Community discussions engage everyone, regardless of socioeconomic status, to current issues.
Also, interaction or communication is natural and part of human survival. It is simply a natural attraction to socialize and interact, no matter the measure.
They influence government policies and the decision-making process, and are appreciated as one of the credible vehicles for expressing local concerns, reforming governance and working for peace.
Those in power use the forum to explain the government’s positions on different controversial issues, so that they can be understood and accepted by the people.
Likewise, opposition politicians use it to constructively criticize the government and remind it of its failures so that it can correct or adopt new, friendlier policies.
People, who think they can offer better leadership, use the forum to make their ideals known to the population and identify with them, so that during elections, there is a better chance of being elected to power.
Even those who miss out on becoming members of parliament (MPs), soon caught up with them when President YK Museveni finally appointed them Resident District Commissioners (RDCs) or MPs to the position. However, what matters is the question of who is interested in the speaker. Sometimes they have to eat their own ‘vomit’ and call the color black white.
From outdoor community discussions, young aspiring politicians gain confidence and experience in public speaking. In fact, many of them are still dedicated to the trade and are the darlings of the people.
Community discussions offer an opportunity for frustrated and disappointed citizens to vent their psychopathological conditions, which, by itself, was therapeutic enough. Affected participants leave the forum calmer and feeling better than when they arrived, having “expelled” the toxicity of anger over leaders who betray the nation.
They provide a credible way for individuals to form a civil parliament and have their voices heard by legislators and lazy parliamentarians alike.
It is a surefire way to ensure local participation and representation, helping to fill the gaps left by the legislature. It fills the void left by the representative democratic system, in which the majority of parliamentarians do not live up to the wishes of the people.
An empowered citizenry is in a position to make informed decisions and pressure government to pass people-friendly policies in line with decisions made at individual and group levels, and to further assess leadership performance (accountability).
The debates awaken the political consciousness of the majority of educated youth, who either join the discussions or begin to view the affairs of their country in a two-faced way and make informed decisions accordingly.
It makes vernacular speaking radios relevant to Ugandans in the countryside. Radio stations developed different brands or names for each forum, which included: the ekimeza brand on radio uno, simbawo akati (Radio Simba), mambo baado (CBS), among others. But events after the protests on September 11, 2009 forced the government to ban outdoor debates.
On the eve and after national or international holidays, the participants discuss the meanings of those days for Ugandans. In this way, it helps to educate the masses about the current events and challenges of those days, for example, March 8 (Women’s Day), June 9 (Heroes’ Day), January 26 ( Teresita Day), October 9 (Independence Day) and the days of reading the mid-year budget, as well as the burning issues in parliament.
It not only helps to bridge the gap between those in government and its people, but also plays an empowering role for the masses. There is no clear demarcation between the debates and the banned radio stations, because shortly after their ban, community discussions also ceased or weakened.
It can be presented that; it is necessary to allow open-air community debates and discussion to be rebroadcast on radios at all levels, to provide forums for exchanging ideas on social issues, for problem solving, for venting and psychological healing or peace and to enable beneficial policy reform and formulation. of the common man, and for building healthy relationships as significant pathways to good governance and peacebuilding and the prevention of psychologically traumatic war conditions.
However, more research is needed to define and set the boundaries of outdoor community discussions so that while you embrace the rights and freedoms of assembly, information and expression, and appreciate your responsibilities to society and governance, you are aware of your limits for order Uganda and the common good of its people.