DECISION MAKING AND SITUATION HEALTH MANAGEMENT

A Call for Volunteers

Background
WHO (2011) puts the world disability figures at 15%. In Africa people with disability account for an estimated 10% of the general population. They represent
20% of the poor, 80% of working age people with disability are unemployed. School
enrollment for those living with disabilities is between 5 to 10 percent (Exodus
Guild, 2011).

Article 28 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities asks States Parties to take steps towards safeguarding and promoting the realization of the right to an adequate standard of living and social protection, including ensuring “access by persons with disabilities and their families living in situations of poverty to assistance from the State with disability-related expenses, including adequate training, counseling, financial assistance and respite care” (UN Enable, 2008).

Despite existing political representation to parliament in Uganda and prominent
non-government organizations, no tangibles are visible to benefit disabled persons.
The best they can afford to do for themselves is to languish on streets –begging for
a living while those –whose families cannot afford to see that happen, simply lock
them up in houses as a protection measure.

Dishma Inc. is committed to efforts towards realization of human and ecological
peace through rehabilitation and change management, research and journaling,
advocacy and networking, livelihood development, conflict transformation, ecological developments, and capacity building in areas proven to be most in need of such survival needs.

It (Dishma Inc.) thus wishes to call for expressions of interests from professional individuals, philanthropic agencies, continuing students, and adventurers -to make their contribution to those efforts as volunteers while they gain a life-time experiences in the service of humanity and nature.

Roles and Responsibilities Shall be:
Counseling
Physiotherapy Administration and Training
Talents Assessment and Development
Teaching
Life and Vocation Skills Development
Culture Exchanges
Creating Health and Life-support Systems for Vulnerable Dishma Inc. Beneficiaries
Stakeholder Involvement and Coordination
Fund raising
Building and Construction
Farming and Gardening Technological developments
Environment Health and Conservation
Community Outreaches
Filming and Documentation
IT Development (Website Design and Support, IT Training)
Monitoring and Evaluation

To express interest to volunteer or intern with us in any of the areas listed above, send us an email at dishma.imhs@gmail.com.

Dishma Inc. came in operation -right from 1st January 2008; an outcome of the 2007 resolutions.

Together with Integrated Mental Health Services (IMHS), took the primary role of individual-based and community-based intervention -using integrated approach.

Again, together in the mid-year developed a think-tank dimension -to promote human and ecological security based on person experiences and ongoing discoveries to help strained individuals and organizations to recover and use available yet applicable experiences and research-based for the well-being of others.

It is human and ecological safety concern body that advocates for justice and ethics in management, human rights and consultative-based leadership; undertakes capacity building for individual and organization, research support and creating awareness, public health development, livelihood development, conservation and environment education.

It began its aggressive work by means of the media, specifically contributing to research, development and policy through publishing and authoring. It is now moving far into community livelihood development dimension to help raise money for community service and development, public health development and human rights.

Thanks to the founders, Dishma Inc. has been able to initialize research and publication, advocacy and communications -and setting up viable economic frameworks for sustainable development. We now see Dishma Inc. in progressive stages of welfare development.

In achieving all the above, it has got itself global audience, who currently benefit from its research, publications and policy developments. Signs are clear that the future is bright.

Jacob Waiswa
Dishma Inc.
P.O. Box 8885,
Kampala-Uganda
+256392614655/0752542502
www.situationhealthanalysis.blogspot.com

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.

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

Community debates attract everyone regardless of the socioeconomic status to topical issues of the day.

Besides, interaction or communication is natural and part of human survival. It is simply a natural attraction to socialize and interact, no matter the extent.

They influence government policies and decision making process –and are appreciated as one of the credible means to voice out local concerns, reform governance, and work towards peace.

Those in power use the forum to explain government positions on different issues of contention, so that they can be understood and be accepted by the people.

Equally, the opposition politicians use it to constructively criticize government and remind them of their failures so that they can correct or adopt new friendlier policies.

Individuals –who think can offer better leadership, use the forum to let their ideals known to the population as well as identify themselves with them –such that during elections, there are higher chances to be voted into power.

Even those –who lose chances of becoming members of parliament (MPs), it soon caught up with them when President Y.K. Museveni eventually appointed them Resident District Commissioners (RDCs) or deputies to the position. What matters, though, is the question of whose interest the speaker fronted. Sometimes they have to eat their own ‘vomits’ and call black color white.

From open-air community debates young aspiring politicians gain confidence and public speaking experience. In fact, many of them are still pursuing the trade and are darlings of the people.

