Arike,
Thank you so kindly for your comments about teamwork as well as your reference to Kobokonet and tribalism. I very whole heartedly agree with you that we should work as a team in whatever we do - whether it is in your own home, village, county, district, region or Uganda at large. I would like to take this opportunity to opine that with teamwork comes individual responsibility. We cannot and should not assume that we delegate our individual roles to the team and hope that the team will “take care of business” for the rest of us! In my experience over the last several years working with not-for-profit, self-help groups or organizations, those who extol and sing the virtues of teamwork often are those who want “everyone else” to do the work but not “I” because it is the team that is responsible. “We” should do this and that is often a euphemism for “let others do it” for me. However “me” is very eager to take credit as belonging to the team. The “we” singers are always quick to find weaknesses in those who step and say “I” volunteer to do this so that “we” can succeed. When one espouses to be a member of functioning, self directed team the “we” should always be followed by “I”. For example, if I say “we want a project officer for WNF”, it should be followed by “and “I” am going contribute this” to ensure “we” are successful. It is not enough that some people can only provide ideas. I don’t know about you but personally, I have no shortage of ideas – the only challenge is finding the time and intelligence to implement all these ideas that are in my head! I am sorry that you feel negatively about Kobokonet and this may be because you left me as one of the moderators who subscribed you to discontinue your subscription due to many complaints from other members. You have my email and could have addressed your issue with me directly but have chosen to bring it over to West Nile Net. I will use You were one of three Kakwas expelled from Kobokonet and so to say that I, Male is tribal does not make any sense, does it? If you want to take it to the lowest common denominator – you are my relative – and I should have been the first to protect your continued membership on KKnet. However, my interest was/is the interest of the majority. You remember that Majid was disconnected from KKnet and after a brief stint on WNNet, he was also disconnected. FYI, Kobokonet (KKnet) is operating with over 260 members. Like any other networks, it has its highs and lows and in fact a good number of the members are on WNNet. Establishing KKnet does not mean I am or its members are anti West Nile. There is no one who can and should ever claim that he or she is more west nile than the other. Otherwise we could say that those who have been running the Madi only discussion group for over five years are anti West Nile! Or, can/should we say west nile members are anti Uganda because the network is only for Alur, Lugbara, Kakwa and Ma’di? Likewise, are Bugandanet, Acholinet, Langonet, Masabanet and all other regional discussion networks anti Uganda? I should hope not! As you may be aware, Kobokonet started way before WNNet was created. When I found out about WNNet, I gladly subscribed to it and my first message was to encourage us to create county based discussions groups as a deliberate strategy that would help us increase the number members for the federated west nilenet. It had nothing to do with the rejection of west nile. Anyone who has closely observed the composition of our different counties will realize that no county is homogenous. Koboko county for example is heterogenous with both Lugbara and Kakwa occupying it. Creating these county based networks would help us to address some issues at the county level because let’s face it some of the solutions to our problems in west nile (such as children refusing to go to school, parents lack of interest to send kids to school) are much easily handled at the local level. For example, two hundred and fifty members of Kobokonet or Marachanet or Teregonet can have a much better influence on their respective populations that 250 members of westnilenet spread across the region could. I will continue to categorically say that WNNet is an excellent opportunity for us to discuss West Nile issues as a whole. For example, certain issues such as a coordinated response to the tobacco problem can be better done at the west nile level. However, going to individual farmers and discouraging them from growing tobacco can be done at the county level. That is when county based discussion groups can be very effective. Last but not least, I just want to mention that we are all in agreement that we want the best for our people in west nile – from Adjumani to Packwach!. We want development, excellent opportunities and amenities for school, health, business. Above all, west nilers should have the same standard of living or better compared to other regions of Uganda. Where we differ in our approach to “how” west nile should be developed and to me that is perfectly normal because we are not all the same. No body should claim they are more west niler or love west nile more than the other. If you develop Vurra or Ayivu or Aringa or Koboko, you are contributing to the development of West Nile, and that in my opinion is a good thing! To you and anyone else expelled from KKnet, please focus your discussion on development of WN instead of using this forum for wild and unproven allegations. Charles On Fri, Feb 5, 2010 at 3:40 PM, Arike J Pundro <ajpun...@hotmail.com> wrote: > Dear respected. > Brothers and Sisters the Issue of religion should not be a bar to westenile > University. This issue of religion and other problems of I did this i > foundede that I....I.... plus the tribal line. clan, village and so on is > one of the worst disease destroying programmes. I remember Male destroying > his own kobokonet because of I,I, tribal and clan, village issue,So I only > would like us to work as a team to acknowledge the importance and the > contributions of others. > arike > > ------------------------------ > Date: Thu, 4 Feb 2010 06:09:37 +0000 > From: droma_...@yahoo.co.uk > To: westnilenet@kym.net > > Subject: [WestNileNet] University of WestNile(UoW) > > Hello all.I write in response to the contribution Tabu Butagira has > posted most recently.The piece is so good that I am utterly disappointed and > amazed at contributions that are still talking of whether we should embrace > a Public University in WestNile ( perhaps to be called University of > WestNile-UoW) or not.Unfortunately we are all entitled to our opinions.To me > we should proceed and the sceptics shall join in the "last bus". > > Below I reproduce a contribution that I made to this forum last year about > the same and you can make your -compare and contrast. > > Regards. > > *The latest I have heard from Arua ( by a source on this net) is that the > proposed University may initially start in the present Muni NTC.Despite the > reservations about the motive, success/ failure etc of the government in > establishing the UoW, I believe we should try to embrace the idea. > > Nile University had problems from the onset with some West Nile > districts(names withheld) opposing its location in Arua.Remember too that > religious sentiments have been at play .Because some founder members were > seen to be coming from a certain religion-and ethnic group too- a section of > the society felt reluctant to co-own it.These and more reasons have left the > university where it is now. > > Perhaps it will be argued that if government put money in Nile University > it would by now be a giant.Yes and No.Yes for we know that without resources > nothing can almost move, and No for the reasons in par. 2 above.So now is it > time to stop the creation of the University and first lament at the failure > of government to provide other facilities we have been crying for or welcome > it as we continue to push.Gulu University was created at a time when the > Acholi wanted nothing but PEACE.For whatever reason it was created then, the > benefits are now clear for all to see-education, employment, investment, > infrastructure etc. > > Again, are we sure that if we resist the creation of UoW then the money > will be diverted to improving roads, power, water etc in West Nile etc. I > for one doubt. > > On a lighter note and for selfish reasons, am praying the University is > established in Muni since I have 1/4 acre of land nearby which I could cash > on!!!!!.The rest of this debate can then be conducted on a platform at the > Faculty of Humanities, University of WestNile(UoW)-Muni. > > The debate is back to your face. > > Droma M.O* > > > ------------------------------ > Hotmail: Free, trusted and rich email service. Get it > now.<http://clk.atdmt.com/GBL/go/201469228/direct/01/> > > _______________________________________________ > 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. > _______________________________________________ > >
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