Undermining Afrocentric Values

VALUING AFROCENTRICISM

Stories of cannibalism in modern days are hard to narrate in mainstream media for fears of stigma. However, in Uganda, cannibalism still exists. In fact, the Ugandan version of Cannibalism is even a less advanced form because it is inspired by poverty and ignorance. A more advanced form of Cannibalism was found among the natives of Papua New Guinea where the brains of the dead were eaten by the family members during a burial ceremony to show respect to the dead.

This article is inspired by the increasing negative attitude of young people of this generation towards Africanism. The main thesis is that anything African or traditional is backward and not worthy celebrating or referencing. To the contrary, all the western values that our people clamour for, are actually similar in content and practice but with a different presentation.

Two weeks ago, Andrew Mwenda wrote an article in the Independent News-Zine challenging our beliefs that valorizes anything western and subvert anything Afrocentric. He observed that we undermine and place no value in the conducts of our leaders, and praise western leaders for dramatized acts of valour, even if it were for gaining political capital. Likewise, there is no culture or ritual in the world which is distinctive and separate from the other but we value western cultures over ours. Whether it is burial, marriage or observances. All these cultural process and traditions mimic each other but with various modifications to suit different circumstances. Culture is fluid.

Now, there is this cheap and misplaced talks that sorcery and witchcraft are evil acts, and that, any African tradition, whether belief systems, medicinal practices, or traditions of marriage, etc., are backward and evil. People only feel contented when married in church, in total disregard for traditional marriages; It is now normalized to seek treatment in a biomedical setting; praying to Jesus and western Gods are the only validated spiritual nourishments. At school, facts about Africa as a continent, and those attributable to each country have remained largely unchanged in textbooks since the collapse of the colonial administration, even with glaring developments, such as  the advent of globalization and internet.

By dumping African values and traditions, Africans have learned what we call self-helplessness. That socially learned inability to care for the self and continent; to reason as autonomous being and to decide on course of action. Every major decision for Africa is made in London, Washington DC, Paris or Beijing. From the basics of soil analysis, mineral evaluation, oil prospecting, to major decisions like invading a foreign country, changing government, and whether to industrialize, or not.

Witchcraft and sorcery are not bad practices at all. In fact, any trade in which the human mind and body are subject to agents for external intervention, such as chemicals or psychic manipulations, can be devastating in equal dimensions if not regulated rigorously by moral agents. In my study on cultural practices, I have concluded that Africans are in their predicament because they live in self-denial, pretence and self-condemnation, a violent and yet subtle form of self-affliction that immobilizes.

Further, because we are scared of our natural existence, we have developed fractious emotional processes that perpetuate conflicting realities of us in the world order. Emotions and identity are cultural constructs that pertains to normative social values. Without a firm cultural identity, we become incoherent and appear reduced.

As such, we have allowed our African identity to be expunged. Without a cultural identity, we are empty.  As such, we place little value in what is ours, but steal to afford alien innovations, resources, and values. For instance, western medicine, devoid of stringent ethical/moral requirement and measurements, is as culpable to abuse as African traditional medicine. In that regard, we fall short on many fronts; African lacks the concept of measurement, accuracy, timing, consistency and above all, moderation, which characterizes western medicine.

Whatever passes as a dangerous traditional practice, simply lacks in rigor, measurement, quality control, understanding of side effects, moderated dose, and consistency of prescription.

Otherwise, how do we explain that most of the western medicines have major components extracted from common plants that naturally grow in Africa? How come the Mzungu exploits the fibrous African mango for weight-loss while we suffer from obesity and hunger? How can we explain the difference between the highly valued Psychologists and Priests, from the estranged African traditional medicine man? To me, it is just rigour, moderation, consistency, science, quality control and presentation.

End.