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B. Aol: Address to Africa Summit
Written by Hon. Betty Ocan Aol, Member of Parliament, Uganda
Friday, November 23, 2018
Address to Africa Summit 2018, Cape Town, South Africa, Nov. 21–25, 2018
Thank you. Dr. Moon, Chief Mandela, Honorable Members of Parliament, Religious Leaders, Cultural Leaders, Distinguished Participants,
I am Hon. Betty Ocan. I am also the vice chairperson of executive committee of the Uganda chapter of the International Association of Parliamentarians for Peace (IAPP).
I bring apologies of our patron, who is none other than the speaker of the Uganda Parliament, the Right Honorable Rebecca Kadaga, who wanted very much to be here but because of other duties could not make it. I stand here also to represent her.
My dear participants, we are very much honored as Ugandans, especially for Mr. Adama Doumbia, regional secretary general, and Mr. Gimeyi Moses, secretary general of the UPF-Uganda chapter. They brought for us this news in parliament after Hon. Min. Simon Lokodo, Minister of State for Ethics and Integrity in the Office of the President, talked to us also in a prayer breakfast.
We inaugurated the Uganda chapter of the International Association of Parliamentarians for Peace (IAPP) at Uganda’s Parliament Building on December 14, 2017. The occasion was graced by 21 current members of our parliament, including Hon. Simon Lokodo and Hon. Sam Lyomoki, who is also secretary general of the Central Organization of Free Trade Unions-Uganda (COFTU).
I am happy that I am also finally here. At first I did not know if I would make it to this summit, but I’m very happy to be part of this summit, especially organized by UPF and the Royal House of Mandela, to honor the legacy of Nelson Mandela and focus on peace and human development in Africa.
I believe I will learn a lot since Uganda has a new IAPP chapter. The vision of IAPP-Uganda is one Uganda under God, and its mission is to promote collaboration and cooperation among members of the Parliament of Uganda for the sake of peace and human development in Uganda.
The IAPP-Uganda chapter is supported by the Right Hon. Rebecca Kadaga, speaker of Uganda parliament. We have already established a committee and have over 30 members of the Uganda Parliament who subscribe to the principles of IAPP.
I am happy to be part of this great summit to honor the legacy of a great man, Nelson Mandela, and to reflect on peace and human development in Africa. Nelson Mandela was a leader and a politician like us who fought for peace. We learn from him the spirit of sacrifice for the good of the people we serve. It was the manner of Nelson Mandela, his stubborn and resolved spirit, to stick to a peaceful political settlement in South Africa. That set him apart from other leaders. His absolute determination to keep moving towards a peaceful path in the face of internal provocation rather than resort to revenge or violence was unheard of at the time.
There is no doubt in my mind it was Mandela’s unique and leading role in seeking a peaceful and negotiated constitutional settlement that prevented the country from sinking into civil war. We therefore have a lot to learn from him.
Once again, I am happy to be here and promise to do what it takes to support the International Association of Parliamentarians for Peace, Uganda chapter. I will also take what I have learned here back to our country.
Thank you very much for this opportunity.
To go to the 2018 Africa Summit Schedule page, click here.