Deputy Speaker Jacob Oulanyah has placed peace at the centre of global stability, saying only integrity can deliver humanity from all crises.
Oulanyah moderated a session on ‘Leadership and Integrity’ at the ongoing Global Peace Leadership Conference in Munyonyo under the theme ‘Moral and Innovative Leadership’.
“We know the right thing to do, but we still do the wrong thing. We need to get out of this moral disengagement. We need to go back to morality,” said Oulanyah.
He added, “what we need to get out of this integrity crisis is not in doing what we already know, we need to employ exploratory thinking to solve these problems,” said Oulanyah.
The session delved into conversations on integrity and peace, with MPs from South Korea saying in their part of the world, it is a moral crisis coupled with near irreconcilable differences between the South and North, which they asked the summit to contribute in bringing to an end.
“Since the US-North Korea summit, South Korea is at a critical moment in the journey towards permanent peace and reunification of the Korean peninsula,” said Sang Ji Chi, an MP from South Korea.
Ethics and Integrity Minister, Rev Fr Simon Lokodo said peace is dependent on our collective sense of right and wrong.
“It is my conviction that peace, even being the absence of war, can only be when there is a stance in people to uphold morals; to distinguish between right and wrong, good and evil,” said Lokodo.
Lokodo took a swipe at a section of African leaders, who he called out on corruption and dictatorship.
“We have known in Africa of stories of leaders who have been corrupt, and have been accused and blamed for dictatorship,” said Lokodo.
Security Minister, Gen Elly Tumwiine said governments and security agencies should act having in mind that criminal groupings are getting more advanced and sophisticated, stressing the role of individuals in bringing about sustainable peace and progress.
“The multinationals are highly organised; the criminal cartels are highly organised and it is no longer just about countries and governments. Peace starts with the individual,” said Gen Tumwiine.
Cosmas Juma, a lawyer from South Sudan, said peace is elusive because political leaders have placed their own interests above those of the nation.
“Interest of leaders always comes first. What is killing us in our region is the issue of individual interests overriding collective interests,” said Juma.
The Global Peace Leadership Conference brings together countries and leaders from across the globe, and is to run from 01st to 03rd August 2018.
President Yoweri Museveni is expected to officiate at the main summit on Thursday.
Earlier, Premier Ruhakana Rugunda flanked Oulanyah in the opening session, which was attended by, among varied delegates, high ranking diplomats.
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