Having spent half my life in the motherland and migrated to Europe in search of
greener pastures,
it didn't take much time to learn how diametrically
opposed both societies are, and yet one
holds a narrative of superiority and the other of inferiority, the superior
continent being Europe and the inferior being Africa. One does not need to
climb Mount Everest to find the evidence of my assertion of the portrayal of
Africa. One would simply needs to analyse the reportage of Africa within the
Europe and America predominately to witness the ignoramus attitudes that almost
resemble the pretext of imperialism.
That notion led me to suggest that society
has taught us to adopt a uniform societal paradigm of thought through politics,
academic structures and culture that isn’t critical of itself but rather
makes conclusions on no basis at all but perceiving itself to be fundamentally
correct. I would argue that this collective attitude has contributed to us
being fearful of finding our unique authentic selves out of fear of being
labelled different or inadequate as if these elements of personality do not
lead to the kind of innovation we’ve seen in contemporary pioneers such as
Steve Jobs, Bills Gates or to bring it closer to home I would say Robert
Gabriel Mugabe a worthy assertion I believe.
Furthermore I would assert that this notion of perceiving others as deficient has
led to an uniformed pattern of thought in which we begin to not feel confident
nor competent in our individuality but rather define ourselves through the
definition of a superior class or race. Take for instance anything different is
viewed as a diversion from the social norm and automatically viewed as
deficient.
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| Zimbabwe's Land Reform was aimed at correcting historical imbalances just as happened elsewhere in the world were imperialists had grabbed land - but is viewed adversely. |
To give a practical example one would look at how the Western world
perceived Zimbabwe’s Land Reform. Although this act was aimed at correcting a
historical wrong through applying the principals of de-colonisation as did the
Americans after the war against the British by heightening import tariffs to
further domesticate the American economy and other radical choices made at the
time all in the name of redressing a historical imbalance. Why it’s then
different for an African state to do the same within the context of their society
is still unknown to my yet still growing mind.
Another example would be the current education system in the West which
exhibits a one-hat-fits-all approach to a largely diverse pupil base whose
learning styles are radically different; a view carried by many prominent
players within the academic field. The most vocal academic concerning this
subject is Dr. Janice Ellen Hale a professor of early childhood education at
the Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan. She
is also founder of Visions for Children, a research demonstrating early
childhood education that is designed to facilitate the intellectual development
of African American preschool children. In 1982 she wrote her first book titled
'Black Children: their roots, culture and learning styles'. In this book she
illustrates the difference between African and European children in the field
of education. Through her research, she points out how European Children have a
left brain cognitive object oriented learning style, left brain meaning logic and
analytical, object oriented meaning the student learns from an object while the
African Child has a right brain cognitive subject oriented learning style, right
brain meaning innovative and intuitive, subject oriented meaning, the student
learns from a subject and not an object. A view American and European educators have failed to recognize.
The same research was conducted in the field of music by the late Dr Elkins Sithole an Ethnic Music Scholar. Through his research he demonstrated that African Music is different to European Music not deficient. He challenged the educators in the field who taught a European paradigm that suggested African genres were deficient. In his study he showed the world how European music has 7 tones making it diatonic while African Music has 5 tones which make it pentatonic. Dr Sithole contended that African music is not deficient simply because it does not share European musical patterns but rather it is just different.
The same concept of difference being viewed as deficient can be used to unveil one of the founding principles of Empire Building which germinated from theories of a number of European philosophers. The most prominent of them all being Charles Darwin. He (Charles Darwin) believed that the evolution of living things was a process called Natural Selection in which the less fit species were eliminated in a struggle for survival. It is these kinds of theories that led to the occupation of Asia, Africa and the Pacific. It was argued, "nature it's self was based on the survival of the fittest, then it must be true that the stronger nations had a right to rule over weaker ones". The weaker nations were viewed as primitive and were occupied under the pretext of spreading civilization because their way of living was not considered different but rather deficient.
To some extent, these elements combined, present
the back drop of our societies' thinking. However through encouraging in
qualitative dialogue and critical thinking, we positively develop a framework
that enables us to view each other’s differences is just that, different. We
begin to change how we see others who are not like us, not as being deficient
but rather just being different, embracing the diversity in all realms of life
within this global village in which we are not sole inhabitants but co-
inhabitants with a unique purpose created to serve all mankind. In this, we
connect with the true essence of freedom which takes away all fear and enables
me and you to celebrate our unique authentic self. Changing how we look at each
other through changing the way we think of each other.
The same research was conducted in the field of music by the late Dr Elkins Sithole an Ethnic Music Scholar. Through his research he demonstrated that African Music is different to European Music not deficient. He challenged the educators in the field who taught a European paradigm that suggested African genres were deficient. In his study he showed the world how European music has 7 tones making it diatonic while African Music has 5 tones which make it pentatonic. Dr Sithole contended that African music is not deficient simply because it does not share European musical patterns but rather it is just different.
The same concept of difference being viewed as deficient can be used to unveil one of the founding principles of Empire Building which germinated from theories of a number of European philosophers. The most prominent of them all being Charles Darwin. He (Charles Darwin) believed that the evolution of living things was a process called Natural Selection in which the less fit species were eliminated in a struggle for survival. It is these kinds of theories that led to the occupation of Asia, Africa and the Pacific. It was argued, "nature it's self was based on the survival of the fittest, then it must be true that the stronger nations had a right to rule over weaker ones". The weaker nations were viewed as primitive and were occupied under the pretext of spreading civilization because their way of living was not considered different but rather deficient.
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| The Beautiful Continent is not Deficient - Just Different |
As we celebrate Africa
day let us recognise emphatically that our differences shape and mould this
continent we all love. There is no power in non qualitative opposition,that
seeks to oppose a sky that is evidently blue. It is only through Socratic
thought that we can better ourselves. A paradigm shift birthed by understanding
that it is we are not our outlook is different, it's just different.
Well done young man
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