UNITY IN DIVERSITY: VALUES AND PRINCIPLES (BY ARCHBISHOP HENRY LUKE OROMBI)

Uganda, like many colonized countries, is a colonial construction. This is an indisputable fact put forthby many historians, political scientists, politicians and scholars alike. The nature of political turmoil that has characterized the Uganda’s post-independence history is a remarkable testimony to this inescapable reality. The country’s post-colonial period has been consumed by outright war, civil strife and negative peace to say the least. The failure- or inability-to manage and tame the country’s diversity largely contributed to the social and political turbulence that prevailed for almost half of the country’s post-independence period, and stifled the long-awaited socio-economic development.

As religious leaders, we should acknowledge that religion was a cog in the machinery that selfish politicians used to wreak destruction and cause untold suffering to the Ugandan society. There is no doubt, therefore, that today religious leaders are indispensable stakeholders in the search for socio-economic and political transformation in the country. By divine calling, religious leaders are the custodians of moral righteousness/aptitude and hence “God’s ambassadors” (2 Corinthians 5:20). In the parlance of St.Matthew, religious leaders are metaphorically referred to as the ‘salt of the earth’ (Matthew 5:13). It is on this thesis that religious leaders possess moral authority to cast a telescopic eye on the events that transpired in the last 50 years, with a view to contributing to a Uganda of the next 50 years.

In my speech, I would like to argue that Uganda’s turbulent history is associated to its diversesocial, cultural, ethnic, and linguisticcomposition.This was further compounded by the introduction of foreign religions, political parties and ideologies that caused polarization even among people belonging to the same ethnic or linguistic groups. By the will and fire power of the colonial establishment, the diverse ethnic groups were agglomerated into independent chunks of land under the stewardship of different European powers that profited from the partition of Africa  at the 1886 Berlin Conference. The latter, like their vanquished counterparts, spoke different languages, belonged to different faiths and espoused diverse political ideologies. Consequently, their differences were superimposed on the colonized people thus compounding the ethnic and linguistic mosaic of the colonized people.

Diversity

Diversity is the state of living with and accepting difference. It is a natural phenomenon and a reflection of the will of God. It is recognizable even at the smallest social unit- the family. Offspring sharing the same mother and father might be endowed differently in terms of size, intelligence, emotional make-up, strength, beauty, skin complexion, attitude etc. Notwithstanding these differences, they remain united as a family, living and working together for the progress and prosperity of their family. They share together the happy moments and grieve together in the moments of sorrow. The bible is unequivocal about diversity as an indispensable aspect of human nature: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28). From the foregoing, it is significant to avoid the temptation to confuse ‘unity’with ‘uniformity’. The two concepts mean different things.

Likewise, it is not surprising to encounter differences in a nation-state in terms of ethnicity, religion, ideology, politicalaffiliation, gender, social status and so on. Just as diversity at family level is most often not an obstacle to the attainment of family happiness, progress and unity, it should, equally, not be a source of friction and tension at the national level. It is indisputably true that disagreements and misunderstandings are part and parcel of humanity, be it at the smallest unit-the family- or the mega unit- the nation-state. Fortunately, for millennia, humanity has developed and polished conflict resolution mechanisms to rebuild broken relationships and restore harmony, trust and peaceful coexistence.

Managing diversity

There is no problem in living with difference. However, in concrete terms, living in a diverse social setting is bound to engender conflicts emanating from our different view-points. We therefore need to muster the skills of managing our differences to maintain harmonious relationships. How these tensions are managed determines whether relationships will beproductive, unproductive or escalate into outright violence. Therefore, managing diversitysustainably requires us to espouse basic principles and values that constitute a foundation and recognize the distinct human identities as a common denominator. The question we need to pose to us, therefore, is:“Are there principles and values in Uganda to enable us engage withdifference on an equal footing?.Are we ready for unity in diversity?”.

What are principles and values?

Principles are fundamental norms, rules and values that represent what is desirable and positive for a person, group, organization or country and help it in determining the rightfulness or wrong ness of its actions.  Principles are more basic than policy and objectives and are meantto govern both[1]. Values are those things that really matter to each of us ... the ideas and beliefs we hold as special.[2]They should determine your priorities, and, deep down, they're probably the measures you use to tell if your life is turning out the way you want it to[3].Uganda needs to (re)define what its values are and how they have been shaped, or influenced, by the historical past. At 50 years, Ugandans need to interrogate and evaluate themselves on what makes them ‘Ugandan’. There is no doubt that the last fifty years have exerted a high toll on the moral fabric of the nation. There is need to put in place a national value system to redress the challenges of declining morality in the country.

