By ALIBAWA SAIRE

Understanding of confidence, philosopher and novelist Pépin asserts that to achieve it we must trust the process of our interaction with other people and life itself; that only through our experiences with one another and being in awe of our tiny place in the great cosmos do we truly develop a stronger sense of self.

Where does self-confidence come from? How does it work? What makes it stronger or weaker? Why are some people more confident than others? Is it only a question of temperament or the result of conscious self-improvement? How do you get closer to those who stand out thanks entirely to their confidence in themselves?

Confidence is the inner ability to believe in one’s self ,the zeal expressed at doing something can be related to confidence, one can be confident of the other person,’just as dad being confident in his son’. Modern critical thinker Aristotle indeed placed the brave man between the two poles of fear and confidence. The man who exceeds in confidence is rash, and he who exceeds in fear and falls short in confidence is a coward.

Self-confident individuals are decisive and make decisions based upon what they think is the best option and avoid overthinking. Additionally, self-confident people are viewed highly by others and may be more likely to receive a job opportunity or promotion than an equally qualified, less confident Nobody is born confident.

Confidence is something you develop as you go through life and as you put yourself in new situations or new environments. When you see others who ooze confidence, they weren’t born that way. These ideas can be systematically studied and gradually learned so that the roots of excessive hesitancy and compliance can be overcome. We can school ourselves in the art of confidence. Ugandans have surely mastered and learnt and practised confidence.

Uganda seems to be in an unstable equilibrium (but an equilibrium nonetheless) where the state and the citizen, the rich and the poor, those who support the government and those who oppose it have agreed to an unwritten yet grand bargain. With confidence, Here, public officials are free to pillage the treasury and deliver little in public goods and services! In return, the citizens are free to exercise their impunity of not respecting the law. -confidence.

In many ways, therefore, the government is confident. It tolerates the corrupt and incompetent in government, the lawbreakers – rich and poor. The potholes on the roads and the freedom of those who quarrel in the media are tolerated. -confidence! The rich who have stolen public land, evaded taxes, built-in wetlands and road reserves, or killed their workers are tolerated.-confidence!Every Ugandan has a piece of their impunity protected and promoted, and that’s confidence.

The unasked magical question is? With the confidence learnt and showcased, do we have hope of putting the rouges and impunities, right?

BY ALIBAWA SAIRE.

In such a scenic country ,with lots of opportunities , a country referred to as the pearl of africa, a country full of Guinnes Word record breakers, of qualified celebrated professionals. Distinguished religious leaders. But filled with a lot of disillusionment and sanctimonious people. Where corruption is now essential to success.

It’s a country where evey individual now wishes to hold a big position to give him or her access to land hefty contracts so he can get his standards improved. Corruption, which is embedded in several forms, seems a solution to the absence of pain in Uganda.

In a country where no one bothers about the well-being of others, wher the uncouth expresses eudaimonia in terms of pleasure. Where our privileges have been mocked by the narcists, it only gives us confidence to learn and embrace corruption.

Just as some critical modern philosophers suggested, that happiness is the absence of pain. Utilitarianism determines the right from the wrong by focusing on the outcomes. If the outcome produced the greates good for the majority them the act is absolutely right, and so is the case today.!!

Corruption in Uganda has come to this. It now benefits the vicious. Why wouldn’t you be corrupt then?? Why would people struggle being morally virtuous while others are reaping from vicious traits!! When others are prosperous through corruption. It only gives us a chance to emulate such emulous persons ,their egocentric nature stimulates our nerves to being like them.

In a country where every government body is rotten and struggling ,where top officials steal and go unpunished there is no need to restrain your self and prove your ethical values by refraining to get a bribe where possible. Where religious leaders are determined to sell religious institutions for their selfish gains!why not embezzle billions and corrupt the judges to set u free? Why not embezzle and use ur position to corrupt everyone around you to maintain your status quo ?

There’s absolutely no need to teach the new generation the dangers of corruption, perhaps what shall we tell them when we all witness the beauty of being corrupt?? Where we watch children of corrupt officials enjoying from taxpayers’ money and tax payer’s children are ending up wasted!

