Promote peace, harmony - Deputy Speaker

The Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Jacob Oulanyah has tasked leaders to make people understand that we are essentially one people inspite of ethnicity or religion. 

Oulanyah was speaking during the Global Peace Convention currently convening in Manila, Philippines, according to a statement issued from Parliament. The convention opened on February 28 and closes Friday March 03, 2017. 

Stakeholders from business community, faith leaders, civil society, academia, and the government sectors have shared peace strategies in the four-day forum whose theme is, "Moral and Innovative Leadership: New Models for Peace and Development."

Oulanyah, presented Uganda as a case study for the rest of the world to attain peace, noting that that despite Uganda's history of violence due to wars and displacements, the country has moved forward.

 
"Uganda is a good case to look at, because we have gone through all the phases of violence you can think about. We offer a good solution to the world, and that is why I am inviting you to visit Uganda and see what we have been doing as a country, we have been able to reinvent ourselves even after conflict,  to move forward," said Oulanyah.

The former Speaker of the Parliament of Kenya, Francis Ole Kaparo informed the participants that Kenya too had had its share of violence during the disputed political election of 2007/2008. "As a result of the problems arising from our political disagreements, we had to team-up to get peace," Kaparo said.

However, he added that in the mix of teaming up, is now the radicalization of the youth, by misguided people masquerading as religious activists, by forming the Al-Shabab who have destabilized not only Kenya but other parts of Africa and are also a threat to world peace.

"We have to come together as a group of interested people to try and attain peace," said Ole Kaparo.

A major highlight of the four-day Convention was the 2017 Global Peace Awards, which paid tribute to exemplary governments, civil society and faith leaders whose commitment to achieving peace and development has significantly improved the lives of others.

Dr. Hyun Jin Moon Founder and Chairman, Global Peace Foundation; Marco Vinicio Cerezo, Former President of Guatemala; and Dr. Edwin J. Feulner, Founder, Heritage Foundation; were recognised for their contribution towards world peace.

While commending the works of the World Peace Building Initiatives, Dr. Hyun Jin Moon noted that the realization of peaceful world requires not just a cessation of conflict, but clear insight into the causes of war and division, effective, principled approaches to preventing and resolving conflicts, and far reaching visions and strategies which uplift free and prosperous civil societies rooted in liberty.

The Global Peace Foundation is an international non-sectarian, non-partisan, non-profit organization that promotes an innovative, values-based approach to peace building. It was launched in Manila in 2009 and has been organizing conferences annually in five different countries before its return to the Philippines this year.

Uganda is a member and is lobbying to host the next Convention."