Challenges

In the past 50 years the country has witnessed a host of challenges most of which were sparked off by a combination of bad governance and penetrative external influences. These challenges  can be loosely classified as political, social, economic, moral, psychological, emotional. On the political plane, we can talk of authoritarianism, unconstitutionalism, corruption, disrespect for the rule of law, nepotism and patronage, state-inspired violence, impunity, and intolerance to dissident opinions. At the lower scale, we have social, emotional, moral and emotional challenges ranging from human killings, human and drug trafficking, gender-based violence, homosexuality and lesbianism, resource-based conflicts, pornography, inequitable distribution of resources. It is significant to note that the aforementioned classifications are not cast in stone, for, in several cases, these challenges intersect and reinforce one another. Sometimes they are the cause or effect of given processes and phenomena.

The way forward

There is no doubt we need a strong code of values and principles in order to forge ahead in the next fifty years.

God fearing

Uganda is a God-fearing country. This fact is lucidly captured in the country’s National Anthem which dedicates the nation of Uganda in the hands of God. Belief in God is source of all wisdom It is apparent that the country has slipped out of the hands of God in the last half a century. Mass media is awash with ghastly incidents taking place in our midst. What is the cause of all this? As religious leaders, there is need to rededicate the country back into the hands of God. I now encourage all religious and political leaders to turn up in large numbers on the 5^th, 6^th and 7^th to attend national inter-religious prayers. “Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14)

Constitutionalism

As a nation, we need to cultivate a strong spirit of constitutionalism. Whereas Uganda might have, on the outset, a very good constitutionthe spirit of constitutionalism is starkly wanting. This is demonstrated by the manner in which constitutional amendments are expediently implemented to reflect and cater for the interests of the privileged few.

Tolerance

I have already mentioned above that Uganda is a country characterized by diversities in form of ethnicity, religion, gender, political affiliation, socio-economic status and so on. This heterogeneity should be by itself a source of strength. In this regard, it is incumbent on us to harness this diversity with a view to promoting social cohesion and unity. To achieve this, we need to cultivate tolerance as a guiding value in all that we do.

Respect for all

The diversity of the Ugandan society demands a strong sense of respect for all our existing forms of differences. This principle is aptly anchored in the words of St James when he urges us to show impartiality between a rich man “wearing a gold ring and fine clothing” and “a poorman in shabby clothing” (James 2:1-26). We need to understand and respect our religious differences, and honour different ways religious communities are organized in Uganda. 

Equal opportunity

Despite all forms of differences, there is need to grant equal opportunity to all citizens. Equality is a basic human right enshrined in internal, regional and national instruments. Historically, failure to recognize equal opportunities among citizens has engendered socio-political upheaval in many societies. As a nation we should be fully committed to opposing all forms of unfair discrimination on the grounds of ethnic origin, race, gender, religion, physical ability, age, and social status.

Social justice

There are many ills in the Ugandan society that are attributed to lack of social justice. Practices of corruption, self-aggrandizement, nepotism to mention but a few are antithetical to social justice.Zechariah’s words of wisdom should strengthen our firm principle against all forms of social injustices, “Thus says the Lord of hosts, render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another, do not oppress the widow, the fatherless, the sojourner, or the poor, and let none of you devise evil against another in your heart.” (Zechariah7:9-10)

Humility

"If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all, said Jesus to the Twelve” (Mark 9: 35). This principle is terribly lacking on part of the leaders. Few leaders actually show humility to the people who elected them, since they in most cases attribute their victory to vote purchasing power.

                                                                                                                                               

National unity

The need for national unity is best captured in the lyrics of Uganda’s national anthem, “United, free, For liberty, Together we'll always stand.” In the past fifty years, Ugandans have witnessed wars and social conflicts that have resulted into the death of several thousands of people. This has taken a heavy toll on national cohesion. There is need to inculcate values and principles in the minds of people with a view to rebuilding a united and violence-free society.

Conclusion

About half of Uganda’s post-independence period was wasted on wars and power struggles. The price paid in terms of socio-economic development andpolitical stability is terribly high. Largely, the major cause of our horrendous history was the inability- or failure- to manage our differences that manifested themselves in ethnic groups we belonged to, among others, the religion institutions we subscribe to, and political groups/parties we are affiliated to. It is significant to note that sustainable management of differences requires laying a firm foundation of principles and values that cut across our socio-cultural and religious beliefs systems.

On a happy note, let us forgive each other and forget the past and open a new chapter in the next fifty years to come.

May the Almighty God Bless You All.

Archbishop Henry Luke Orombi

Archbishop of the Church of the Province of Uganda

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[1]http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/principles.html

[2]http://pinetreeweb.com/values.htm

[3]http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTED_85.htm#