The Inter-religious Council of East Africa Secretariat, in conjunction with the Global Peace Foundation Uganda chapter, has proudly inaugurated the highly anticipated first edition of the Family Festival.
The event, set to take place against the backdrop of the historic Kololo Independence Grounds on June 29th, 2024, promises to be an inspiring testament to the vision of unity encapsulated in the theme of One Family under God.
With President Yoweri Museveni poised to grace the occasion as its presiding figure, and Dr. Hyun Jin Moon, Chairman of the Global Peace Foundation, serving as the distinguished keynote speaker, the festival is poised to ignite a renaissance of African values and solidarity.
During the official launch held at the Uganda Media Centre, Peace Service Ambassador and President of the Global Peace Foundation Uganda Chapter, Milton Kambula, delivered a stirring address outlining the festival’s core objectives.
In his impassioned remarks, Ambassador Kambula articulated the imperative of reviving traditional extended family values and fostering interfaith collaboration to propel Africa into a new era of prosperity and unity.
He emphasized: “We are meeting to celebrate the vision of One Family under God, a path of reviving the African renaissance. We are motivated that once again Africa is becoming the centre of world peace, with kings and religious leaders uniting and building the capacities of families and communities can help us raise a new population that can build a new Africa for the future.”
Ambassador Kambula’s words resonated with a sense of urgency as he stressed the critical need for African leaders to invest in families as a cornerstone for addressing the continent’s myriad challenges.
He remarked: “Parents have a role of nurturing children of character, civic virtues, entrepreneurship, and innovations.”
Moreover, Ambassador Kambula underscored the festival’s broader objective of establishing a robust policy framework to support the implementation of an African renaissance. He highlighted the significance of revitalizing inter-religious councils and empowering traditional leaders to spearhead peacebuilding, socioeconomic transformation, and community empowerment initiatives across the continent.
Crucially, Mr. Kambula outlined the multifaceted challenges facing Africa, ranging from youth unemployment and corruption to terrorism and environmental degradation. He stressed:
“It is hoped that through these efforts, the festival will contribute to the promotion of African values and the empowerment of communities to address the challenges facing the continent which include; youth unemployment, corruption, terrorism, violence, poverty, crime, immorality, human rights abuse, poor governance, and environmental degradation.”
In alignment with the festival’s holistic approach to community empowerment, His Eminence Metropolitan Jeronymos Muzeeyi, Co-chair of the Inter-Religious Council of Uganda, emphasized the importance of defending African cultural and religious heritage amidst the tide of globalization. He remarked:
“Under the influence of globalization, the traditional African family system is increasingly getting challenged and weakened as new family patterns emerge and get diffused over the continent. As your top religious leaders in Africa, we believe that there is a lot at stake if we fail to stand up to protect and defend the family, freedom and our religious and cultural values.”
Furthermore, Muzeeyi highlighted the festival’s role in providing a platform to explore best practices in peacebuilding and share strategies for addressing poverty, education, and community health initiatives.
In addition to a rich program of activities, including tree planting, debates, youth empowerment drives, and cultural exhibitions, the festival promises an array of attractions for attendees. Hon. Wilson Muluri Mukasa, Minister of Public Service and Co-chair of the festival’s national organizing committee, affirmed the government’s unwavering support for the initiative. He commented:
“We shall not only celebrate but promote the African spiritual and cultural values in the face of erosion of culture; we expect that at the end of the day, there will be increased respect for African traditional extended family values and the structure will be strengthened.”
With anticipation building for the landmark event, organizers anticipate a turnout of over 20,000 attendees, including esteemed guests, former presidents, and leaders from across Africa.
From traditional organic cuisine and captivating musical performances to parenting workshops and scholarship opportunities, the Family Festival promises to be a beacon of hope and inspiration for generations to come.
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