How far would you go to defend what you believe?
Sam Mugumya, a revolutionary Ugandan poet during the launch of his book, We Refuse to be Victims.
What you need to know:
- A Ugandan poet survived eight years in prison for standing against tyranny, proving the revolutionary power of conviction.
- Sam Mugumya's refusal to accept victimhood challenges us to question how far we would go for our own beliefs.
How far would you go to stand by your convictions?
Our basic convictions, writes Margaret Sanger in her essay, When Children Are Wanted, must be tested and transmuted in the crucible of experience and sometimes the more bitter the experience, the more valid the purified belief.
Sam Mugumya, a revolutionary Ugandan poet whom I had the privilege of listening to recently during the launch of his book, We Refuse to be Victims, is the embodiment of the courage to stand by one’s convictions. This is evident from his eight-year imprisonment in the “bowels of hell” that was a military jail in Ndolo, Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of Congo.
“My only offence was taking a firm stand against tyranny. My journey has been one of speaking truth to power, no matter the cost,” the human rights activist told the captivated audience at the Friedrich Naumann Foundation (FNF) East Africa office, where the launch was held.
On why “We Refuse to be Victims” as the title, he had this to say: “Because that's not who we are. The despot wants us to be victims. Now, when we accept to don the yoke of victimhood, then we are serving his objective. The victim is the oppressor. Because he's a slave, a slave of power, a slave of inhumanity. And that it is us, the oppressed, that can help to liberate him.”
According to Mr Mugumya, at the end of the day, it’s us, the downtrodden, the masses, to build the future we want to see. For him, taking part in a revolution is an act of love, for yourself, your neighbour, and for humanity. Mr Mugumya’s life experiences and his courage to stand by his convictions, made me question myself and how far I could go for my own convictions. Would I be willing to be persecuted and jailed for my feminist and human rights ideals? Would I be willing to put myself in harm’s way, to sacrifice the life I know for my beliefs?
I write about what I believe in. The pen is mighty, they say, but revolutions like the kind we need in Africa require a form of courage that few human beings seem to be able to access. FNF East Africa Country Director Stefan Schott referred to artists as the real liberal minds who have a special sensitivity for social developments, sensing precisely how society is changing and where human values are being violated.
Mr Mugumya, whose first manuscript that has taken him six years to compile was confiscated, is an exemplary reminder of the power of art in social change, and how the fortitude of one man can inspire the world.
The writer comments on social and gender topics (@FaithOneya; faith.oneya@gmail.com).