt and loss of respect; to build individual confidence, social harmony with self and fellow men, to avoid generating anger among others through verbal and behavioral provocations (Knight, M.L. 1999).

There exist practices in religions that foster a healthy spirit, healthy mind and healthy body. Buddhist practice of yoga characterized by systematic movement patterns, body stretches, breathing exercises and natural breathing patterns help to induce healthy functioning of the respiratory system, the circulatory system, the skeletal system, the coordination system and detachment from the past to present times through mindfulness and inculcation of new universal values for sustainable living in peace and harmony with self and others. Other related activities, also, deemed psychotherapeutic include; 15 minutes or so minutes of silence, cognitive structuring and restructuring through guided imagery, self-talk, mindful breathing and physical exercises, contemplation, reflection, and group problem-solving or sharing.

Islam (total surrender to the will of Allah [God]) has five pillars associated to it that define man’s behaviors towards self and others for peaceful co-existence. These include: an acknowledgement that there is one God (Allah), Justice (ethics, fairness, and equity), respect for prophetic teachings (with the last of those by Prophet Mohammed), Respect the Divine institutions (e.g. Imams), and mindful of the final judgement. That is then followed by six pillars of faith: praying five times a day, pay alms to the poor (Zakat), and fasting during the month of Ramadan as well as Hijja (Ssebyala Badru, 2010). The Wikipedia.org (2010) adds believing in the struggle, directing others to the good, directing others away from evil, love those who are in God’s path, disassociation with those who oppose God.

Spirituality, Religion, Man and Natural Environment are One
Spirituality is defined, processed, and refined through religion to better lives and help man overcome ‘acceptably normal’ challenges in his or her day-to-day quest for the truth and goodness (God) and meaning in, or of life right for himself or herself and for generations to come. Spirituality is associated with general state of wellness through continuous life transitions –without which much desired success can be challenged to mean failure in his or her pursuits. The state of wellness is also determined by how well man interacts with his natural environment to ensure sustainable development and save himself from extinction through harsh climatic and natural conditions –if his actions were unfriendly and unwise towards it. To achieve that, man has to have the right spirit and right religion (defining the right spirit) in order to achieve sustained peace and harmony.

It can be illustrated that superior forces keep sweeping through the natural environment and coming into ‘normal conflict’ with man –whose relationship with those forces is determined by his or her relationship with religion he or she subscribes to and the right ways religion processed spirituality for man’s consumption, or how himself or herself consumed it, and then his right and healthy interaction with the natural environment, constantly seeking right understanding and consensus in that interaction. The quality of interaction helped revolved conflict in man and his social or natural environment and creating peace –which for its sustainability; man had to transfer that kind of knowledge to generations to come in order to ensure proper or right decision making for human and ecological security.

The Consequences or Law of Effect (Sin or Blessing, or Peace)
The opposite to all those interconnected events can be that man’s ill-thoughts, nurturance of wrong imaginations and intention, and then actions towards is natural and social environments potentially destroyed the good spirit and replaced it with bad one that sustains the wrongs and associated consequences –which mean destruction of the self and others, creating conditions for disease environmentally and through internal stress and pressures that suppress the immune system and cause his or her dysfunctional ways. It is a time artificial challenges of life created by man him self or her self -through his wrong decisions (ignorance) merge with ‘acceptable normal’ or natural challenges –both of which make life extremely difficult for man to progress towards attainment of harmony and peace.

Challenges
The Ugandan experience of worship especially among Christians shows most of them making fortune at the expense unsuspecting followers –using written scriptures as opium to extort, cheat and exploit church goers. The churches today have been infiltrated by men posing as pastors, and this is eroding flocks trust in them and biasing many against godly institution. In most churches, pastors use soothing words of hope, quote what their audience want to listen, and some even provide special blessings for those who pay specific amount of money for them: “the Lord tells me you are in need of blessing because you need promotion. If you really need what brought you here; in Jesus’ name, come get your prosperity blessings with shillings 250, 000,” a pastor screamed into a microphone (Kagwa, A. 2010).

Some religions found to be very amazing in terms of benefits, universality and accommodative like Buddhism and Baha’ism; like any new idea or technology being introduced in society, Buddhism is still held locally with lots of suspicion from the local population. They think it came to compete with existing faiths for its following, or impose a new product to them –to which they have to be careful about. Because Buddhism is therapeutic –being used globally to heal people from the negative past and afflictions, and bring peace and happiness to people. Some clinicians encountered and religious leaders feel disposed of their main occupation (healing or health). And because healing involves biochemical changes during participant interaction with nature, most religious leaders think, it lacks the God concept.

