By Khatukhira “Khat” Bernard, Kampala, Uganda
(Editor’s Note: Khat lives and works in Uganda as an architect and financial analyst. He discovered The Urantia Book in 1997, has been a teacher-facilitator with Urantia Book International School (UBIS) since 2015, and has attended and presented in many Urantia conferences. This work inspired him to initiate a study group called Cosmic Citizens in Uganda. Khat believes that service is one of the greatest gifts we can give to our fellow sojourners.)
For many years I enjoyed a virtual relationship with Urantia Foundation while taking and facilitating UBIS courses. That relationship became more personal, reciprocal, and enduring in April 2019 when I was invited to participate in their Global Cultural Symposium. Participants were asked to make a presentation about their home country, and I spent many months researching aspects of life in Uganda—its culture, traditions, institutional religion, politics, personal attitudes, and even reading levels. If you would like to watch a video of my presentation, click here: Global Cultural Symposium, Uganda (youtube.com) [2]
In 2024 I have the privilege of representing Uganda on the Foundation’s Cultural Advisory Council. I was invited to give a talk during the January quarterly meeting of the expanded board of Trustees.
Uganda is a country of many traditions and beliefs, primarily Islam and Christianity, but indigenous religions as well. There has been a gradual shift from communal or societal worship and beliefs to individual quests for truth, which bodes well for the dissemination of The Urantia Book and its teachings.
The traditional attitudes of most Ugandans tend to favor closed communities, but people are slowly opening up to new ideas, ways, and philosophies. Freedom of speech has been enshrined in the constitution of Uganda, along with a recognition and acceptance of other religious institutions by the government.
Nevertheless, challenges remain. Government agencies and related authorities must be informed about what The Urantia Book and Urantia Foundation are. Since traditional religious traditions and belief systems remain strong, many Ugandans are reluctant to venture outside the norm and adopt new knowledge. They fear society’s perception, and they fear losing the faith and beliefs they have always believed to be true. Youth are not well nurtured into adopting new ideas and knowledge.
From a practical standpoint, Ugandans have a very poor reading culture. The internet is not consistently accessible or available, and digital devices are very expensive.
Educating the public about the teachings of The Urantia Book will not come easy to a population that is accustomed to having beliefs imposed upon them. Nevertheless, many of us are optimistic that The Urantia Book and its teachings can uplift Ugandan culture. There are educational and spiritual benefits, of course, but what I find most exciting is the prospect of illuminating the truth about God, science, and our place in the universe, while clarifying the roles of superstitions and long-held traditions in human social evolution.
What can we do to seed The Urantia Book in Uganda? We must demonstrate the legitimacy of Urantia Foundation, cultivating an awareness of its purpose, functions, and objectives. Public seminars, conferences, and workshops will help establish credibility. Copies of The Urantia Book and related reading materials will be needed. Local study groups like Cosmic Citizens in Uganda must be formed, and regular correspondence among them encouraged. These groups will need mentors. Community-based projects could be championed and managed by fellow readers from around the world. And, of course, current projects like Urantia Book dissemination must continue.
In August of 2022, Urantia Foundation, the Association, and the Fellowship co-sponsored a conference in Jinja City, at the source of the White Nile (one of the two main tributaries of the Nile River) near the north shore of Lake Victoria. This is just the beginning. Someday soon The Urantia Book will be a familiar text in Uganda!