Community debates offer an opportunity for frustrated and disappointed citizens to vent psycho-pathological conditions off –which, alone, was therapeutic enough. Affected participants leave the forum calmer and feeling better than when they came –having ‘blown’ out the toxicity of anger on leaders that betray the nation.

They provide a credible way for private individuals to form civilian parliament and let themselves be heard by both policy makers and the lazy MPs (member of parliaments).

It is a sure way local participation and representation can be ensured –helping to fill gaps left behind by the legislature. It fills the gap left behind by the representative democratic system –in which most MPs do not live up to the people’s wishes.

An empowered citizenship is in position to make informed decisions and pressure government to pass people-friendly policies in line with decisions reached at personal and group level –and to further evaluate leadership performance (accountability).

The debates arouse political consciousness of mainly educated youth –who either join the discussions or begin to view affairs of their country in a two-faced manner and make informed decisions –accordingly.

It makes vernacular-speaking radios relevant to Ugandans in the countryside. Radio stations developed different brands or names for every forum –which included: the ekimeza brand on radio one, simbawo akati (Radio Simba), mambo baado (CBS), among others. But events following the September 11th, 2009 protests forced government to ban open-air debates.

On the eve and after national or international holidays, the participants discuss significances of such days to Ugandans. In that way, it helps to educate the masses on relevance and challenges of those days, for example, the 8th March (Women’s day), the 9th June (heroes’ day), the 26th January (Teresita day), 9th October (Independence Day) and the mid-year Budget reading days as well as the hot topics in parliament.

It not only helps to bridge the gap between those in government and its people, but plays an empowering role of the masses. There is no clear demarcation between the debates and the radio stations banned, because soon after their ban, the community debates too either ceased or were weakened.

It can be submitted that; there is need to let open-air community debates and discussion relayed again on radios at all levels –to provide forums to brainstorm societal problems, for problem-solving, for venting and psychological healing or peace and for enabling policy reform and formulation for the benefit of the common man, and for healthy relationship building as meaningful avenues for good governance and peace-building and prevention of psychologically traumatizing condition of war.

However, more research is needed to define and set limits of open-air community debates so that while it assumes the rights and freedoms of assembly, information and expression, and appreciative of its responsibilities to society and governance, it knows it limits for orderliness Uganda and common good of its people.

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

The spiritual part of man’s existence is beyond any one’s understanding –verses every attempt for humanity’s quest for it to enforce the shaping and bettering of life.

Spiritual wisdom is inexhaustible –offering refugee to the restless man –and where relationship with it is determined by man’s quality of input.

Spiritual (in a relationship with God) connections indeed completed the fullest of individual self along with the thinking, emotion systems, and the body. Without the spiritual component, individual is simply worthless; he would feel it and everyone will see that from a distance.

The good working relationship with it involves nature and quality of messages accessed and gathered into minds and substances taken into human bodies –during our interaction with the environment. If desirable, the rewards are fruits of good life –within and around oneself.

In the same vein, there are people who find themselves in new or inherited belief systems. For some reasons –that maybe: vulnerability and resilience levels individuals may fail to logically test them (believe systems) to caters for universal laws of love for all beings, universal law of kindness to all, universal law of truthfulness, universal law of diversity, and universal law of fairness to all –where if the test is positive then a given teaching or more of them can be conceived or upheld. If negative, then such a teaching falls out squarely.

But the moderates cannot be forgotten. They are usually very interesting characters. They are appreciative of different religious elements that reflect realism of life, not otherwise.

To them, humanity is the biggest to ideology.Diverse ideologies only made life here on Earth stimulating and fun –and brought out uniqueness of individual beings for self-reflection, sharing and learning one or two beneficial practices from them (ideologies).

Healing is real and complete if the concerned individual does not have negative conflicts (adversity) in the mind or defeating perceptions about life (or body).
Positive actions and perceptions of life build positive spirit while negative actions detached individual from positive spirit (God) [good emotional feelings about oneself, life and others] for negative spirit (Satan) –which reinforced negative thought, emotions and actions (anti-social behaviors and other associated psychological problems).

Tuning the mind to the best mindset possible, changed body’s biochemistry –accordingly (the structure and function of cellular components such as proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, nucleic acids and other bio-molecules.

The negative oneself (feelings of anger, guilt, depression, fear) simply shrunk the life cells and compromised the immune system, mental, physical, economic and social stability.

Man’s failure to adopt and master nature dictates his downfall –helplessly. His decision to hand over management tools to the Divine is only a reflection of failure that came back to taunt him. Yet God, as noted therein, had no role to play in man’s failures and self-extinction –if he (man) chooses to.