Conclusion
Religion carries amazing messages of peace, harmony and happiness, and that it possesses healing powers that can be interpreted clinically, It has no clear roots in Uganda and faces stiff opposition from indigenous faiths and clinical practices –who feel threatened by its complementally ingredients. However, for the sake of peace and progress in humanity’s quest for harmony, tranquility and happiness, we need an integrated approach to that goal through intellectual discussions and sharing information, rather than closedness in the face of a-must-be change in approaches and advancements in technology that necessitates global solidarity towards making the world a better place to live in (in comfort, in peace, in joy in happiness).

People who think about themselves only are indeed the cause of problems in the world today. They not only end at denouncing other traditions, or cultures, or at all regard them as ways of life and alternative approaches to solving life problems, but go ahead to marginalize, oppress, and undertake ethnic cleansing, and so on. Look at how the Jews were persecuted in German (holocaust), look at the Palestine-Israel war, look at Catholics verses Protestants in Ireland until recently, look at America attitudes towards Islam –until recently when President Baraka Obama announced new acceptable relationship with the Muslim world, look at Buganda verses President Y.K. Museveni, and so on. While possessing certain religious cross-cutting religious and universal ideals is intellectual maturity, true spirituality for peace, and cultural maturity, it is important that consumers of religion critical analyze religious cultures to determine ‘toxicity’ (whether harmful or not). This will help control human crime by means of religion as accomplice.

It is satisfying to have friends from different cultures and beliefs; it is really fun appreciating the beauty of certain practices like circumstances for Muslims, decency of dressing, healing and strong conviction -apart from having many wives; the Catholics strong conviction, homosexuality on children; Anglicans for liberty or democratic element; SDAs for passion and conviction, effective teaching or communication methods –making them so nice to relate to; the Born-Again (s) for their strong faith, healing, accent smartness (dressing). It is interesting learn one or two things. So appreciating diversity and at least one or two creates aspects of another group or person creates unity amidst differences and, eventually the big word: PEACE.

EDITION THREE: KNOWING YOUR COUNTRY FOR POLICY AND DECISION MAKING

Having toured and understood one’s country would be one way to measure the level of patriotism in oneself. That could be a basis upon which every individual citizen would cease a moment to make a social impact –with prior knowledge about the countries challenges to address at individual level.

The recent talk about patriotism has featured two nation’s political party heads reaching out to the countryside to spread the gospel of patriotism. Unfortunately, patriotism speeches have been partisan – as applicable only to supporters of the ruling party while, according to them, the rest (Ugandans) never qualify to be patriotic outside their parties.

Much as the idea was fantastic, it has served competing interests of FDC and NRM to foster the love for one’s party –rather than in the best way to construct national identity, unity and solidarity against challenges that affect Uganda, as a whole.

As a consequence, the NRM party has resumed its patriotic activities by recruiting students into para-military engagement commonly known as chakamchaka. From that, we are set to have new definitions of patriotism; among them being one according to FDC party and another from the NRM view.

One interesting complimentary on the patriotism talk was one by former vice president of Uganda, Wandera Specioza, who suggested to members of parliament –to consider their positions as mere services to the country rather than a career –whilst responding to the proposal of securing a government house for a serving vice president.

Her appeal was a show of patriotism; although during her time as a vice president, she accepted huge sums of tax payer’s money to fund her PhD study. If Specioza was patriotic as she meant, she would have rejected tax payer’s money and opted for her own allowances, since she was working and could afford.

Perhaps, if she was in Bukenya’s position, she would as well support the idea of tax payers providing accommodation to her. It is, however, hard to imagine that as some people are making their lives as comfortable as possible, elsewhere in the country-side citizens lack essential livelihood services.

In Busia District, for example, HIV/AIDS services have to either be sought in Kenya or some miles into nearby districts like Tororo and Mbale. The situation can be worse for the more rural people, who they have to travel for several miles to access ARVs and other related services. This can be pretty costly for them to sustain in-patient care at a health center, and stigma is very high in rural areas.

Family members keep the anger and remain in denial over a period not less six months –characterized by violence against the person living with HIV/AIDS. Because of that, a much longer recovery and positive living program would be desired, for example; 1) having to address household poverty –which renders life with HIV difficult to live, 2) having to create awareness about HIV/AIDS –to desensitize people of the fears and negative cultural attitudes about HIV/AIDS and, 3) encouraging NGO establishment in places like Busia to provide psycho-social services and medical services that foster positive living.

