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Showing posts from 2012

WHAT MAKES A COMMUNITY?

A community is simply a group of individuals living together in a given location or gather for a routine habit. It is inevitable for one to belong to a certain community because by nature, man is meant to live amidst other humans thus the saying no man is n island. Just as the writer of Ecclesiastes emphasizes that two are better than one, this presupposes that man should in a way live in a certain kind of organization-community. If the need to belong is justifiable, the next question would be what makes the community that man should live in? John Finnis in his writing tries to emphasize the fact that community is a matter of relationship and interaction, a form of unifying relationship between human beings. This justifies the need to examine what real makes of a community of which man exists. First, a community is a group of individuals that have consciously or unconsciously selected themselves to be part. Sometimes the habits, behavior, race or even employment determines the type of

WHAT MAKES A COMMUNITY?

A community is simply a group of individuals living together in a given location or gather for a routine habit. It is inevitable for one to belong to a certain community because by nature, man is meant to live amidst other humans thus the saying no man is n island. Just as the writer of Ecclesiastes emphasizes that two are better than one, this presupposes that man should in a way live in a certain kind of organization-community. If the need to belong is justifiable, the next question would be what makes the community that man should live in? John Finnis in his writing tries to emphasize the fact that community is a matter of relationship and interaction, a form of unifying relationship between human beings. This justifies the need to examine what real makes of a community of which man exists. First, a community is a group of individuals that have consciously or unconsciously selected themselves to be part. Sometimes the habits, behavior, race or even employment determines the type of

HOW CAN CHRISTIANS RESPOND TO POOR LEADERSHIP?

Many people perceive leadership in different ways but what is important is to ask the question as to whether whatever kind of leadership provides what the citizens want and demand from the leaders. The type of leadership that is commonly practiced is the political leadership where leaders hold a social contract with the citizens who elect them into power. According to Robert Rotberg, governance is performance and the delivery of high political goods to citizens. These political goods include security, rule of law, participation and human rights and development. These goods are translated into the basic services like good roads, quality education, good health, better salaries and that the Governments are obliged to provide these to the community who elected them into power-the social contract. What therefore makes poor leadership is when leaders relax providing the good to the citizens and the citizens too lose trust in their leaders, when the bridge between leaders and citizens is bro

Agriculture ministry must put public interest first

It has been reported in the media that the ministry of Agriculture stands to lose Shs 1bn which it paid as rent for offices in Kampala if the ministry fails to move there. The ministry has given convenience and accessibility by Parliament and members of the public as some of its reasons for shifting. I find these reasons valid. However, the ministry officials have declined to move to their new offices in Kampala, advancing excuses like the new offices being too hot. They claim that they sit like students in a classroom, with only tables separating them. Much as there is need for proper working conditions, the demand for it should be reasonable. I wonder whether the offices have no ventilation or is it air conditioning that they meant? Many Ugandans are working in far worse conditions, but they still serve Ugandans wholeheartedly. I am very disappointed that these officials put their interests before the public’s. Michael Aboneka Jr.,

Uganda-at-50 has made me patriotic

On February 19, the Uganda National NGO forum and its partners launched the Uganda-at-50 awareness campaign in most parts of the country to create awareness amongst the citizenry about the need to celebrate 50 years of independence. Independent Uganda will be 50 years old on October 9, 2012, and I am glad that civil society and government have taken this anniversary as a serious matter. Most Ugandans do not know the history of their country, and as a result, they pay little allegiance to it. Knowing one’s history plays an important role in shaping one’s future from lessons learnt from the past. I had the opportunity to attend the launch and I learnt quite a great deal about my country. I now have positive feelings for the Pearl of Africa. Ugandans should get involved in this campaign and the older citizens could tell the younger ones about where our country came from and the long and arduous road it took to get to where we are, and how we could avoid falling down the abyss once more. M