Dear Brothers and Sisters, Brother Caleb and Mike, All these discussions are fruitful. The modern world presents itself as a market place. You market your idea, its either bought or not. So you either agree to agree or agree to disagree. But the most important thing is whether or not at the end of the day, your contribution to the market can be felt and utilised. Here we are talking of pragmatism, what is the truth is what works. Our focus all here is towards that. West Nile University mus work! Additionally, in the course of marketing, you branding is interpreted by various people differently. So its important to make yourself known and understood.
Caleb and Mike, you have exhibited this high level of modern maturity to sort yourselves out before an arbitration and that should be the way to go. That matter has therefore been sorted and should be laid to rest peacefully. Congs! Ayibo Benard --- On Tue, 8/11/09, MOL <adumimv...@yahoo.ca> wrote: From: MOL <adumimv...@yahoo.ca> Subject: Re: [WestNileNet] University in West Nile To: "A Virtual Network for friends of West Nile" <westnilenet@kym.net> Date: Tuesday, August 11, 2009, 1:31 PM Caleh, my mention of personal political ambition was more of a caution in that we should participate in this project together irrespective of our political background. The common factor here is we are all West Nilers and a public university will benefit all of us West Nilers. I'm sorry you seemed to have misunderstood me because I had no particular individual in mind when I spoke of personal political mabitions. In fact, it is a plus if we can use people who have close connections to the presidency. All I was cautioning us about is that we should not have politics divide us on this very important issue. For once let's unite in pursuing this very important task. Caleb I hope this clearifies my point. Awa'difo ma adripi. ___________________________________________________________ "Never do tomorrow what you can do the day after tomorrow." (Mark Twain) "If you don't know your destination, any travel may be justifiable but you may never get there." (Gretchen Hoffman) "Speed is irrelevant if you are going in the wrong direction." (Mahatma Gandhi) _____________________________________________________________ Okumabilenduwayo From: Caleb Alaka <calebal...@yahoo.com> To: A Virtual Network for friends of West Nile <westnilenet@kym.net> Sent: Tuesday, August 11, 2009 1:28:34 PM Subject: Re: [WestNileNet] University in West Nile Mike, what do you mean by personal political ambition and who do you think is trying to inject that personal political ambition into the issue of a public University in West Nile. When I brought up this debate, I thought it was for our common good. My view of using Ejua was because he already was one of those few people the committee tasked with linking them with the Presidency. Kindly brother we have to understand each other. Hope I have not offended you in any way. Awadifo. --- On Tue, 8/11/09, MOL <adumimv...@yahoo.ca> wrote: From: MOL <adumimv...@yahoo.ca> Subject: Re: [WestNileNet] University in West Nile To: "A Virtual Network for friends of West Nile" <westnilenet@kym.net> Date: Tuesday, August 11, 2009, 1:54 PM I totally agree with Charles on the issue of long term planning. First and foremost, I must say that I've read all the contributions made so far by fellow West Nilers regarding the establishment of a University in West Nile. I believe it is a very healthy thing to debate this issue and give different views even if they are opposing views. It is only such brain-stormings that will lead us into a better plan for this project. Remember, if we don't get out acts together and if we get it wrong history will judge us as we are judging those who planned for us some 50 or 100 years ago. This is the time for us to unite as a people irrespective of our political affiliations. I think one thing we all agree on is the need for a public university in West Nile, there is no doubt about that and in fact it is well overdue. What we are faced with now is where will it be built? I certainly agree that starting with one campus based in Arua is not a bad idea. However, we should not lose sight of the fact that we have to take services to the people and not people to the services. Therefore, as a future undertaking there is need to have a plan for campuses in other urban areas like Koboko, Moyo and Nebbi (Packwach). Having the first campus in Arua would then be a short term plan while the long term strategic plan would include establishing campuses in other parts of West Nile. I believe towns like Koboko, Moyo and Packwach already have educational institutions which could easily be transformed into university campuses. Having said all these, I would like to draw attention to what has become more of a problem for us on the political front. I know, most people would not like to touch on this but I will. For so long we have had representatives who are there in parliament for themselves. Part of the neglect West Nile has suffered has been because of our political leanings which have not given us crumbs of the national cake, let alone a thin slice of the national cake. At times it does not hurt to align with your opponent in order to obtain what may benefit you. As they say a hyena and a goat may seek shelter together if they have the same interests- i.e. a common enemy. So, what ever the political stipes we have have, let's seize this opportunity and have a long term plan for a public university which will benefit all corners of West Nile. In conclusion, my only advice on this debate is that, for once, let's not try to inject personal political ambitions into this project. Meanwhile, let's keep the debate flowing. This is good! ___________________________________________________________ Mike Luti From: Charles Male <cdm...