While potential investors are yearning to access those at the helm to exempt them from paying tax. Where we witness judges taking bribes to have victims set free! Where traffic officers never mind passengers’ lives and end up asking for bribes to let dangerous mechanical vehicles proceed.

Where being a whistle blower on such impunitues makes u lose a job.Where exhibiting the rouges in government makes u an enemy of justice.Where the voice for the voiceless are incarcerated for talking about such impunitues. Where money meant for roads has been swindled making us live in a pothole city.

You literally have no nerves to explain to your children the dangers of corruption. These narcists who think the world resolves around them hopefully think proper parenting will bring an end to corruption, but it only gives them vigour to endure through and wait for their time to hold big positions to also practice corruption.

Yes!! Until we all benefit from the happiness of corruption, we shall then show our children the other side of corruption .Let’s fart together, and if the stench intensifies and bothers us all, we will realise.

Whilst we recognise all these impunities and rouges, it’s important to remain focused. The little values we instil in our children shall one time be expanded to a corrupt free nation.

The writer is an administrator and a human rights enthusiast.

By Alibawa saire.

4

The day of the African child is Comemorated on 16th June every year since 1991 when it was first initiated by the Organization of African Union (OAU). It honours those who participated in the Soweto upraising in 1976.

It’s believed that more than ten thousand black school children marched in a colum protesting the poor quality Education  and demanding their rights to be tught in their own local languages.

Hundreds of young students were massacred, the famous being Hector Peiterson and more than ahalf were injured.  It’s on that background that NGOs, and other stake holder gather to discuss  the challenges  and opportunities facing the full realization of the rights of children in Africa .It’s also to observe and show respect to the past students who dedicate their lives to community by helping students today reach their goals

For 2023, the theme chosen was, ” promoting and protecting children’s rights in the digital era”.. A Child friendly environment, free compulsory education for all children in Africa  as Nelson Mandela observed ,that “the youth of today are the leaders of tomorrow”. For Africa, these words resonate  with hope and more challenges than ever.

. The Senior Probation and Welfare Officer, Mr. Eric Joel kasiko noted that  while technology and time has changed since the establishment of the annual observance,too many African children still lack fundamental human rights.

The day of the African child continues to raise awareness of continuing ills such as recruitment of child soldiers and genital mutilation, food insecurities and wide spread lack schooling. He sighted that 1.9 million children enroll for primary one but only 800,000 go up to Primary leaving Examintionsa1. This year observance shines light on a revolutionary factor in our ageing world.

While representing their views about  the day of the African child,, children talked about, corporal punishment, being excluded in decision making in community, forced labour, poor attitude of their parents to meet scholastic materials(mindsets), forced labour, defilement,lack of career guidance and lack of sanitary wears as some of the barriers still experienced today.

The RDC, Mr. Matende Thomas urgued children to stay focused and desist all evil temptations and take all the advise given by their teachers serious. To abstain from sexual activities. He noted that  the day of the African child Call for serious introspection and commitment towards addressing numerous challenge and relevant stake holder to gear their efforts towards that.a1 it’s relevant seeing the epochal shift caused by the digital revolution.

Z

By Alibawa Saire

A rhetoric pragmatic leader, resilient but with a prolific persona augmented by his assiduous planning success in various projects that have benefited the community of Namutumba town council and Kibale town council. Remarkably known by many as a true admnistrator  due to his unwavering support, commitment to the community where he served. 

Moses mwesigwa the Ag. Town clerk of kibale Town council in namutumba district was pronounced dead yesterday . The news of his sudden demise was confirmed by  his close associates  and workmates.  The cause of his death however remains uncertain although close sources confirm that he succumbed to multiple organ failure.

During his tenure in office both as town agent then rising to roles of a town clerk, Mwesigwa is remembered as being a fruition and phenomenal figure especially in the current parish development model program.

  He worked relentlessly, Liasing with community and staff in sensitizing and proclaiming the gospel of parish model  and ensuring that community grasp the fundamental pillars of the program.

