Create
a revolution in leadership
Our slogan at CI-UCBC is, Being Transformed to Transform. I like that slogan because it says
two important things about us and our vision, our “agents,” and our “people.”
|
Speech of Dr David Kasali translated by Honore Bunduki |
Transformed
Agents of Transformation
We are committed to preparing transformed agents who will
transform our communities of D.R. Congo. The Nobel Laureate Wangari Maathai
rightly states,
What has held
Africa back, and continues to do so, has its origins in a lack of principled,
ethical leadership. Leadershipis an expression of a set of values; its
presence, or the lack of it, determines the direction of a society, and affects
notonly the actions but the motivations and visions of the individuals and
communities that make up that society. Africaneeds a revolution in
leadership...[a] revolution that demands that its leaders not merely support
honesty andtransparency...but embody it in their behavior as well...They must
foster values such as fairness, justice, and working forthe common good rather
than turning a blind eye to violence and exploitation, or promoting narrow
self-interest andopportunism…Perhaps the most important quality that African
leadership needs to embrace, and which is desperatelylacking across the
continent, is a sense of service to their people.2
Our mission at UCBC is to create “a revolution in
leadership.” We believe that Congo’s problems will not be solved by political
“big men” or by pouring in more money. Our socio-economic and political
challenges will change only when Congolese Christians biblically and boldly redefine
Congolese Christianity to respond to the totality of Congolese life; and when Congolese
leaders are carefully and creatively prepared to lead with love, vision and
integrity to heal our national wounds both in church and society, to lead Congo
to a bright future; in short, to turn Congo upside down.
We are committed to preparing and giving Congo and the
church principled, ethical, indigenous Christian leaders who understand their context,
love their nation and are committed to working for a bright future of their
people; leaders who, in the words of Professor Maathai, “not merely support
honesty and transparency.. but embody it in their behavior as well.” We are in
the business of creating a leadership revolution with a sense of service to our
people.
Transforming
Our People
What makes us different is our
commitment to our people in the D.R. Congo. War, internally displaced people,
social injustices, violence of all kinds, rape, human and earth exploitation,
poverty, power struggle, modernization, and other Congolese realities are all
around us. These challenges have tended to dehumanize people and to remove
their dignity. Our triadic system of education of Academics-Work-Service
Learning keeps us in touch with our context. Our communities are our
laboratory. Our CI six programs (UCBC, Center for Development and Partnership,
Center for Church Renewal and Global Mission, Center for Professional
Development, Center for Community and Family Renewal, and Center for the
Creative Arts) keep us involved in people’s lives.
We are committed to our transformation
so that we can transform our communities. In the words of Professor Wangai, we
believe that we “must foster values such as fairness, justice, and working for
the commongood rather than turning a blind eye to violence and exploitation, or
promoting narrow self-interest and opportunism.”
As
Congolese, we are believing in ourselves again!
Dr David M. Kasali Rector