UCBC GRADUATION 2011-2012: RECTOR'S MESSAGE

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