The world has had its share of global tragedy in the past two years. First, was the unexpected appearance of COVID-19 which has now killed more than six million people and left many more with chronic health challenges. Despite the incredible job of creating multiple effective vaccines and treatment drugs by the biomedical experts, the virus seems to have gone into a hide and seek mode by mutating into new variants every time we think we have gotten it under control.
On March 4, 2022, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Executive Board was briefed on “the economic impact of the war in Ukraine, and on possible fast-tracked financial assistance for affected countries.” There is no doubt that costs to human life and the damage to the economy in Ukraine are massive. More than two million Ukrainians have fled their homeland. Equally important is the effect of the underappreciated, and unprecedented coordinated sanctions on Russia by the West.
By Augustine Bahemuka, Commentator on issues of peace and society, abahemuka@outlook.com
It is Lenten period for Christians around the world. This is a special preparatory period during which believers are invited to grow and deepen their relationship with God. Among the recommended spiritual practices designed for spiritual growth are prayer, fasting, reflection and meditation. In one of the recent editions of Sunday Monitor, Musaazi Namiti raised contentious knife-edge questions about God’s relevance in human affairs, especially during war and conflict in his article “Wars illustrate how God is irrelevant in human affairs”.
By Alan Tacca, novelist, socio-political commentator, altaccaone@gmail.com
In the wake of the American debacle in Afghanistan, questions are asked about the limits of American power. The same might soon be asked of Russia and NATO.
Other questions relate to the persistence and resilience of the Taliban, and to the future of governance, women, religious minorities, and so on, in Afghanistan.
A concerned world also speculates on the influence of the emboldened Taliban on the future of terrorism.
But let me reflect on the heart of the problem, the problem of God.
By Lutaaya Brian Wamala, Business Entrepreneurship and Public Policy academic, brianer1@outlook
Since the NRM’s ascension to power in 1986, numerous efforts have been made to eradicate poverty across Uganda. In 1997, the government took a more direct approach to poverty eradication through its Poverty Eradication Action Plan (PEAP). Two and a half decades later, it has since conceptualized and implemented up to a dozen multi-sectoral poverty eradication programs targeting various special interest groups from women to youth.
By Okot Nyormoi, Editor, author of Burden of Failure, retired cell biologist
Education is generally regarded as the key to success in society. If so, why is it that there are so many unemployed educated youths in Uganda? What is the use of education if the educated cannot get jobs? What is wrong with the educational system? These are some of the questions which many parents and children ask.
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