Waziri Membe afungua rasmi mafunzo ya Taasisi ya Uongozi ya Afrika Mashariki

Waziri wa Mambo ya Nje na Ushirikiano wa Kimataifa, Mhe. Bernard K. Membe (Mb.) akisalimiana na baadhi ya Wahadhiri wa Chuo Kikuu cha Dar es Salaam mara baada ya kuwasili Chuoni hapo kwa ajili ya kufungua rasmi mafunzo yatakayotolewa na Taasisi ya Uongozi ya Afrika Mashariki iliyo chini ya Chuo Kikuu cha Dar es Salaam kwa Wanafunzi 52 kutoka Nchi Wanachama wa Jumuiya ya Afrika Mashariki.  Idadi ya Wanafunzi hao kwenye mabano  na nchi wanazotokea  ni Kenya (10), Uganda (10), Burundi (5), Rwanda (5) na Tanzania (22).

Mhe. Membe akisaini Kitabu cha Wageni mara baada ya kuwasili ukumbini kwa ajili ya kufungua rasmi mafunzo yaliyoandaliwa na Taasisi ya Uongozi ya Afrika Mashariki kwa wanafunzi kutoka Nchi Wanachama wa Jumuiya ya Afrika Mashariki.

Makamu Mkuu wa Chuo cha Dar es Salaam na Mkurugenzi wa Taasisi ya Uongozi ya Afrika Mashariki, Prof. Rwekaza Mukandala akimkaribisha Waziri Membe kufungua rasmi mafunzo hayo. Wengine katika picha ni Dkt. Benson Bana (wa kwanza kulia), Mhadhiri na Mratibu wa Mafunzo hayo kwa mwaka 2014 na Prof. Betram Mapunda (wa kwanza kushoto).

Sehemu ya Wanafunzi wakimsikiliza Prof. Mukandala (hayupo pichani)

Waziri Membe akitoa hotuba ya ufunguzi wa mafunzo hayo.

Sehemu nyingine ya Wanafunzi wakimsikiliza Mhe. Membe (hayupo pichani) alipowahutubia. 

Mhe. Membe akisisitiza jambo wakati wa hotuba yake huku Prof. Mukandala akimsikiliza.

Mmoja wa wanafunzi hao kutoka Uganda akimuuliza swali Mhe. Membe.

Mmoja wa Wanafunzi hao kutoka Kenya nae akiuliza swali kwa Mhe. Membe.

Mhe. Membe akijibu maswali ya wanafunzi.

Dkt. Godius Kahyarara, Mkuu wa Shule ya Sayansi ya Jamaii katika Chuo Kikuu cha Dar es Salaam akitoa neno la shukrani mara baada ya hotuba ya Mhe. Membe ya ufunguzi.

Waziri Membe akiwa katika picha ya pamoja na kundi la wanafunzi kutoka Kenya.

Mhe. Membe akiwa katika picha ya pamoja na wanafunzi kutoa Uganda.

Mhe. Membe akiwa katika picha ya pamoja na wanafunzi kutoka Rwanda.

Mhe. Membe akiwa katika picha ya pamoja na Wanafunzi kutoka Burundi.

Mhe. Membe akiwa katika picha ya pamoja na wanafunzi kutoka Tanzania.

Mhe. Membe akiwa katika picha ya pamoja na Wahadhiri waliohudhiria ufunguzi huo.

Mhe. Membe akiwa katika picha ya pamoja na waliowahi kuwa wanafunzi (alumni) wa Taasisi hiyo miaka ya nyuma akiwemo Msaidizi wake Bw. Thobias Makoba (mwenye tai nyekundu waliosimama)

Mhe. Membe akizungumza na Vyombo vya Habari (Picha na Kitengo cha Mawasiliano ya Serikali)

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SPEECH BY HONORABLE BERNARD K. MEMBE (MP) MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION ON THE OCCASION OF THE OFFICIAL OPENING OF THE 2014

 EAST AFRICAN UONGOZI SCHOOL AT THE COUNCIL CHAMBER,

UNIVERSITY OF DAR ES SALAAM, 8^TH JULY 2014

Professor Rwekaza Mukandala, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Dar es Salaam and Director, East African Uongozi Institute,

University of Dar es Salaam Leadership,

Uongozi School 2014 Participants,

Members of the Press,

Friends of East Africa,

Invited Guests;

Ladies and Gentlemen.

