By Mukonyezi Steven Akiiki
Before exploring political activism, it is very important to note that politics has been deemed a dirty game by both the people involved and laymen. It has also been termed as a financial supporting venture in which a lot can be earned without laboring, so as we dive into political activism and commentary on different media platforms including YouTube, Facebook, TikTok, Twitter etc, the focus should be put on whether the activism should be a worry to the contemporary society.
There are a lot of activism groups in many countries, but most of these groups are funded by different Western funders and countries. Reasons for staging demonstrations, strikes, and destruction of property were rare things here on the African continent. What created sanity among African traditional societies was respect for elders and discipline which was instilled in children by their parents and grandparents in their early stages of life.
According to history, activism in Africa can be well traced to the 1950s when some people from east and central Africa picked interest in establishing and considering their role in the global anti-colonial movement. It should be well remembered that these were the forces which gave rise to Pan-African and Afro-Asian solidarity projects.
In the 1960s and 70s, African university students became key parts of the movement. They questioned the role of political leaders in decolonization and advocated for alternative political changes. Because of the students’ movements and Pan-Africanism, today, Uganda stands blessed with President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni who rose from these movements. He is one of the causes of Uganda’s stability and prosperity. He never forgets to advocate for Pan-Africanism in his speeches which shows that he has Africa at heart, value of the Pan-African movements and love for Africa’s progress in development.
From that background and in relation to the current way of activism, it has created an environment in which everything has been politicized in the guise of activism. Many are the times when political commentators have urged people to rise up against the government advocating for defiance, demonstrations, attacking people with whom they disagree on certain things, using abusive language, shaming opponents in public and shunning away from government functions and programs.
The environment which has been created in modern activism with the help of social media which can spread information like wildfire may be a cause of alarm since all people can get the information quickly and easily. Some governments have been toppled in the name of activism through demonstrations with the help of foreign funding. Is this the way to go forward for Uganda and Africa at large? You will actually realize that these demonstrations have cost Africans love for each other and the African brotherhood. Wars have rampaged Africa because of these kinds of funding.
Should we now say that people are no longer patriotic? Did the spirit of Pan-Africanism die? Were the anti-colonial movements by our great leaders like Julius Kambarage Nyerere, Kwame Nkrumah, Nelson Madiba Mandela, and Yoweri Kaguta Museveni among many others a waste of time? Are these Western (former colonial countries) funded activists trying to tell us that it was better to remain slaves or continue to live under colonial rule? What are the interests of these funders in the demonstrations?
Reflecting on the opposition parties’ operations in Uganda, you can be made to think that they have no plan for a better Uganda, East Africa and Africa at large. By the time an opposition leader goes to the former colonial masters to report some mistakes back at home, it is a level of unseriousness and hatred for the country and Africa at large.
Free activism on the different media platforms should be carefully guided to block any dangerous uprisings like genocides, war and many other potential bad happenings.
The writer is a seasoned political analyst
Related
Do you have a story or an opinion to share? Email us on: [email protected] Or join the Daily Express WhatsApp channel for all the latest news and trends or join the Telegram Channel for the latest updates.
By Mukonyezi Steven Akiiki
Before exploring political activism, it is very important to note that politics has been deemed a dirty game by both the people involved and laymen. It has also been termed as a financial supporting venture in which a lot can be earned without laboring, so as we dive into political activism and commentary on different media platforms including YouTube, Facebook, TikTok, Twitter etc, the focus should be put on whether the activism should be a worry to the contemporary society.
There are a lot of activism groups in many countries, but most of these groups are funded by different Western funders and countries. Reasons for staging demonstrations, strikes, and destruction of property were rare things here on the African continent. What created sanity among African traditional societies was respect for elders and discipline which was instilled in children by their parents and grandparents in their early stages of life.
According to history, activism in Africa can be well traced to the 1950s when some people from east and central Africa picked interest in establishing and considering their role in the global anti-colonial movement. It should be well remembered that these were the forces which gave rise to Pan-African and Afro-Asian solidarity projects.
In the 1960s and 70s, African university students became key parts of the movement. They questioned the role of political leaders in decolonization and advocated for alternative political changes. Because of the students’ movements and Pan-Africanism, today, Uganda stands blessed with President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni who rose from these movements. He is one of the causes of Uganda’s stability and prosperity. He never forgets to advocate for Pan-Africanism in his speeches which shows that he has Africa at heart, value of the Pan-African movements and love for Africa’s progress in development.
From that background and in relation to the current way of activism, it has created an environment in which everything has been politicized in the guise of activism. Many are the times when political commentators have urged people to rise up against the government advocating for defiance, demonstrations, attacking people with whom they disagree on certain things, using abusive language, shaming opponents in public and shunning away from government functions and programs.
The environment which has been created in modern activism with the help of social media which can spread information like wildfire may be a cause of alarm since all people can get the information quickly and easily. Some governments have been toppled in the name of activism through demonstrations with the help of foreign funding. Is this the way to go forward for Uganda and Africa at large? You will actually realize that these demonstrations have cost Africans love for each other and the African brotherhood. Wars have rampaged Africa because of these kinds of funding.
Should we now say that people are no longer patriotic? Did the spirit of Pan-Africanism die? Were the anti-colonial movements by our great leaders like Julius Kambarage Nyerere, Kwame Nkrumah, Nelson Madiba Mandela, and Yoweri Kaguta Museveni among many others a waste of time? Are these Western (former colonial countries) funded activists trying to tell us that it was better to remain slaves or continue to live under colonial rule? What are the interests of these funders in the demonstrations?
Reflecting on the opposition parties’ operations in Uganda, you can be made to think that they have no plan for a better Uganda, East Africa and Africa at large. By the time an opposition leader goes to the former colonial masters to report some mistakes back at home, it is a level of unseriousness and hatred for the country and Africa at large.
Free activism on the different media platforms should be carefully guided to block any dangerous uprisings like genocides, war and many other potential bad happenings.
The writer is a seasoned political analyst
Related
Do you have a story or an opinion to share? Email us on: [email protected] Or join the Daily Express WhatsApp channel for all the latest news and trends or join the Telegram Channel for the latest updates.