We stand at a critical moment in Zambia’s history, a time when our nation must choose its future. As time moves each of our generations in turn,our country becomes increasingly fragile and in need of solutions to the challenges that we face such as poverty, corruption, division, education and health for all.
If you look closer, however, the future suddenly holds both great danger, and great promise. The direction we choose to take as a nation, will determine where we end up another twenty, fifty or a hundred years from now. This choice, is reflected by the type of leadership which we, the citizens choose to elect into office.
In a sense, Zambia still holds one of the last hopes of a balanced, harmonious and united African society.Our Christian ethos should guide us back to the principles of loving our neighbours as we love ourselves, and we must embrace, and use this principle to stamp out the vices of greed, tribalism, corruption and others that have plagued us increasingly over the years.
To move forward we must recognize that in the midst of a magnificent diversity of tribes, cultures and value systems, we are one human family and one nation, with a common destiny.
We must join together to bring forth a sustainable society founded on morality and integrity, economic justice, and a culture of peace.
Towards this end, it is imperative that we, the people of Zambia, declare our responsibility to one another, to the greater human community, and to our future generations.