Showing posts with label national cohesion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label national cohesion. Show all posts

Thursday, August 9, 2012

Problems and Solutions to National Cohesion in Africa - A Perspective of Uganda


Introduction

‘An African solution to African problems’ has been the slogan and way of expressing the truly pan-African spirit.  It is always unlikely for one to comment about Africa’s lost glory without mentioning the word ‘colonialism.’ It is associated with a devil who took away with him what was African, including minerals, most strong and intelligent Africans, and African symbols of civilization as was civilization.

Background

Africans had pride, endowments, peace with nature, peace with their God, employment for all, systematic transfer of knowledge or education for all, undisputed position of the elderly and adults in society, community duty to love and care for the young ones, peaceful families and clans, collective responsibility and democracy, happiness and contentment in their places of birth, strong-therapeutic unity and ready support for one another, greater sense of humanism and respect for one another, most beautiful and nurturing ecosystem, and far well-organized system to preserve those attributes. These assured them of holistic peace, moreover sustainable.

Social values and responsibilities were handed-on at family level, where children got instructed. Families were critical learning centers for children and adolescents (a kind of junior and high school) while the community was the university. A person was identified as belonging to a given family and clan. The high reputation of a given family was attractive: every one wanted to socialize, and pick a married partner from it.

From childhood, as early as baby years, families as much as community members knew their job descriptions, which were intuitively acquired and developed over time until they got manifested as skills known and recognizable by the family and community. It was on the bases of developing an orientation to a given but positive behavior, powerful creativity, and exhibition of amazing works that practicing members got elevated to the fore.

A person’s fame for exhibiting highly desirably qualities and skills elevated him, his family and clan members to prestigious positions for many years while only tasked to preserve values of their ancestors, who began the walk to prosperity they now share as it might always be. 

Findings

Africans failed to stand up for their political, cultural, economic, and spiritual rights when they were invaded by new tribes and forceful immigrants from outside the continent. They fell prey to the invading parties by adopting new cultures and other aspects of life, and got mixed-up or confused. The new structure accelerated internal conflict, which persisted until now, worsened by globalization effects. Any problems in Africa traceable before internal and external invasions were tribal wars, aimed at shaping the power of individuals and societies, and establishment of individual or social identities from the rest of the communities.

Aggression was employed and exercised to create a measurable impact, mindful of the need to prevent unnecessary damage or destruction to themselves. When their intentions got visible enough to give society and individuals’ new social, economic and political outlook or structures, very quickly agreements were reached. In other words, war could not be endless.

The situation was only worsened by elitism created by the powerful invaders, when they labeled their ideals as ‘better,’ and demonized what they found (indigenous). The demonized and ridiculed parties continued to fight for their rights to exist as historically and naturally predisposed.

The elite class soon got themselves in a single position to call their great-grand father’s customs satanic. It is true that satanic people exist everywhere, especially where the social and cultural fabric no longer exist, from which to nurture new generations. It can be noted however that, in any practice, whichever area on the planet it started, practitioners do error or misuse it for other motives, which turn out to be really devilish.

While in the traditional structure, there were ways through which to reconcile wrongful people and be reintegrated back into society for sustainable peace, today, there is no formula for abusers of African knowledge and practices as for modern day ethics and moral expectations. They are often arrested and tried in courts of laws, which maintain the crime within the minds of individuals (criminals) as society waits to continue to ostracize them.

Today the challenges are victimizing to the new generation. It lives without leadership from childhood. If there is any such leadership, it is irresponsible and neglectful.

Conclusion and Suggestions

Society is met by sections of unruly, destabilizing, and life-threatening section of its own members, so hard to deal with, in the category of robbers, corrupt leaders, greedy individuals, prostitutes, street-beggars, lazy people, poor people, unmarried people, unemployed youths, rapists, diseased, and agitated and violent people.

The present troubles like food insecurity, unemployment, lack of medicine, crime, unmarried living, risky sexual behaviors, and problem-children and youth were well addressed in the African setting. Therefore, as we look for solutions to Ugandan (or African) problems, even for the search of national cohesion, we should not look any further than Uganda (or Africa).

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