There are a handful of NGOs in Busia. HIV/AIDS components of the existing organizations are too weak or limited to offer tangible services to potential clients. Yet, Busia, being one of the historically a trans-boarder route –through which HIV/AIDS is said to have penetrated Uganda should have benefited earliest from HIV/AIDS service organizations, both local and international. In Busia, they are mainly focused on widows, orphans and other vulnerable groups.

From an assessment of a sample of twenty five women selected to benefit from a micro-credit scheme; a poverty alleviation program of New Hope African Children organization in Busia showed that all married women did not make independent decisions that affect their health and livelihood.

Husbands often interfered with their businesses and played a more influential role, which negatively affected the extent of credit trust-worthiness –given the danger of men wholly determining allocation of money, and possibly taking it to drinking sprees.

Moreover, all did not have necessary knowledge to ensure proper hygiene and sanitation, and were under constant threat of heavy rainfall due to poor housing. Actually, some were often kept awake whenever it rained; fearful that their shelters could be washed away.

Interesting about non-government organizations there was their ability to use brain and paper-work to win and manage huge sums of donor money. However, their management was so centralized that the founder in reality acted as the chairman board of director.

Organizations decisions never involved the stipulated board members as per the constitution requirement. It was only strategic to include prominent men and women as board members –to win donor money and reputation. They only sat down and cooked attractive reports to retain healthy donor relations.

Some of them are lucky to have achieved that without key organizational structures in place. Perhaps the Christian face of such organizations left their sponsors with no doubt but to offer whatever assistance they could.

And those working for the organization are a small team of family members (wife and husband), in-laws, friends and distant relatives. This, supposedly, was intended to reduce incidence of conflicts and fasten decision making process in the organization

Whereas rising towns like Busia are basically secure, there exist individuals or small groups who are very influential and seemingly untouchable. Reports say that criticizing them could land one in trouble.

They can organize violent action against people they found a threat to their personality or any possible competitor in terms of power and wealth. And when they need anything, they explore all means to get there; an interesting value, though.

For example, a famous local council one or village chairman was able to become district speaker with ease –an opportunity only reserved for a councilor at district level –who chooses to vie for that position (district speakership).

However, religion as a major tool for social order has bigger roots in Busia. One interesting element is the ease at which one became a pastor. The balokole –born again Christians have a great network of members –who relate well and often help each other in times of need.

It, again, was the most influential and expressive balokole –who as other go to Bible schools to become pastors, they either labeled themselves so or others simply began calling themselves pastors. It was like business to do so by organizations and individuals –who want to gain financially or attract donor money.

Bazungu –whites or colored people are viewed as gods because of the commonly held view that they are “wealthy” guys who have come in the area to give away money. Because of that, they are made to feel as comfortable as possible. For a field team consisting of two or three whites, the most likelihood there could be discrimination of local team members by local communities they served.

Perhaps the only privilege local team members would enjoy is paying cheaper prices for good and services. Even with equal roles and responsibilities side-by-side with mutual respect within the team, outside it, will be conclusions that local team members are servants to bazungu.

At home stays, chefs will want bazungu to eat what is best of the food served rather than have it shared equally among team members. According to the hosts, best food consisted of passion fruits, irish potatoes, meat and rice. The local team members could only serve from that menu long after the bazungu have served.

The host expectations ever are that, when the foreign visitors return to their respective countries, they would send them gifts and other donations, which really any local community member could do to someone in need.

What Africans need to develop is the culture of volunteerism and caring or helping out change lives of vulnerable groups, victims of war and natural calamities –for the better. This could help raise and preserve African dignity in the face of bazungu.

Jacob Waiswa
Community Psychologist, DISHMA CONSULT

RELIGION AND SPIRITUALITY: MAN'S POSITION AND APPLYING LOGIC OR NONE OF IT

The complex human nature makes it possible for humanity to evolve new ideas, rules, beliefs and cultures. They are constantly formed, adjusted and readjusted to help humanity understand the environment, answer challenging questions and make efforts to adapt amidst confusion, physical and ecological strains.

From further attempts to understand the unknown, hierarchical structures were formed establishing the position of the unknown and humanity. After acknowledging who will need the unlimited respect as unknown or Divinity, man and woman turned to themselves and the environment to begin the process of negotiating each other's position (roles and responsibility) in the hierarchy.

