Dear Caleb and members, Thank you for supporting David's idea about research on our cultures and traditions. I too, think that debate opens space for honest discussions that will lay a solid foundation for seeking solutions to the formidable challenges facing us as region in the presently globalizing world. I did some work for UNMISS towards the end of last year and they charged me with the responsibility of documenting the cultural identities of central Sudanic people in order to contribute towards understanding the perennial conflicts in which the people sharing borders of Uganda, South Sudan and DRC are embroiled so that interventions that can help address the root causes of conflicts can be conceptualized and implemented. Recently, I toured three district of Arua, Koboko and Yumbe with my supervisor where we held meetings with the representatives of the districts where we got a lot of useful information which can feed into this kinds of discussions.
I belief a reflexive action on our geo-political, socio-linguistics, cultural and traditional backgrounds and contexts through action-oriented multi-method approach to research as you and David have suggested will be the only way to go. I will be available to offer myself as part of the research team if this becomes the accepted position. Thanks and God bless you all as we engage in this fruitful discussion to help dig out solutions to attain sustainable development in the West Nile Region. Yours Willy Ngaka On 21 July 2013 11:49, Caleb Alaka <[email protected]> wrote: > David, I think now you are talking, we may as a foundation in future fund > a student to undertake her or his thesis preferable at a Masters level > about the origin, social, political and cultural formation of the West Nile > citizens. I know there are books about the origin of people of West Nile > but most of them are whites writing about us. It's high time. I think Yosa > Wawa has some book about the Kakwa, I do not know whether it has been > published > > Sent from my iPhone > > On Jul 21, 2013, at 11:35 AM, David Olema <[email protected]> wrote: > > Dear all, this is a healthy discussion. Is it possible to involve the > district Councillors in charge of community development involved? These > representatives may help us put together some useful information to > triangulate the two strong opposing opinions. On Sunday 14/07/2013, a > colleague of mine and I were invited to address St. Joseph's College Ombaci > students cultural group hailing from Terego county on, embracing a culture > of hard work as the only way out of poverty, at Cilio Primary school and > here we encountered an amazing who narrated to the audience the origin of > the Terego and many other "groups" in West Nile. I personally asked the > Councillor of Oriama sub-county (Mr. Saka) to organise to capture this > story on vedio. At this point I also recalled my experience at the national > museum where I noticed that many of our (Lugbara) artifacts were missing. > To cut the long story short, I think we need to take a deliberate step to > piece together our history and origin. This is good for us and our > children. I now call upon anthropologists, sociologists and historians > among us to take up challenge as a matter of urgency. Once again I want to > thank all of you on this forum for this constructive debate. I appeal to > all of us to keep it health and remain open minded. Thank you. > > > ------------------------------ > *From:* samuel andema <[email protected]> > *To:* Caleb Alaka <[email protected]>; A Virtual Network for friends > of West Nile <[email protected]> > *Sent:* Sunday, 21 July 2013, 9:40 > *Subject:* Re: [WestNileNet] Do the Lugbara need a traditional Chief > > Hi Caleb, > > Thanks for appreciating our humble opinions. I would also like to thank > our brothers Mr. Acema and Hon. Okuonzi for initiating this debate. Let > others feel free to give their perspectives to the issues being raised in > order to enrich our understanding. Such debates are healthy because they > help us to understand ourselves better. > > Thanks. > > Sam Andema > > *From:* Caleb Alaka <[email protected]> > *To:* samuel andema <[email protected]>; A Virtual Network for > friends of West Nile <[email protected]> > *Cc:* A Virtual Network for friends of West Nile <[email protected]> > *Sent:* Saturday, 20 July 2013, 14:29 > *Subject:* Re: [WestNileNet] Do the Lugbara need a traditional Chief > > Sam and Aggrey, what a treatise, it is not only informative, since > Ambassador Harold is on this forum, I request that he posts his two > articles for further deliberations. We need to understand our past in order > to appreciate the future. I would also appreciate further alternative views. > > Sent from my iPhone > > On Jul 20, 2013, at 8:21 PM, samuel andema <[email protected]> wrote: > > Dear Caleb, > > Thank you for inviting us to respond to this very important subject > regarding the institution of Agofe among the Lugbara. Unfortunately, I seem > not to have read the articles by my elder brothers Mr. Acema and > Hon. Dr. Okuonzi or if I did, I never paid much attention to them to be > able to respond to the specific arguments they have made. I will therefore > limit my response to their two claims that you have alluded to, namely: > 1) that those seeking Agofe are self seekers, 2) that the Lugbara were > egalitarian and believed in equality. > > In the first place the claim that those seeking Agofe are self seekers > without providing sufficient evidence is disrespectful to people like Mzee > Jason Avutia (Chairman, Lugbara Elders' Association) who played crucial > role in averting a potentially serious armed conflict