Africa needs a rediscovery of her ancient soul to survive
Apr 08, 2009
President Museveni’s recent call for Ugandans to be more patriotic recalls for us the earlier crusade by the former South African President Thabo Mbeki’s crusade for an African renaissance similar to the 15th and 16th century renaissance which unlocke
By Peter Mulira
President Museveni’s recent call for Ugandans to be more patriotic recalls for us the earlier crusade by the former South African President Thabo Mbeki’s crusade for an African renaissance similar to the 15th and 16th century renaissance which unlocked Europe from medieval times to modernity.
Although the 15th century renaissance was not a call to patriotism, it was a phenomenon which excited people and made them love their countries in Europe. Within a span of only one generation, artists like Michelangelo and Raphael produced their masterpieces which still generate sensuous awe 500 years later.
Christopher Colombus from Portugal discovered the new world while Martin Luther led a rebellion against the Church which resulted in the age of reformation and Copernicus laid the ground work for the scientific revolution, to mention but a few.
This phenomenon which changed Europe for the better and put its people at the forefront of mankind started in Italy within the ruling class whose wealth from trading with the Occidental had allowed its members the pastime to study and develop a deep intimacy with ancient Greek and other east Mediterranean cultures and scholarship.
In time the Italian mind acquired a new passion in music, plays, painting, architecture and sculpture which made human life acquire a new value and meaning with which people associated themselves. From this dynamic culture of Italy developed a new Western spirit characterised by individualism, a multiplicity of interests, creative innovation and a determination to challenge the traditional limitations on human endeavour which spread across Europe providing the continent with the basis for its lurch into modernity.
Driven by this spirit, Europe was able to turn its back to the medieval times which had been characterised by upheavals including the plague in which a third of its population had died, the one Hundred Years War between France and England, black magic, the dance of death in cemeteries, the Inquisition, tortures and burnings of people at the stake not to mention economic ruin.
All this was left behind as Europe entered a cultural revolution in which technical inventions imported from the Occident played a key role. These inventions included the campus which opened the door to Europe’s explorations of new lands, the gunpowder which led to the demise of the feudal order to be replaced by nation states, the clock which freed human activities from the dominance of nature’s rythms and the printing press that led to increased learning.
The renaissance was the point of departure between Europe and the African continent. Up to this time, African states had been in contact with some European powers as equal partners and the eastern coast had been involved in a buoyant trade with the east. On the west coast, the Portuguese built their first fort on the Gold Coast but only after the leader of their expedition Diogo de Azambuja had signed an agreement with the chief of the area which made it a condition that “peace and truth must be kept†by the Portuguese.
This agreement was followed by a diplomatic mission of friendship and alliance by the leader of the Mali empire to which King John of Portugal reciprocated by sending eight Portuguese emissaries “with gifts of horses, mules and other things prized in that countryâ€.
The continent was on the move with a lot of self-confidence of its leaders. In northern Angola Father Cavazzi was to complain that “With nauseating presumption these nations think themselves the foremost men in the world and nothing will convince them to the contrary.†That was ancient Africa which saw a steady growth of iron age productive power and a command of the environment; the evolution of new forms self-government; the formation of kingships; the raising of formidable armies and much else that had signaled the development of the African mind over many previous centuries, as we are told by Basil Davidson, an authority on African history.
All these expressions of the African mind suddenly came to a stop when Europe gained its superiority. The factors which led to the collapse of the African spirit are not difficult to find. First the continent missed out on the European renaissance spirit of individualism, creative innovation and determination to lurch itself from the past into the future which helped Europe to enter the new age of modernity. Secondly, slavery shattered the Blackman’s soul and Europeans who first saw a Black slave caged like an ape developed the misconception that Africans were of inferior stock leading one contemporary American to observe that nothing can be more false than to compare the intellect and talents of two men “…..one degraded and fettered in all his acts of volition the other free, independent… â€
Lastly, colonialism perpetuated this slave mentality and its debilitating effects. For Africans to regain its self-confidence and soul which will make us proud we must reach out to our ancient times like the Italians did in their case. Many people now believe there must be a rediscovery of the African soul captured in the great works of creativity represented by the pyramids and sphinxes of Egypt, the stone buildings of Axum in Ethiopia, the ruins of Zimbabwe, the rock paintings of San, the Benin bronzes of Nigeria and the masks and carvings of the Makonde as well as stone sculptures of the Shona.
In order to promote this rediscovery, the African Renaissance Institute was formed in Pretoria, South Africa, in 1998, and it now has its headquarters in Gaborone, Botswana. Among the aims of the institute is the challenge to pay more attention to African traits worthy of preservation and continuation such as interpersonal relations which promote social inclusion, hospitality, generous sharing, listening to others and social acceptance based not on wealth but on relations with others.
This means that there is a niche for everyone to make his contribution to the African renaissance by doing good to others like the European renaissance man who changed his society by doing so. There are many men and women in our midst who are doing this by patiently chipping away at the problems which beset our society unseen and unrecognised.
For example, the Rotary Club of Kampala West has provided clean water to an entire village in Kumi district and have now embarked on ensuring that every home has a toilet and each child goes to school.