@gmail.com> To: A Virtual Network for friends of West Nile <westnilenet@kym.net> Sent: Tuesday, August 11, 2009 5:00:33 AM Subject: Re: [WestNileNet] University in West Nile When you plan major infrastructural or development projects such as a university, you plan for the long term not for one or two or five years. Here we plan for one hundered years! The city of Ottawa, for example, is now replacing water pipes and mains that were built/installed one hundred years ago! And they are replacing these having projected what the population of Ottawa is going to be 100 years from now. Short term planning is what has led West Nile into being neglected. A typical example is the tarmacking of the road from Karuma to Arua. If any of the planners in the Ministries of Finance and Transport really understood what long term planning for economic development was, they should have extended teh tarmacking right to Oraba/Kaya in anticipation of the peace in Southern Sudan. The Arua - Kaya portion should have been planned already; Arua-Moyo; Moyo-Gulu; all these should have been planned already and just wait for the funds to implement the plan! We all know the problems of Uganda is not lack of money as evidenced by the mansions being built by people whose salaries can't even afford to pay electricity, water and food for 10 to 20 dependants living in those mansions. The constant giving away of money to this kingdom, that kingdom, this chief, that chief --- add that money, it is much more than what is required to build a good road network in Northern Uganda. You can even see short-term planning in our everyday practices in our societies were many people only have enough food for one season and rely on mother nature to give us rain so we can plant for the next season. Or, the parents who shun to take their children to school because they don't see the results of that investment in one year. Nobody is saying that we should not have a university located in one place for now. Those of us who see long term want to ensure that the gov't is made aware of what we want for our region 50 - 100 years from now because the last 100 years have been disastrous. We were blind, but now we see! At any rate, we are just sharing /debating the issue of the university and nothing stops us as individuals from preparing our own vision and sharing it with the Uganda gov't officials with whom we interact very frequently - whether here in Ottawa or in Uganda. That is what I intend to do as my own submission! If the Gov't wholeheartedly wishes to implement a university in WN, then surely it must take into consideration what the wishes of the people are - both the majority view and teh minority view. As someone says, if this idea of a university is a BAIT, then they will use every excuse under the sun to not build it because the people don't agree on where it should be! It is better we Plan and fail THAN fail to Plan! Charles On Mon, Aug 10, 2009 at 11:58 PM, mary duku <tha...@hotmail.com> wrote: I agree with you John. Let's support this initiative of having one powerful University in west Nile. The expansions will come later. Please let's agree on this important Initiative. Together We Stand. Divided we all fall. Mary apai Date: Mon, 10 Aug 2009 09:14:48 -0500 From: javud...@gmail.com To: westnilenet@kym.net Subject: [WestNileNet] University in West Nile There is a common saying that when "you want to hit the iron, hit it when it is still hot". If the president has given some green light for starting and funding a univsersity in Arua, this is a good time to move fast on this project quickly. May be we should look at setting up another University Task Force(UTF), which is non denominational, non partison. The biggest problem we have in our community in West Nile is that we forget the "Power of Lobbying Govenment". Everywhere around the world, people lobby govenments for projects in their region. We still have infleuncial retired govenment bereaucrats. We should talk and engage people like Obitre Gama, Tom Buruku, Joseph Etima, Mustafa Idiris, Univesity Professors from West Nile Region, etc. If we involve these elders as "Trustees" to lobbly the president, the chances of getting the project executed quickly is very high. The idea of university with campuses in Arua, Koboko, Nebbi and Moyo is good. But we must start with one campuse first. Expand the university as it grows. There is excellent model of University of Wisconsin (USA) that has campuses in every major city in Wisconsin, more than ten compuses. Expansion like this "Needs big money". Where does it come from? It Requires Major Fund Rasing Effort". It can be done by teaming up with overseas universities. Avudria Stay on top of things, check email from other accounts! Check it out. _______________________________________________ WestNileNet mailing list WestNileNet@kym.net 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. _______________________________________________ -----Inline Attachment Follows----- _______________________________________________ WestNileNet mailing list WestNileNet@kym.net 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. _______________________________________________ -----Inline Attachment Follows----- _______________________________________________ WestNileNet mailing list WestNileNet@kym.net 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 WestNileNet@kym.net 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. _______________________________________________