The African Traditions strongly believe in spirits. It is believed that spirits live among us for the good of people or the worse –depending on the nature of relationships with such spirits.

If the relationship is bad, when spirits are not appeased, when the certain details of the covenant in the relationship are broken, and when individuals or sections of society use them to attack and inflict pain on others.

In modern faiths, it is believed that bad spirits came from underground under the command of Satan (Lucifer) –who because of to God was thrown down to the Earth. He continued to live his ways and making numbers of followers to his side.

He is believed to be the cause of suffering and misery to man that can only be remedied –through reading holy books, attending church services and extra fellowships.

Christians, specifically, believe that Jesus solely affords the task of successfully disposing demons from those possessed by them.

If the relationship is bad, when spirits are not appeased, when the certain details of the covenant in the relationship are broken, and when individuals or sections of society use them to attack and inflict pain on others normal life functioning is will be affected.

With broken spiritual life, individuals will have broken hearts and broken relationships unless interventions are made as soon as possible.

In African Traditional Religion, there are exorcists –who, with ease, free their clients from evil spirits using both verbal and herbal means. Through the years, there were attempts to dislodge it with the mass penetration of western religious movement.

Positive rewards build or strength positive spirit while negative associations with a given stimuli or object break it (spirit) down or weakens it.

It is therefore important to care about, which cultures and belief systems that exist within the immediate environment before making decisions to join them.

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

Faith is the conviction that prayer or a given religious rite has a direct effect on the life of the person in question –and helping to transform him or her from previously bad experience to positive states (wellness).

Spirituality, indeed seals up components of the human being -including the thinking system, emotional system, and the body. Other writers, however, add the soul as integral part of the being sometimes used to refer to person’s ‘spirit’, or to refer to the ‘heart.’
On the other hand, it can be used to mean the Supreme Being, or to describe extraordinary strength of a person and extremes of behavior (spirited).

Part of defense mechanism is when people going through difficult experience begin to seek objects they can attach meaning and form explanations for their suffering. The earlier spiritual experiences will dictate whether to adopt new faith or to strengthen old one –depending on how best it has served them.

In Buddhism, spirituality is here and now with us. We assume spiritual levels during insight meditation.

It is, therefore, wise to connect to spirituality (beyond the intellect), whilst not replacing it with the being or logic (egocentricism) –for it to be effective in the people’s lives. Effectively transformational, yet rational outcomes of spiritual connections result from individuals’ ability to subject them to reasoning test, which if passed, the desired yet rightful behavior come forth. It can be experienced that, one’s past can be so strong that individuals easily drop newly held values –especially if they do not keep practicing the new ones.

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

If all roads lead to Rome, it does not matter which one to take. Religions are just like that. People choose different faiths as best avenues for them to reach their positive sense of life before and after death.

Like for Baha’i Faith Buddhism originated in Asia with the birth of Buddha in 624 (B.C.) and both founders had been princes before experiencing life outside their kingly settings which became a basis of their teachings, and taught diversity.

While Christians believe Angels brought important information from God to man, Buddhists suggest wise men developed and passed it on to society and for future generations to benefit. Intellectuals and researchers can today fall under the Buddhists’ land of argument.

The multiplicity of images of the past –rising, being seen do so, face to face with them and, finally, seeing them vanish -is like the so many demons that individuals are helped to get rid of –in other religious sects or faiths.

While Christians use Reverend, Father, and Pastor, and Muslims use Sheik, Mufti –to refer to spiritual leaders; Buddhists use Venerable (Ven.) –for Buddhist Monks and Nuns.
Buddhists like Muslims and Traditional healers attach a lot of respect to their worship centers. They remove shoes and sit in straight rows and columns.

Buddhist like Traditional healers dress in flowing robes: Embugo (bark cloth –made of tree-stem layer of a special tree) for Traditional healers and brown or orange color for Buddhist monks and nuns.

In all, actual transformation of the ill person begins with the processes of acknowledgement of healing act and keeping the faith. Keeping faith determines sustainability of the healing effect along the scale of degree of relationship with spirituality.

The challenge, now, remains: religious sectarianism, disrespect of alternative views and economic exploitation of the unsuspecting masses in the name of religion or faith –all of which take us back to level one: of misery, suffering, violence and hopelessness. Yet it would have been most central to place humanity first in our services to liberate them and be rewarded later.

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

Buddhism is a new religion in Uganda, just trying to get its feet on the ground. Like anything new in any given place, it has faced mild reception, rejection, and mixed feelings from the mainly Ugandan audience.

