But what is our Africanity?
Why not the dance? Can we reach the golden age by dancing?
At Le Mans. Wednesday, September 07, 2022.
With Brother Alhissene from the Central African Republic, we went for a drink of friendship at Place de la République. It was after two previous failed attempts due to a lack of convergence on our schedules. Very enriching exchanges. The brother told me in particular about his NGO launched recently, which works on social issues in the Central African Republic. At the heart of the new school year, children's schooling is a priority, then access to healthcare.
It immediately reminded me of the outcry in Senegal after the tragic death of a pregnant woman in the city of Louga. The same thing happened in Cameroon and indeed in other countries.
This is why it is always a pleasure to meet a brother who recognizes, as the scholar Cheikh Anta Diop reminded us, “the only fight that deserves to be fought is the fight for Africa”. Cheikh saw correctly. A prosperous Africa is synonymous with a prosperous world.
But how do we reach this African golden age? An interesting question on which we debated a lot. This SWOT analysis summarizes our exchanges:
Strengths
- A continent of youth,
- Rich in natural resources,
- Diversity.
Weaknesses
- Endemic corruption,
- Tribalism,
- Poor leadership.
Opportunities
- Technology,
- Youthfulness,
- Awareness, education.
Threats
- Clan wars,
- Exploitation,
- The perpetual search for the golden age.
But how do we attain the African golden age? The brother suggests to me that we must educate the population, and raise awareness about the need for us to focus on our Africanity. Intrigued, I then asked him “but what is our Africanity?”
Is our Africanity the dish? Which then would best represent our Africanness? Is it Achu in Cameroon, Afang in Nigeria, Attiéké in the Ivory Coast, Brik in Tunisia, Briouat in Morocco, Chakhchoukha in Algeria or even Biltong in South Africa? In short, the list is long…
During an exchange I had with a South Korean student, she asked me a very interesting question: “By the way, what does French culture represent? is this the kiss?”
Perhaps indeed, above all, French culture is the kiss. If not, what else, the French language? Certainly not since the centre of gravity of the French language has undeniably already slipped towards Kinshasa. The reason why someone had proposed Swahili to represent our Africanness.
To France, her French kiss. To the United Kingdom, her kingdom with its Queen (ok now the King). To China, the Communist Party. To the United States, the American dream (why not the Supreme Court ?). To the European Union, the European Court of Human Rights. To Africa, what? What is our Africanity? The pyramids? But why not dance?
But can we reach the golden age by dancing? How can we dance our way to the African golden age?
The brother tells me that our Africanness is not unique, it can vary from one country to another. But how can we develop a United Africa to reach this African golden age if we cannot agree on the vision, our uniqueness?
In any case, it had already been almost two hours since we had started the exchange. It was time to part ways. So I had the pleasure of signing a copy of my book, Smiling in Hardships, to the brother.
Thanks again brother, we will continue the discussion!
The Report!