At the time of his death, his towncil was on the verge of disbursing funds to over 40 anticipative beneficiaries as noted by the Ag. C.D.O in charge of PDM Kawanguzi Janga who looked so pathetic upon receipt of the sad news.

Mwesigwa leaves behind a legacy worthy to emulate as administrators in namutumba District of service without egocentric ambitions.

The burial arrangements as communicated by the Senior C.D.O and close associate Mutesi Juliet is that the body will today be brought to his home in Bugembe Jinja district for mourners, family and friends to pay their last respect, A Requiem mass is scheduled at 2.00 pm at bugembe Catherdral  today at 2pm after which his casket will be transported to his ancestral grounds in Iganga District, Buwongo village for burial on Saturday.

The essence of 3rd June to Christianity in Uganda…...

3rd JUNE every year in Uganda commomerates the bold decisions of the 45 early converts to christianity (recognized in the spirit of ecumenism), fearlessly gave up their lives for the sake of Christianity. Their faith was marked with simple, luminous and joyful trust in God. Their response was to meet hatred with love and thus radiate the splendour of the Gospel. Today, because of their faith and constancy, become venerated as Uganda martyrs canonized in 1964 by Pope John Paul Vl.

Kabaka Mwanga, the ruler of the Buganda kingdom lacked religious conviction and alienated from the Missionaries. He looked at Christianity as bringing down the wrath of his ancestors and threat to his authourity. The presence of Missionaries was diminishing his powers.

Mwanga who was also a pedophile practitioner, upon realising that the young converts had started rejecting to his sexual advances grew enraged and exemplified the cruel streak on missionaries and catechumen.

In 1885, Mwanga had three anglicans christians dismembered due to their failure to renounce Christianity. This act meant to serve as a warning to the other subjects. He demanded them to confess their christian allegience or rather would be executed. All men refused to renounce their faith and declared that they are ready to die for Christianity.

The increase in the number of christians and their stouchness to religion baffled the king and his vegeance was terrible. He decreed that all men be marched to Namugongo …bound by ropes and shackless to be gruesomely executed by beheading, castration,burning and dismembering.

They assured their executors that a christian who gives his life to God has no reason to fear death,”tell mwanga that he has condemed me unjusty but i forgive him“.One of the king’s loyal pages Mukasa said. Andrew was impatient to meet his death and suggested to the executors to speed up,”why dont you carry on your orders, am afraid you willl get serrious problems from your king.” Subsequently Mukasa became the first to be killed for reproaching the king who ordered the killing of bishop Hannington and for being the main conspirator.

The relevancy of the uganda martyrs to Christianity…

Today in uganda christians find joy in walking long distances a sign of their comitnrment to religion.

https://www.newvision.co.ug/articledetails/135196/what-do-people-earn-by-walking-to-namugongo

Prior to his visit in Uganda in 2015, His Holyness Pope Francis urged ugandans that just like the Uganda Martyrs, we received the gift of the Holy Spirit to be like the missonaries and to go forth to bring the gospel to all..we need only to open our eyes and see the need in our homes and communities

The martyrs were young but were never seduced by the values of the king. Out of allegience to the king, they rejected earthly securities. This act points out how faith can be a rudder that sustains us in such terrible situations , mercy and purity, being meek and poor in spirit but thirsty for righteousness in hope of eternal reward.

Like the Martyrs who were unfairly condemned, Ugandans are unfairly represented in courts of law, Imprisoned for insubstantial reasons because others want to maintain the status quo given the powers and authority bestowed unto them.The willingness of the Uganda Martyrs to accept death for their religion should be a reflection point for those entrusted with authority.

Martyrdom was mainly as a result of the political threat to the king at the time, some Christians today find themselves caught up in political differences as they try to seek for change with suppression and freedom of expression sabotaged. In such circumstances, the church finds it hard to take position, having to decide who to support.

The churches ought to emulate the Uganda martyrs by encouraging snd restoring hope to their believers and speaking boldly about the injustices and impunities in our society