The opposite has been true to foreign experts and tourists, who upon learning of its presence in the country, are not only amazed but very soon eager to visit and have first-hand experience with Buddhism, now both at back in their countries and the host country. This makes life really easy and comfortable in such a foreign place.

Whereas some people like to adopt that core Buddhist value (insight meditation) for its experiential benefits as part of their value system, majority others –especially in Asia and western countries have adopted it as ‘more worthy’ religion than others and, thus, growing in it as spiritual part of living along with associated core values like compassionate love, mutual respect and kindness –to achieve wellness in its multi-faceted forms.

People called monks and nuns are leaders in that area (spirituality) while lay men (others) consider it as a way of life compatible to natural or universal principles or laws (science or art of life) –which if adhered to, potentially ends suffering, misery or ill-condition, violence and crime.

In modern medicine and mental health practices, it has been adopted as natural source of healing for humanity, and a trustworthy means to conserve nature for its associated benefits vital for human and eco-systems survival.

Such efforts are pursued to, among other ways, promote wellness and, thus, helping to eradicate mental illness, natural disasters and physical afflictions of man and other beings. Psychiatry adopted it (Buddhism) as richly and traditionally therapeutic resource –worthy integrating in clinical practice (Meditation and Yoga).

Buddhists internalize four thematic approaches to life: 1) The reality of suffering, 2) There is a cause of suffering, 3) There is an end to suffering, and 4) There is a way to end it (Nirvana). These are famously known us the four noble truths. This is an appreciation of nature, respect for it because that is how it operates.

Noble eightfold path (NEP) is substantive of the fourth noble truth and they are listed as follows; right view (questions what we look at), right thought (questions the type of thoughts we nurse), right speech (questions what we utter out), right action (behavioral issues), right livelihood (how we chose to work for a living), right effort (whether we give full time, attention and energy to work), right mindfulness (awareness of self and environment), and right concentration (centered orientation during meditation –attending to objects until they are absorbed).

Buddhists seek to understand the mysteries of Mother Nature and its influence on lives, events and situations in which humans and animals find them-selves in. It is indeed an understanding of the systems of life –which, if understood, individuals will be able to master life, develop sustainable art and science of managing life.

It looks at causal-effect relationships to derive right understanding of life and enable decision making. We suffer because of our own actions, not Satan or devil and we can free our selves from the misery-prone pleasures of life and achieve happiness, peace and success.

Typical Buddhist settings have symbolic objects that constantly remind them of Buddha teaching and ways of life. Anyone who chose to live the kind of life and pursue enlightenment qualified to be called Buddha (enlightened or awakened one) –who then undertakes selfless work of transforming the lives of others to achieve sustainable and holistic peace and happiness humanity deserves.

Buddhists do not seek anyone to intercede or to pray for them or buy proposed health outcomes. It is a personal experience and natures of the outcomes depend entirely on individual effort. Using the last section of the NEP (right concentration), Buddhists have a recommended sitting posture at the onset of meditation.

Insight meditation provides both immediate remedy and long-term preventive mechanism to mental cleansing, or purity and peace building. Affected individual will gain calmness and regain individual self.

He will watch the negative thoughts and other cravings resurrect from within the self and vanish –a time when the mind becomes still, nothing in it like a formatted personal computer (PC), at the same time without worries, anxiety, displeasure, discomfort and expectations or desire –all of which are a source internal conflict and instability.

During insight meditation, the past causes of misery leave the individual –right from subconscious levels of the mind. As the individual meditates sees them vanish and mean nothing to him or her. And, while they vanish, he or she is mentally reborn and new values are ‘installed.’ The new healthy values become a basis of decision making thereafter.

Most Buddhists are vegetarian because of digestibility and herbal element associated with eating vegetables. Also, it helped them avoid hostile outcomes from being directly involved in slaughtering animals. The principle of loving kindness would easily be lost.

Renowned terms in psychotherapy that are purely Buddhist that therapists will not reveal –for example, meditation and yoga. They date back to over 2600 years ago with the most ancient technique being vipassana or insight meditation technique.

As it can be observed, there is much use of the words peace and happiness –simply because they are the ultimate goals in life after the healing process and recovery from other aspects of life that cause displeasure and illnesses.

It is thus not surprising that the mental health fraternity is opening up to it for alternative and natural medicine to compliment other approaches.

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

Uganda has experienced tragedies that are of natural origin, because of the poor conservation practices in the country and others political, economic and cultural factors. These combined or in isolation have had a significant impact on displacement which called for reconciliations.

Incidentally all catastrophes –either natural or artificial had a human hand and, henceforth, required a human action and solution.

