Ugandans demonstrate against M7 at the UN headquarters in NY September 23, 2009!
President Museveni's press spokesman, Tamale Mirundi, recently characterized Ugandans that demonstrated against M7 at the UN headquarters in New York as agitators and "economic refugees enjoying other peoples freedom instead of fighting for their own at home."
Mr. Mirundi should read some recent history of despot regimes now relegated to the garbege heap of history. The harbinger to their demise often starts with demonstrations like this that rally their countrymen to action. Despots often try to suppress such demonstrations exactly as M7's security forces did in Uganda. The chairman of the East African Editors Forum & Director, The Media Institute expressed similar sentiments in an open letter to M7.
The demonstrators Mr. Mirundi characterizes as economic refugees in fact fund Uganda's economy through remittances to their families and relatives. Without these remittances some Ugandans would be going without basic necessities. In a recent article in The Boston Globe, about a thriving Ugandan community here: one Ugandan expressed the following: “There is a much bigger influx of Ugandans now than ever before leaving the country,’’ he said. “Unfortunately, Uganda has not really seen meaningful progress. There are no employment opportunities. People are forced to leave.’’
According to the World Bank reports, "International migration has enormous implications for growth and welfare in both origin and destination countries." The money migrants contribute to their countries is twice as much as world governments contribute every year in the form of foreign aid!
Saturday, September 26, 2009
The unappreciated Value of Ugandans in the Diaspora!
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Ugandan President Museveni on the U.N.
Watch M7's Bumbling speech style idiosyncrasy!
Saving Children from Scourge of War
Compare Dr. Otunnu's Charismatic speech style to M7's Bumbling style
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Ripple effects from Kampala's riots 9/11/09
The seeds of over extended stay in power are bearing fruits for M7!
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Museveni visits parts of Kampala hit by several days of rioting
Security forces job is to serve and protect citizens, Not to administer vigilante justice!
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
The Value of Respecting Cultural Diversity
Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II
36th King of Buganda
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) recognizes Cultural Diversity for its intrinsic value in development as well as social cohesion and peace.
In fact May 21st is the World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development!
President Museveni must have unwittingly realized this UNESCO recognized intrinsic value in restoring the traditional institutions in Uganda. The recent crisis with the Buganda Kingdom should therefore be an opportunity for dialogue rather than retribution and recrimination.
Major General Kahinda Otafiire was therefore, wrong for warning the president against the restoration of traditional institutions.
What the president characterizes as chauvinism is in essence cultural pride. But what tribe in Uganda is not proud of its culture? If thats the standard, then chauvinism is an equal opportunity tribal trait.
The two institutions: the central government and the traditional institutions need each other for the sake of peace, development and economic prosperity in Uganda!
"Aboluganda bita, olumu bikonagana," is an old Luganda proverb meaning: "Relatives are like calabashes, sometimes they clash!"
Traditional institutions should be a source of pride not consternation!
We are all Ugandans, with a rich diversity of cultures which should be a source of strength rather than a threat.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Subserviency is not a Virtue!
There is another way you can work against the best interests of your country!
Its called rational ignorance and the acquiescence to the ideology of one man rule!
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Social Intelligence Vs Political eruptions in Uganda!
"If social Intelligence is the ability to get along well with others and get them to cooperate with you, then power and influence have to be part of the equation."
Violance is not the answer!
On the rector scale of Buganda's political upheavals, the 9/11/09 eruptions have been minor! The last such upheaval saw the dissolution of the Buganda kingdom and eventual unfortunate death in exile of King Ronald Muwenda Mutebi's father.
This eruption is unlikely to end the same way. The times are different and there is some level of tolerance and room for reconciliations for such eruptions in Africa, as the examples of Kenya and Zimbabwe have recently shown.
The political amalgam in Buganda might lay dormant again and everyone will go about their business; but unless the underlying lingering problems like poverty, unemployment among the the large numbers of disaffected urban youths are addressed, such eruptions are more likely than not to reoccur.
In the preface to his book Social Intelligence ( SI ), the author Karl Albrecht describes SI as: " ... the ability to get along with others and to get them to cooperate with you."
In today's world, the ability to connect with people is a crucial success skill. According to Dr. Karl Albrecht,
"More people have lost jobs, friends, marriages and mates as a result of poor interpersonal skills than for all other reasons combined. The simple fact is that people who have a highly developed sense of social intelligence have more friends, better relationships, more successful careers and happier lives than those who lack those skills."
If you carefully analyze the core root of these recent riots, the ability for the antagonists to connect with each other was missing!
