Patriotism, the deep love for one’s country

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OPINION

By Hellen Seku

Patriotism is the deep love, affection, gratitude and pride for one’s country. It is also the feeling of devotion, deep attachment, loyalty and the willingness to sacrifice for your own motherland.

In Uganda, President Yoweri Museveni introduced the programme in 2009 with the aim of inculcating norms and values of patriotism in students and youths across the country in order to develop resourceful, responsible, disciplined and resilient citizens who are loyal and ready to defend and transform Uganda.

The presidential initiative is also aimed at equipping the youths with the right ideology and essential skills so that they make a significant impact in the society economically and morally as they prepare to become future leaders.

Consequently, the National Secretariat for Patriotism Corps (NSPC) found it profound to join all the youths across the country to celebrate and commemorate this year’s International Youths Day (IYD) under the theme: From clicks to progress: Youths digital pathways for sustainable development.

As the global economy undergoes a digital transformation, the necessity for digital skills has become imperative, particularly for the younger generation.

It is thoughtful to celebrate the day because it provides a platform for the youth to amplify the voices, actions and initiatives of young people, while also highlighting youth-related issues to the international community and acknowledging the potential of the youth.

However, as a country, if we are to cultivate responsible youths who are capable of transforming Uganda into a modern and prosperous nation as envisioned in Uganda Vision 2040, we should embrace patriotism and promote the wellbeing of our country.

This will help the youth to have a transformed mindset, which is crucial for both personal and national development.

Additionally, in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Government also introduced a digital roadmap that extends to 2027, while the Ministry of Education and Sports launched a digital transformation strategy in 2021.

All the initiatives aim at fostering the use of digital technologies to drive innovation, support industrialisation and promote economic growth, ultimately creating more job opportunities and facilitating socio-economic transformation.

Notably, Uganda boasts the youngest population globally, with over 78% of its citizens under the age of 30.

Current statistics reveal that around 30 million of Uganda’s 46 million citizens use mobile phones; however, only 11 million have internet access and merely about 2.5 million engage with social media.

Acknowledging the crucial role of digital skills in shaping the future workforce, the Government, in partnership with the private sector, is actively implementing various initiatives to equip the youth with essential digital competencies.

The overarching goal is to ensure inclusivity in opportunities while addressing the digital divide without leaving anyone behind, as per the SDG theme.

Through patriotism, the youth will not only benefit from valuable skills, but also fosters a mindset geared towards becoming responsible citizens upon their return to their communities.

Because of the skilling initiatives and patriotism[1]focused discussions, we have witnessed a remarkable transformation in many youths, who are now embracing their roles as responsible citizens.

With the intensification of globalisation, the youth are not only seeing themselves as global citizens, but also as proud citizens of their own countries. I must appreciate and celebrate the groups of youths who have gone ahead of time to prioritise issues that affect their countries such as environmental protection and sustainability. Some patriotic youths have gone the extra mile to contribute to the economic growth and technological advancement of our country by starting up businesses, creating jobs and developing innovative solutions affecting their societies, among others.

With the skills they have gained, the youth are also now well positioned to engage in various government programmes, including agriculture through the Parish Development Model (PDM), Emyooga, Uganda Women Entrepreneurship Programme, Youth Livelihood Programme (YLP) among others, as well as opportunities in the oil and gas sector, thanks to their newly acquired knowledge and competencies.

We have the space and potential to achieve everything we want as youth of the Pearl of Africa only if we accept to speak one patriotic voice.

The writer is the commissioner of the National Secretariat for Patriotism Corps (NSPC)