PRESIDENT SAYS AFTER 600YRS OF OPPRESSION BY COLONIALISTS, BRICS BRINGS JUSTICE TO HUMAN RACE
President Yoweri Museveni has said Uganda will want to join the BRICS trade alliance at the ‘right time’, describing the bloc as a ‘gust of fresh air’.
This alliance brings together emerging world economies including Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
According to the President, after 600 years of slavery, colonialism, neo-colonialism, aggressions among others, a group (BRICS) has come up to illuminate a new way for the human race.
“It is a gust of fresh air. A new way that insists on justice, equality of Peoples and respecting independence of Peoples and Countries” he said adding that ‘”Uganda therefore, supports the efforts of the BRICS Countries and, at the right time, will want to join’
The president made the remarks in a speech read for him by his forever loyal Vice President Maj. Jessica Alupo who represented him at the ongoing 15th BRICS summit taking place at Sandton International Convention Center-Johannesburg.
Museveni noted that the struggle against oppression of man by fellow men has been progressing but again, with unnecessary interruptions caused by imperialism in the last 600 years, feudalism and other dictatorships. He said that in the fight for freedom from oppression of man by fellow men, it is important to remember the biblical teachings particularly in the book of Acts of Apostles chapter 17:26. He says nations and their boundaries are the work of God and (therefore) no body should interfere with the work of God.
“Imperialism is therefore, a heathen, unchristian idea. Therefore, in the fight for the emancipation of man from oppression by fellow men, we should respect the choices of the different nations and countries” he said referring his argument to the book of Matthew 5:16 which says ‘let your light so shine before men that seeing your good deeds, praise our father in heaven’
Museveni based on this verse and said that it is important to influence people by example and not coercion or manipulation.
“Therefore, bearing the foregoing, you can see the relevance of the BRICS effort. It is a gust of fresh air after 600yrs of slave trade, colonialism, genocides, imperialism, neocolonialism and aggressions among others” he said.
The president gave a brief background about human race and how it has suffered injustices both by nature and man against fellow man.
He said human race has been around for four and a half million years ever since man evolved into Homo Sapien from lower primates. He however, said that ever since this evolution took place, man has faced two major oppressions including oppression by nature (diseases, floods, hunger, droughts, earthquakes among others) and oppression by fellow man (slavery, colonialism, genocides, imperialism aggression, feudalism and dictatorships). He said whereas man has been able to respond to oppression by nature through scientific discoveries and better socioeconomic organization, the same advancements have unfortunately been used by some actors to oppress fellow men.
“Unfortunately, on the account of ideological bankruptcy and parasitism, these advances in human knowledge are more often than not, used to reinforce the oppression of man by fellow man. That was the situation with the invention of the use of iron tools and weapons, the invention of gun powder etc by some communities that pioneered these advances against those communities that were still lagging behind in respect of those inventions” he said.
The president in the seven-page speech ably delivered by Alupo to the summit, however, said God equipped man with three characteristics that have enabled him to find solutions to the two oppressions. He named these characteristics as a superior brain, bipedalism and a hand that can do work, create tools for use and create more complicated tools and machines.
“Therefore, oppression of man by nature should not be a problem anymore if it was not for parasitism which leads some actors not to share knowledge with others or use knowledge to oppress others. This is the distortion that needs to be combated” he said.
The head of state reasoned that by sharing scientific knowledge and management practices, many problems caused by nature to man would be solved if we also banish parasitism.
“The danger to the environment is for instance, caused by greed and parasitism of some actors in the world and in individual countries” he said.
Museveni said the discovery of fire 1.5million years ago, the domestication of livestock and crops 10000years ago, the invention of steam water pump in 1698 and invention of steam engine in 1823 by George Stevenson are all phenomenona that enabled man to handle better the oppression of man by nature. He therefore, said these are the steps that the whole of human race should welcome and share.
The president said he couldn’t attend in person the summit due to earlier scheduled internal engagements.