Such people are the patriots of this country for they are giving their best without expectation of reward in true African spirit of generous sharing. A patriot is a person who loves his country through doing good for the benefit of others.
The writer is a lawyer
President Museveni’s recent call for Ugandans to be more patriotic recalls for us the earlier crusade by the former South African President Thabo Mbeki’s crusade for an African renaissance similar to the 15th and 16th century renaissance which unlocked Europe from medieval times to modernity.
Although the 15th century renaissance was not a call to patriotism, it was a phenomenon which excited people and made them love their countries in Europe. Within a span of only one generation, artists like Michelangelo and Raphael produced their masterpieces which still generate sensuous awe 500 years later.
Christopher Colombus from Portugal discovered the new world while Martin Luther led a rebellion against the Church which resulted in the age of reformation and Copernicus laid the ground work for the scientific revolution, to mention but a few.
This phenomenon which changed Europe for the better and put its people at the forefront of mankind started in Italy within the ruling class whose wealth from trading with the Occidental had allowed its members the pastime to study and develop a deep intimacy with ancient Greek and other east Mediterranean cultures and scholarship.
In time the Italian mind acquired a new passion in music, plays, painting, architecture and sculpture which made human life acquire a new value and meaning with which people associated themselves. From this dynamic culture of Italy developed a new Western spirit characterised by individualism, a multiplicity of interests, creative innovation and a determination to challenge the traditional limitations on human endeavour which spread across Europe providing the continent with the basis for its lurch into modernity.
Driven by this spirit, Europe was able to turn its back to the medieval times which had been characterised by upheavals including the plague in which a third of its population had died, the one Hundred Years War between France and England, black magic, the dance of death in cemeteries, the Inquisition, tortures and burnings of people at the stake not to mention economic ruin.
All this was left behind as Europe entered a cultural revolution in which technical inventions imported from the Occident played a key role. These inventions included the campus which opened the door to Europe’s explorations of new lands, the gunpowder which led to the demise of the feudal order to be replaced by nation states, the clock which freed human activities from the dominance of nature’s rythms and the printing press that led to increased learning.
The renaissance was the point of departure between Europe and the African continent. Up to this time, African states had been in contact with some European powers as equal partners and the eastern coast had been involved in a buoyant trade with the east. On the west coast, the Portuguese built their first fort on the Gold Coast but only after the leader of their expedition Diogo de Azambuja had signed an agreement with the chief of the area which made it a condition that “peace and truth must be kept†by the Portuguese.
This agreement was followed by a diplomatic mission of friendship and alliance by the leader of the Mali empire to which King John of Portugal reciprocated by sending eight Portuguese emissaries “with gifts of horses, mules and other things prized in that countryâ€.
The continent was on the move with a lot of self-confidence of its leaders. In northern Angola Father Cavazzi was to complain that “With nauseating presumption these nations think themselves the foremost men in the world and nothing will convince them to the contrary.†That was ancient Africa which saw a steady growth of iron age productive power and a command of the environment; the evolution of new forms self-government; the formation of kingships; the raising of formidable armies and much else that had signaled the development of the African mind over many previous centuries, as we are told by Basil Davidson, an authority on African history.
All these expressions of the African mind suddenly came to a stop when Europe gained its superiority. The factors which led to the collapse of the African spirit are not difficult to find. First the continent missed out on the European renaissance spirit of individualism, creative innovation and determination to lurch itself from the past into the future which helped Europe to enter the new age of modernity. Secondly, slavery shattered the Blackman’s soul and Europeans who first saw a Black slave caged like an ape developed the misconception that Africans were of inferior stock leading one contemporary American to observe that nothing can be more false than to compare the intellect and talents of two men “…..one degraded and fettered in all his acts of volition the other free, independent… â€
Lastly, colonialism perpetuated this slave mentality and its debilitating effects. For Africans to regain its self-confidence and soul which will make us proud we must reach out to our ancient times like the Italians did in their case. Many people now believe there must be a rediscovery of the African soul captured in the great works of creativity represented by the pyramids and sphinxes of Egypt, the stone buildings of Axum in Ethiopia, the ruins of Zimbabwe, the rock paintings of San, the Benin bronzes of Nigeria and the masks and carvings of the Makonde as well as stone sculptures of the Shona.
In order to promote this rediscovery, the African Renaissance Institute was formed in Pretoria, South Africa, in 1998, and it now has its headquarters in Gaborone, Botswana. Among the aims of the institute is the challenge to pay more attention to African traits worthy of preservation and continuation such as interpersonal relations which promote social inclusion, hospitality, generous sharing, listening to others and social acceptance based not on wealth but on relations with others.
This means that there is a niche for everyone to make his contribution to the African renaissance by doing good to others like the European renaissance man who changed his society by doing so. There are many men and women in our midst who are doing this by patiently chipping away at the problems which beset our society unseen and unrecognised.
For example, the Rotary Club of Kampala West has provided clean water to an entire village in Kumi district and have now embarked on ensuring that every home has a toilet and each child goes to school.
Such people are the patriots of this country for they are giving their best without expectation of reward in true African spirit of generous sharing. A patriot is a person who loves his country through doing good for the benefit of others.
The writer is a lawyer