Ideologies in Africa
Ideologies
in Africa
Many
Africans, be they scholars or not, have sought to identify the roots of the
African chaotic situation. In my attempt to do so, a concept came to my mind to
justify the African failure: ideology.
Ideology is generally defined as a complete set of ideas to improve a certain status.
This definition, with some knowledge of the continent has led me to identify the ideologies which are currently implemented on the continent to improve the current situation. I could not diagnose clearly the political and economical ideologies. It is true that ideologies drive policies in any country and Africa, if I may call it a country, makes no exception to the rule. However, one should ask whether Africa can or does control the dynamics of those ideologies.
Or maybe, Africa has drawn important and necessary lessons with those ideologies in other continents. Africa has not designed its own ideologies. It seems that Africa is not even at the level of awareness that its sustainable progress depends on the implementation of its finest ideologies.
There is an old saying that, “Great people talk about ideas. Average people talk about things. Small people talk about other people.”The reading of the African history and the knowledge of the African societies will likely lean towards socialism as the main ideology. But, it is not rare to notice that communism had been also present before it was overcome by capitalism.
With all these –ism ideologies, the condition has generally not improved. Julius Nyerere had recognised, 10 years after the Declaration of Arusha, that for Tanzania to become truly socialist, it would take more years that he had expected. He would remark that, “We have not reached our goal, it is not even in sight,” but today many African countries have no goal.
All the developed continents or countries have implemented carefully-studied ideologies. I have just realised, unless other scholars prove otherwise, that Africa will remain the least of continents as long as ideologies will not be proposed rationally, analysed carefully and critically and then implemented responsibly. Anders Breivik, who perpetrated the Utoya mass shooting in Norway in July 2011, justified his action in the 1518 page essay. It is all about ideologies!
Africa has embraced the concept of globalisation without having solved its own problems. With globalisation, all ideologies, including those advocating societal destruction, have infiltrated Africa. But, we should be aware of the potential dangers and threats because, apparently, Africa has embraced everything to fully get nothing!
Ideology is generally defined as a complete set of ideas to improve a certain status.
This definition, with some knowledge of the continent has led me to identify the ideologies which are currently implemented on the continent to improve the current situation. I could not diagnose clearly the political and economical ideologies. It is true that ideologies drive policies in any country and Africa, if I may call it a country, makes no exception to the rule. However, one should ask whether Africa can or does control the dynamics of those ideologies.
Or maybe, Africa has drawn important and necessary lessons with those ideologies in other continents. Africa has not designed its own ideologies. It seems that Africa is not even at the level of awareness that its sustainable progress depends on the implementation of its finest ideologies.
There is an old saying that, “Great people talk about ideas. Average people talk about things. Small people talk about other people.”The reading of the African history and the knowledge of the African societies will likely lean towards socialism as the main ideology. But, it is not rare to notice that communism had been also present before it was overcome by capitalism.
With all these –ism ideologies, the condition has generally not improved. Julius Nyerere had recognised, 10 years after the Declaration of Arusha, that for Tanzania to become truly socialist, it would take more years that he had expected. He would remark that, “We have not reached our goal, it is not even in sight,” but today many African countries have no goal.
All the developed continents or countries have implemented carefully-studied ideologies. I have just realised, unless other scholars prove otherwise, that Africa will remain the least of continents as long as ideologies will not be proposed rationally, analysed carefully and critically and then implemented responsibly. Anders Breivik, who perpetrated the Utoya mass shooting in Norway in July 2011, justified his action in the 1518 page essay. It is all about ideologies!Africa has embraced the concept of globalisation without having solved its own problems. With globalisation, all ideologies, including those advocating societal destruction, have infiltrated Africa. But, we should be aware of the potential dangers and threats because, apparently, Africa has embraced everything to fully get nothing!
Originally published in Jambo Magazine Special Issue October 2011
(Magazine of International students of Tshwane University of Technology -TUT, Pretoria, Republic of South Africa)
Philippe Faradja
Pretoria West, 2011.
Commentaires
Enregistrer un commentaire