Dr. Albercht goes on to describe: two extremes of SI as "very low and very high - in metaphoric terms as either "toxic" or "nourishing"
Toxic behaviors by his definition "are those that cause others to feel devalued, inadequate, intimidated, angry, frustrated, or guilty."
Nourishing behaviors cause others to feel valued, capable, loved, respected, and appreciated."
The extremes of SI combined to set the stage for the the unfortunate riots in Kampala!
One amazing section from this book needs to be quoted here: pages 224-225
"How the Worst Bastards on the Planet Get and Keep Power"
"Totalitarian leaders like Genghis Khan, Attila, Lenin, Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin, Mao Tze-Tung, Pol pot, Idi Amin, and Saddam Hussein certainly could not kill thousands or millions of human beings single-handedly. They had to find ways to leverage the violence of others by acquiring power and projecting that power through various levels of their dynastic structures.
Typically, power accumulators - even those who have little or no evil intent - operate in approximately the same way. They generally follow a stage-wise process of building their power and influence over time. Studying some of the worst despots in history, we can readily observe four key phases:"
1. Networking
2. Coalition Building
3. Taking Over
4, Unrelenting Consolidaion
"Many people forget - or never knew - that Adolph Hitler came to power as a result of free and open elections. But once he got to the center of the ruling coalition, the National Socialist party, he moved quickly and ruthlessly to consolidate his power. The take-over phase usually involves a significant risk and requires that the would-be ruler act aggressively in order to acquire position power in the minds of the other members of the coalition. Many aspiring despots fail at this phase, either because their rivals manage to dilute their influence, because the followers see an evil side of them that they don't like, or because the timing and circumstances don't offer the right set of imperatives to get behind an aggressive leader. The aspiring despot who succeeds in the take-over phase reaches a tipping point of influence. after which he has a more or less official entitlement in the eyes of others to decide, direct, control, reward, and punish."
Wednesday, September 09, 2009
Uganda's Ambivalence to Dr. Otunnu's Homecoming!
Quite a few astute Ugandan commentators have expressed their opinions about Dr. Otunnu's recent homecoming! The most convincing were those of Mr. Austin Ejiet's: "Olara Otunnu's "second coming"; the illusions and realities", dated: August 23, 09; and Mr. Kalori Ssemogerere's: "Otunnu’s return good for the govt, better for the opposition", dated: September 3, 09.
Dr.Otunnu displaying his passport! | source: The Independent
Contrary to the aforementioned opinions, Mr. Daniel K. Kalinaki characterized Otunnu's return as "a flash in the pan".
Even though Dr. Otunnu has not declared himself a candidate for office, Mr. Kalinaki sees Dr. Otunnu's celibacy at age 57 as a real stumbling block for political office in Africa's orthodox cultural framework.
In the rough and tumble of politics, Dr. Otunnu's celibate status has already resulted in headline news in Uganda. A smear campaign tactic intended to hurt this able and distinguished Ugandan where he is most vulnerable.
According to Mr. Kalinaki, Africans would rather settle for an incompetent polygamist for a leader than an adept celibate.
Human societies have borrowed and influenced each other all throughout history, and are going to continue to do so. Otherwise, someone like Mr. Kalinali's first name would not be, Daniel; nor would we be communicating in English here! So, Africa can and should, overcome this bias about celibate leaders just like other developed societies have!
This is the price Dr. Otunnu is paying for trying to add his eloquent voice to the struggle for a peaceful political change in Uganda.
Dr. Otunnu did not have to put up with this scrutiny. His distinguished qualifications, experience and charisma can get him a job anywhere in the world in a heartbeat! Why this seeming disconnect about Dr. Otunnu's potential benefit to Uganda, is mind boggling!
Brute force, intimidation and cajoling have demonstrated limits in solving Africa's woes. Its time we harness our boundless diversity in intellectual potential and charisma exemplified by Dr. Otunnu.
In a continually egalitarian world, where all of us share common goals and responsibilities to have a fair and just world; its sad to see able and charismatic individuals denied leadership roles simply because they are celibate.
Theodore Roosevelt once said the following:
It's not the critic that counts
Press On - No matter what they say to you
It's not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or when the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions and spends himself in a worth cause; who at the best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement; and who at the worst if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory or defeat. Theodore Roosevelt
IMPORTANT FACTORS OF LEADERSHIP
No follower wishes to be lead by a leader who lacks self confidence and courage
Self Control
A keen sense of Justice
Definiteness of Decision
Definiteness of Plans
The habit of doing more than paid for
A pleasing personality
Sympathy and Understanding
Mastery of detail
Willingness to assume full responsibility
Cooperation
Remember: A QUITTER NEVER WINS AND A WINNER NEVER QUITS!