Reconciliation took political will of government for any step towards it to be realized. Because of lack of political will, populism plays by government, and selfish interests; government has been found culprit in the ‘businesses of encroachment on natural reserves.

Several recommendations are made to free them (natural reserves) from communities sanctioned by government fall on deaf ears as they struggle to protect their popularity. It is when over 400 people were buried alive in Eastern village of Bududa the government got reminded of the natural fight-back. Over 500,000 living in mountainous areas of Uganda, had to be relocated (environment reconciliation).

Once successfully negotiated, called for a multi-disciplinary approach to provide the livelihood solution (economic reconciliation), health personnel to provide physical and mental healing mechanisms, the social scientists to provide continuous counseling and be available to affected parties (intra-personal reconciliation), the cultural leaders to lead in initiation and cleansing ceremonies (norms reconciliation), the community to witness cleansing forgiveness and reintegration (community acceptance), and the spiritual leaders to ask for God’s (or the gods) for mercy and forgiveness involving the offender and his or her victims (spiritual reconciliation).

Population is another issue –which government has to put greater effort on. It is because of the increased pressure on land that people chose to move to natural disaster prone zones.

There existed unresolved socioeconomic problems –usually branded as marginalization of certain regions of the country as political weapon to weaken and subdue them as beggars, and no more as political opponents.

In Uganda, today, the leadership is quick to pursue military approaches towards its opponents than to dialogue and initiate the process of reconciliation and peace.

In conclusion, because behind every problem is the question of leadership, the leadership in Uganda is today characterized by corruption (environmental corruption) –where companies are given licenses to build in should-be natural reserves and much of the funds meant for the grassroots services deliveries is swindled –which leaves poor population continue to live in misery.

If there has to be reconciliation in all its manifestation, Ugandans must be empowered to courageous demand for their human rights alongside international pressure on natural resources conservation, reproductive health reforms, and strengthening of democratic governance in the country (Uganda).

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

Lusoga is the second largest tribe in Uganda after Luganda. lusoga language gradually suffered extinction through years of Bunyoro imperialism, Buganda imperialism, British imperialism and, now, neocolonialism. Being civilized in Busoga implied ability to read and write in luganda –an impact that is still visible today.

It is very easy for a Musoga today –to dance the Badanga way and write in Luganda. Besides, they modified their administrative structure to exactly fit the Buganda way. It is hard to blame them as best infrastructure was in Buganda like best schools, best recreation centers, best consumer goods, and best health services.

There more pride searching to live in Buganda and speak Luganda than to live in Busoga and speak Lusoga –now considered backward by some Basoga. So many of them found new life in Buganda.

When you talk about them in Buganda today the flashing image in the mind of the listener will indicate: a chapatti selling person –which is commonest business undertaking by them. In fact, they are renowned for that, and people there appreciate the amazing taste of chapattis made by them.

With such a trend, it becomes unthinkable to find the original dialect. It is now a reserve of the rural communities. The situation in the new community (Buganda) is made worse by negative labels and insults thrown to them.

Some in Lusoga words are used to cater for another community’s convenience usage like in vulgar jokes. Some words thrown to them from mainly central Uganda (among the Baganda) are really bad –like a saying that: ‘Basoga develop their intelligent quotient (IQ) at 45 years or take long to understand.’

Most disturbing about it is that it has no scientific evidence to support it –yet nationally used. Attempts to find out the origin of the label were met with surprises of responses that it was the country’s president who said it at a local radio station –more over to an electorate he is fond of scooping 99% of the vote since 1996.

Dilution of the original dialect has its place in colonial era –when a centralized system of local administration was introduced –in which they attained a status of a Monarch –contrary to its original administration setup.

Originally, the clan head was most supreme and strongly sustained it and the culture of people who speak it. Language and cultural extinction ensued when clan came fourth in administration hierarchy after the national administration, Buganda administration, and country chiefs.

Today parents sent their children to boarding schools at very tender ages. They never have adequate time with their parents to interact in their mother tongue. The situation is further crippled by the fact that parents too are victims of the change.. In boarding schools, much of the time is focused on mastering English and getting exposed to multiple languages.

It is true that history can be blamed for Lusoga extinction characterized by imposed yet weak leadership, greater disunity, and lack of initiative among opinion leaders in the region (Busoga) –to redirect Lusoga to its rich past, and to conserve Lusoga language and culture –as a means to promote eco-tourism and fight the unemployment problem –and for the benefit of the generations to come.

It is thus worthwhile to develop its curriculum and restore supportive structures like clan-based leadership and an agricultural-based economy.