At there level numerous ideas were brought into play and tested against hierarchical order right from the level of the unknown to theirs. Because of the cultural influences and norms a ready mixture was developed to gradually erode origin same-status of natural elements.

In an African situation, man would come first, then woman and the other creations last. It is the kind of arrangement that would later influence decision making and its outcomes in future. Besides cultural or traditional influences, man in some areas must have overpowered woman in intellectual assertions reinforced by physical assaults or fights.

The decisions made answers the questions of who would be accountable to the other and with what roles and responsibilities towards each other and between them and the environment.

This is when the evidence of who appeared to be privileged and oppressed or exploited could emerge. And, of course, the environment would suffer hardest seconded by either woman or man following the queue.

In Africa, where socio-cultural structures tend to force women into slavery, man, in that case would take the privileged position, and oppression become the life of a woman. However, with all justice and rewards favored to fall on the oppressed side, one day, as put forward by Marxists, the oppressed (woman) would be the most privileged, and man; most oppressed.

Personal ego and sensational attributes are most fertile in religion, and so soon penetrate and get strengthened into into it and become part of its structure. As a result, they begin to humanize and localize God through that structure.

And, because of the ego influence, with time it becomes hard to differentiate what is by either man or God. Because of that, religion turns out to be a path through which oppression and exploitation would be expressed.

Worse would be for a criminal mind, if he found his way to the helm of a particular religion, and worse if learned. Being learned yet realistically wrong would instead reinforce the wrong and harden the fellow off.

His or her individual weaknesses easily qualify not to be personal crimes, but for the religion -which he or she heads. And with the unyielding strength attainable from religious beliefs and rituals as highest level reinforcement, it is never easy to claim victory over religious criminals.

The cultural biases could place a woman no where, now, in religious decision making. And the environment, being at the bottom gets hurt the most, since it cannot even raise a voice or scream.

Well, it communicates back to man and woman in non-verbally in form of flooding, diseases and famine, natural resources conflicts etceteras. But, still, sometimes he fails to make sense out the kind of communication.

Interestingly, it is again such afflictions that could strengthens the fellow and sometimes venting his o her bitterness onto the oppressed person. And once resilient, even the most stupid action would mean real in the name of faith or religion for him. Everything would be argued along the unrealistic and wrong actions, then dangerously reflected into actions later on whatever they choose to target.

Sometimes, his or her actions could be so horrible that they overwhelm everyone like selling off all his belongings as sacrifice to total bankruptcy, refusal to seek health care in favor of set faith standards or physically and sexually abusing his following.

His perceived godliness or religiousness, in all such actions, remains his protection. It would be at this level that mental health workers could possibly come in to rescue the fellow, and overwhelmed and confused following.

Interestingly, because of man's high appetite for power, he (or she) has transformed religion into a kind of political institutions or party -with its accompanying power hierarchy. In it, he forms departments like the security one to guard him (or her) and his (or her) amassed wealth, finance department -which he (or she) could be directly under him (or her), elders -who act like his parliament, etceteras.

And because of the economic element that is central in the running of religious affairs, church proprietors exploit the constant demand for religious services to pool as much coins as possible in their safe.

So as the following grows from being poor to beggars due to the high cost of religious services footed everyday (for some sects), they as an institutions are thriving. When local people run out of money, the church would shift from a company tone to an NGO one, so as to attract funding from elsewhere.

The chameleon color change, indeed, can be effective in enabling it survive the pressure of modern times. Time emerges when if man is speaking, “it is God doing speaking,” and the questioning audience believe.

And since whatever one believed worked for him or her regardless of the stimuli source, they automatically find fulfillment from the religious practices or rituals -that could include the sort of Kibwetere phenomenon.

The unemployed, who identified faith-related services as fortune, were and still are quick to take it on as gold to change his or her economic life. No wonder, many kiosk-like churches have sprung-up, and being based on tribe, ancestry, reformed views slightly away from old faiths, on dietary choices, feelings, avenge mission and others -purposed to fish beautiful women later on after being repulsed by them -when he was still poor. And there could be many more bases on which religion could be build -from merely idea formulation, a following, and then money -finding its way onto pioneer's personal account.

On the other hand, spirituality is a system of two opposing forces, one struggling to replace the other like the coup d'etats of west Africa. The invisible system of forces, at ease influence every aspect of human beings in a way that is the evolutionary, intellectual and the unknown (of the future) manned and controlled by the conflicting influences of the system. The unknown, remain a reserve the system, yet continues to nurture and refreshen us.