Let me begin by expressing my sincere gratitude to the organizers of this event—the East African Uongozi Institute (EAFUI)—for availing to me this honour to officiate the 2014 Uongozi School. I am aware that EAFUI has been organizing similar Uongozi School sessions since its inception in 1998. I am also made to understand that this year’s Uongozi School is unique as for the first time the number has increased from three to five Universities in East Africa. This is a commendable step taking aboard the reality of the expanding membership of the East African Community which has since 2006 include Burundi and Rwanda.

As we witness this opening, my congratulations goes to the leadership of the East African Uongozi Institute for conceiving the idea of the Uongozi School, implementing and sustaining it for more than a decade. Those of us who deal with inter-state relationships understand the dynamics and challenges involved. It is through hard work and commitment that this initiative could be sustained over the years. The work that EAFUI does is highly complementary to the efforts that the EAC partner states are making to deepen and strengthening the cooperation. When the young scholars of East Africa are brought together in a programme like this they start to appreciate that there is a lot that unites them than what can divide them. They begin to cultivate long term personal relationships and understandings that are critical for the sustainability of the Community. Programmes such as Uongozi School have sown seeds to a stronger and successful regional bloc as it nurtures future regional leaders. We in the government are proud of this initiative.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I therefore congratulate all participants of the 2014 Uongozi School for securing a chance to this prestigious programme. I am aware that the selection process is very stringent and that only the best students can go through. I urge you to keep up the hard work and I believe through this programme you will not only learn around the topic at discussion, but also be inspired to lead in any sector you will find yourselves in. You are not only the future of EAC, but the future of Africa. I also join the organizers to welcome to Tanzania those participants who have come from outside Tanzania. I am sure you will find Dar es Salaam and other places that you will visit in Tanzania to be enjoyable.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Through this event, I must say EAC is one of the most promising and success story in the continent, having elevated itself to the Common Market stage of the integration process.  As we all know, there is no other Regional Economic grouping in the continent that has reached that stage.  That said, one point must be made clear; that member states are free to have bilateral projects and programs, and they are free to do so without involving other partner states.  However, for those projects that fall directly under the East African Community, they must without exception involve all member states of the Community.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The theme of the 2014 Uongozi School “African States, Competing Identities and Democratization” could not come at a more promising time.  As coined, this theme goes beyond East Africa and it touches our continent at large. Politics of identity or politicization of ethnic identities seem to be at the helm in many African countries. This is not to say it is a new acceptable way of life in the continent. Exclusion of people from effective control of state power and economic resources has been a source of many of the post-independence violent conflicts in Africa. One of the undesirable consequences of the third wave democratization that re-introduced multiparty politics was resorting to cheap ethnic politics. Ethnic entrepreneurs mobilized people emphasizing sub-nationalities and aspiring to maximize their corporate political, economic and social interests. A state ceases to be the arbiter of different group interests and becomes the centre for group contestations. Ethnic politics is shortsighted and counterproductive as voters are only concerned with enabling their members or coalition to control the state.  As scholars, I would encourage participants to this year’s programme not to shy away from discussion openly about this topic. Your research papers will form a part in solution pursuit and influencing political actors on this topic. This continent is on the verge of transformation and we are all to play a part.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Some political leaders convince ethnic groups to believe that they rule the country on their behalf. The president is seen as an ethnic ruler rather than a leader for all citizen. People believe that if one of their own holds a high post, it is held in trust for the benefit of their ethnic community. Some political parties promote ethnic politics and regard the introduction of multiparty democracy as a way of decentralizing the state in favour of ethno-nationalism. Rather than ameliorating the differences and mediating them, this kind of politics is amenable to conflicts as electoral outcomes are highly zero-sum and thus generators of dissatisfaction.

To the Participants,

I have looked at programme and saw close to 20 presentations and panel discussions. I am happy that many of the issues pertinent to competing identities and democratization in Africa will be adequately treated. I strongly urge all of you to effectively use the six weeks of your training to turn all the challenges of multiparty democracy into opportunities for African growth. 

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Invited guests,

My duty today was simply to officially open the 2014 Uongozi School and not to make a lecture. I want to reiterate my sincere thanks to the organizers for inviting me to grace this occasion. To the participants I wish you all the best in your deliberations in this year’s Uongozi School.

With these few remarks, may I now officially declare that the 2014 Uongozi School is open.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR KIND ATTENTION

LONG LIVE UONGOZI SCHOOL