Civilised aspirations
One of the by products of colonialism was the framing and reframing of notions amongst Africans of what it meant to be ‘civilised’.
Christian missionaries and proselytisers from other faiths worked very hard to condition Africans into adhering to belief systems and values that had very little to do with the knowledge of our forebears.
Many Africans are now mistrustful of the folklore and wisdom passed down from our ancestors. One of the most significant reasons for this state of affairs is the conflation of literacy and other related skills with the need to accept the world view of the Abrahamic religions.
As a result of the recent awakening, the term ‘decolonising’ is being used often. It is clear that the current situation needs to be addressed and rectified. One question that should be answered however is, ‘how far are we prepared to go in the process of decolonisation’?
We can’t turn back the clock, or unlearn things we’ve been taught, but it is possible that we could actively engage with our cultural inheritances, to find new ways of bringing them to the foreground – for ourselves and for younger generations.