between National > Resistance Army (NRA) and the soldiers who had retreated to West Nile and > regrouped to resist the NRA under the leadership of Brigadier Go Wilson > Toko. The soldiers were itching to fight but when Toko convened a meeting > with the elders from Arua District to seek their approval and blessing a > war against the advancing NRA, they insisted that war was not the > best option. Instead the elders offered to go to the front line with white > flags to negotiate a peaceful entry of NRA into West Nile. As a result NRA > entered West Nile without a single bullet which saved us from bloodshed and > destruction of property. Had the elders not intervened and had Toko not > listened to their wise counsel, our situation would have been worst than > the suffering that the people of Gulu have endured for decades. > > It was against such a background that the need for a more structured > cultural institution among Lugbara elders arose to facilitate coordination > and mobilization to respond to common challenges and threats. It is > important to appreciate the historical context in which Agofe evolved to > constructively discuss its merits and demerits. This is not to say that > there can be no self seekers in such an organization. Definitely like any > organization there will always be some individuals who would want to take > advantage of such an institution to advance their selfish interests at the > expense of a common good. With time such self seekers and their selfish > schemes will be exposed. In my view, the question should be how we as young > people can build on what the elders have done but not to tear it down for > equally selfish reasons. We should be discussing how we can make the Agofe > more democratic, transparent, and all inclusive. The constitution of Uganda > recognizes cultural institutions as legitimate institutions to play > complementary roles in promoting unity and service delivery. The Agofe can > play an important role in resolving conflicts and fostering unity, > preserving our institution memory through artifacts, promoting our cultural > identity, promoting tourism, developing language etc. > > While I agree with Acema and Okuonzi that the Lugbara were generally > viewed as an egalitarian society by the dawn of colonialism, I do not > subscribe to the notion that social formation among the Lugbara communities > was static and the institutions of leadership would not have grown beyond > clans. In fact to the contrary, colonialism came in as a disruption to > state formation among communities of West Nile as Ahluwalia (1995) and > Leopold (2005) accurately describe in their books entitled *"Plantation and > the Politics of Sugar in Uganda"* and *"Inside West Nile"* respectively > which I encourage those interested in the history of our people to read. > Copies of these books can be found in Aristock Bookshop in Kampala. Our > challenge is that we have a poor reading culture which limits our ability > to objectively examine documentary evidence to make plausible arguments. > > I would like to conclude by suggesting that the executive of this forum > should consider organizing an event in form of a workshop or a conference > in which people with strong views about the notion of Agofe can be invited > to present alternative views based on research evidence. I would be willing > to offer my own perspective to the discussions. > > Thanks. > > Sam > > > > *Subject:* [WestNileNet] Do the Lugbara need a traditional Chief > > > Some time ago, Ambassador Achema Harold, opined in one of the dailies that > those seeking Agofe are self seekers, that the Lugbara were egalitarian and > believed in equality. Hon Dr. Okuonzi MP Vura rebutted the same, and > supported the idea, it is not the most pressing issue we have, Sam Andema > and father Ruffino and others what is your take on this matter. > > Sent from my iPhone > _______________________________________________ > WestNileNet mailing list > [email protected] > http://orion.kym.net/mailman/listinfo/westnilenet > > WestNileNet is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/ > > The above comments and data are owned by whoever posted them (including > attachments if any). The List's Host is not responsible for them in any way. > _______________________________________________ > > > _______________________________________________ > WestNileNet mailing list > [email protected] > http://orion.kym.net/mailman/listinfo/westnilenet > > WestNileNet is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/ > > The above comments and data are owned by whoever posted them (including > attachments if any). The List's Host is not responsible for them in any way. > _______________________________________________ > > > > > _______________________________________________ > WestNileNet mailing list > [email protected] > http://orion.kym.net/mailman/listinfo/westnilenet > > WestNileNet is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/ > > The above comments and data are owned by whoever posted them (including > attachments if any). The List's Host is not responsible for them in any way. > _______________________________________________ > > > > _______________________________________________ > WestNileNet mailing list > [email protected] > http://orion.kym.net/mailman/listinfo/westnilenet > > WestNileNet is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/ > > The above comments and data are owned by whoever posted them (including > attachments if any). The List's Host is not responsible for them in any way. > _______________________________________________ > >
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