I have no qualms with the economic indicators which are used to determine a
country's development level. I believe there are three categories to
indicate a Nation's development status. The lowest status used for the least
underdeveloped, seems to be the permanent dwelling places of most African
countries as well as that of other countries such as India and Haiti.
Interestingly enough, countries, like Jamaica and Cuba, are classified as
second tier countries in terms of development.
The problem here is the commonly held stereotype, which tends to confuse
African culture with underdevelopment simply because it does not jive with
the cultural standards which are equated with 'civilized' cultures as seen in
the West. I am sure most on this list have been asked in one form or the
other whether we live on trees, and equally dumbfounding questions.
Given, we expect these types of questions from people who know little about
our traditions and/or way of life. Ignorance and bias are probable culprits
for these perceptions, though I tend to think that an ingrained bias as well
as biased and sensationalist reporting from the press are critical factors
too. This misconception of our cultural ways is so ingrained in the West that
even the most educated of the elite, such as the mayor of Toronto or the
president of the USA, are prone to utter terribly twisted misconceptions
about our great continent and it's people. Even the most hard-core of the
'Dashiki' garbed New Black Panther shudders internally each time a brother or
sister utters the words:
"I am from Africa."
This culture of negativity towards our culture and traditions is extremely
contagious, and even Africans who have spent a considerable amount of time in
the West -- say at least 15 years -- tend to be afflicted with this
contagious phenomenon. I once knew an Ivorian brother who once said he would
rather be reborn in white skin if afforded the opportunity. What mindset
would ever prompt anyone from our great continent to utter such treacherous
words?
The brother must have been strongly impacted by the same forces which tend to
affect most of us abroad to varying degrees. We see negative stereotypes of
our cultural ways on television and newspapers. Poverty and underdevelopment
in Africa are associated, among many other things, with thatched huts and
several people eating with their hands from one communal bowl. The media has
a powerful subliminal effect on our psyche, and the incessant negative
portrayal of our traditions as backward and present only in underdeveloped
countries does not help promote the beauty of Africa in this respect. We
even feel this negativity in our work place, and, though no one might tell
you about their ingrained misconceptions, body language sometimes tells a
story better than a whole book will.
The case of the Ivorian brother is an extreme case but, to a lesser extent,
most of us tend to have a negative view towards traditional culture. I will
shamedly admit that even my humble self has been impacted negatively.
Sometimes I cannot fathom my outspoken self living in a culture where
free-spirited people are viewed as wayward souls. Neverthless, to paint all
Africans abroad with this broad brush is wrong, for some of us have overcome
incredibly difficult hurdles to achieve a reasonable comfort level in the
West. Those of us certainly do not want to return to abject poverty
characterized by a never ending hunger, pit or outdoor latrines and leaky
asbestos roofing. Yet at least 80% of sub-Saharan Africa live under such
abject conditions. However, I am still of the strong viewpoint that this
disdain towards our culture by the sons and daughters of Africa is caused
largely by the factors we described earlier.
Perceptions and negative stereotypes aside, Africa's fate is not impacted
direly by these foreign perceptions. The IMF and other developmental
organizations use specific and more tangible criterion to benchmark the
progress of African states in a developmental sense. However, the clear and
present danger is the way we as Africans tend to equate everything Western
made or oriented with progress, while everything African is equated with
backwardness. This means that most of the unscrupulous politicians on the
continent tend to exploit this mindset. I shall tell you why...
Just like Africans abroad, those of us who live at home, and have spent most
of our lives there, tend to also equate our cultural ways with
underdevelopment and everything Western with progress. A million Dollar
arch, containing a fancy restaurant and a great vantage point of Banjul, is
bound to be seen as a great step forward in terms of development when, in all
reality, such a structure means nothing to the welfare of most
Gambians..Instead of this magnanimous white elephant called an arch, why not
build a row of restaurants or shops, which cater to the needs of the average
citizen who cannot afford to eat or relax at this fancy Arch 22. This would
be more of a developmental step since it would serve to empower the local
entrepreneur and also provide food or goods to the average Gambian.
In fact, I can bet my last Dollar that any 'Chaya' wearing and 'Silipass'
sporting local would be turned away at the entrance of this much ballyhooed
arch. The local probably stares in wonder at this perceived marvel and
symbol of the Nation's march towards the 21st century. The local would
chirp to his fellow villagers about how, by virtue of this arch, Banjul was
now more advanced.
There are a multitude of similar examples which one can use to describe this
disturbing phenomena. Take another example: the traditional artisan are fast
going out of business. Save a talented few, most will become obsolete simply
because no one will wear local outfits, be they Dashikis, Chayas, leather
sandals, or what not. Youngsters would rather wear and pay more for the
latest designer jeans or tennis shoes. Yet the only difference between
traditional and foreign goods is the brand name which the foreign designer
outfits sport. Forget about the majority of Africans abroad wearing foreign
outfits. This would only put us in the spotlight, but also serve to brand us
as with that underdeveloped and backward tag. So, naturally, some of us are
hesitant to wear traditional outfits. Most of our brothers and sisters back
home would probably be more impressed with a city of empty skyscrapers and
shining gold paved streets as opposed to a bustling city of thatched huts.
Unlike the case of the foreign perceptions, this phenomena where our own
people under-appreciate our culture is being used as a trump card by
successive despotic regimes all over the continent. How else can one explain
the startling reality that a vast number of Gambians rate the APRC over the
PPP regime simply because of the new structures which have been put into
place since 1994? This, when perhaps most of these are white elephants which
are bound to fall into disrepair sooner or later. We have a dire situation
where our culture seems to be succumbing to powerful forces from the West,
from within and from those who are willing to exploit this misconception
which has been fed to our people. This is an indisputable and disturbing
trend,,
How do we stop or, at the least, reverse this trend? My personal opinion;
politicians like Halifa Sallah, Sidia Jatta and maybe Ousainou Darboe have
the right attitude. These are among the few of our leaders who seem to
realize that Africa and Gambia ,in particular, can never be Babylon. We need
to take practical short steps forward in our journey towards making our
countries better places. White elephants and such need to be curtailed in
favor of more small scale and feasible projects. Our education curriculum
needs to be revised to give more credence to our cultural and traditional
ways. Our artisans need to be uplifted and given the power they deserve.
And finally, the media needs to focus and promote the positive aspects of
our traditional ways..
In all honesty, it is very despairing at times to finally realize that the
West has primarily been the source of this massive 'head fake', which is
perhaps responsible for a great number of woes we have faced as a continent.
At least we can take solace in the fact that some have not left their feet
yet as a result of this fake....
Yus
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