The surprising influences on humanity in unexplainable manner, prompts humanity to interpret and assign cause or source. They would have numerous labels like God in English, Mukama among Baganda, Kibumba among the Basoga etceteras -to describe the wonderful influences on them.

Similarly, opposing labels would be developed in attempt to understand the source and reduce panic. Such reference could be; Satan or devil in English, curse, witchcraft and every undesirable action or experience etceteras.

Incidentally, where human intelligence, scientific evidence or logic as suggested by Kajabago Ka Rusoke, much, if not all of such questions could be unheard of, as man continuously analyses along the major principle of good and truth, and finds solutions to ever emerging challenges. Consequently, he (or she) would become more confident of himself (or self) and entirely responsible for their future.

Like in democracy, people form sides, other remain confused and other simply look on, and only wait for eventuality than plan and negotiate their ways with the systems. Interesting to note is that the way the system is approached could determines the nature of reciprocated results of that relation (between man or woman and the system -with the natural environment as part of it). In the kind of relationship man and woman seem to take the roles of initiating, constantly maintaining and re-initiating harmonious face of it.

If the intentions in the kind of relationship are for good, then they would be relating with a specific set representing goodness or God. And, in turn, such goodness would be felt and attitude developed towards fulfillment of the good goal in his or her life. The magic word here is merely to “believe” -regardless of the situation at hand.

Several studies have found a strong influence between positive spirituality and well-being. Even that is still functional in religious practices, though and could have similar influences to the well-being of people.

For example, with Islam, after going through the practice of washing different parts of the body, they experience a feeling of holiness -a quality that allows members to experience God's mercy and blessing or goodness of nature. It eventually comes along with tremendous emotional and mental relief.

The sustained goodness, in turn, helps the body's immune system to grow stronger and entire being to get nourished with good decision making and actions towards self and others. It, then, would be about how one invests his or her thoughts -whether for goodness or evil to create different desired or undesired outcomes.

The summary of ever investing one's thoughts for the evil is fear, poor physical health, pressure, lost self-esteem and confidence discords, escalating risky behaviors along with related hazards, social structural breakdown due to violence -among others.

Indeed, it could be the beginning of anything bad. Interesting, too, is that to cross over best life or vice-versa, or reset to horrible situation, as well, could be a matter of democracy (choice). However, to change oneself for the better would require support of people of the promising character to reinforce the one being nurtured in by goodness spiritual system set.

In creating a better path or worse one, the being would be obliged to initiate link with the goodness system set -through realization of the best path, acknowledgment it, taking responsibility, talking the walk (along with constant self-reassurance, self-trust, self-believe and self-determination).

But even without person initiative, there would be compelling, yet competitive forces of both goodness or positive spirituality system set and negative spirituality system set. And many fall victims of the unworthy choice, regardless of their educational status or social and economic worthiness.

The problem with Kajabago's logic application to religious teachings is that soon or later believers would digress from experiencing goodness spirituality system or God to begin localizing such super powers as their own or even misrepresent them -through horrendous behaviors.

Kajabago's presentation too could still reincarnate religious capitalist and exploitation, which he was trying to caution against. It, therefore, would seem like one must know when to apply logic and when to surrender it. There must be a specific scale on which to weigh the logic as well. It, for example, could be best if the local conclusions considered the elements of truth and good.

For reflections about the goodness of nature or God, one must surrender potentially destructive aspects like negative and incompatible logic that could block one's bid to create a healthy working relationship with goodness spirituality system set.

It would require total concentration to spontaneously believe in the goodness spirituality system set trust the relationship with it, allow experience what would be desired in that relationship, subject the experience to one's feelings, and then acknowledge the new feelings as the desired to follow. Instantly or gradually, one would experience positive feeling and attitude that later get enhances with consistent actions.

But where the rituals contradict the expectation of goodness and truth we all yearn for, then logic as put forward by Kajabago could immediately apply to avoid undesirable events like being physically or sexually abused or involving murders of people, and many other practices that may be illogical. What Kajabago did not say was the space and time -to cock and apply logic. He was right, though in that regard.

Waiswa Jacob
Situation Health Analyst
P.O. BOX 8885
KAMPALA-UGANDA
Tel. +256774336277 or 0754890614
DECISION MAKING AND SITUATION HEALTH MANAGEMENT -DISHMA
www.situationhealthanalysis.blogspot.com