Mwalimu W. Kabaila's Page

WHAT PATH AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT? : AFRICAN RENAISSAINCE, FESMAN FESTIVAL AND BEYOND

Posted by Mwalimu W. Kabaila on June 5, 2009 at 5:44pm

Kwame Nkrumah was the first President of Ghana, and led the way towards the African Independence movement, along with Julius Nyerere, Sekou Toure, Amilcar Cabral, and Jomo Kenyatta.

The FESMAN Festival in Dakar, Senegal, December 1-21, 2009 promises to be a great opportunity for the African world in general, and African Americans in particular, to showcase the wealth, diversity and richness of African culture in all of its global manifestations. We will hear the melodic sounds of the kora from Mali, the high stepping dances of the Watusi and Masai from east Africa, the colorful ghelas and fashion eminating from the West African countries, and the harmonic voices, boot and Zulu dances from Southern Africa. The steel bands, and festive nature of our Caribbean brothers and sisters will fill the atmosphere with joy and delight. We all will look forward to meeting African people from New Zealand, Australia, Surinam, Guyana, Fiji, and yes, Germany, also. We, the Children of Africa will feel, listen and hear the unique stories of what it means to be African peoples dispersed throughout the world in the new millinium. It has been over thirty years since FESTAC was held in Lagos, Nigeria in 1977, which was the last World Festival of African Arts and Culture of this magnitude. We applaud the forsight of President Wade of Senegal, to take lead in this newest endeavor, to showcase Africa, and to play host to these festivities. But it remains paramount that while we take this time to enjoy the breathe and depth of our Global and Pan African cultural heritage, that we also take serious stock of where, we, as African people are on the world stage, in terms of our political, economic and social securityand well being.
When FESTAC met in 1977, many African countries had achieved the goals of the Pan African Congresses, forged by intellectual giants, such as WEB Du Bois, Kwame Nkhrumah, Julius Nyerere, Amilcar Cabral and Sekou Toure, independence from colonial rule, mostly under the domination of European colonialists. By this time the battlefront had mostly moved to Southern Africa, where Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Angola, Namibia and South Africa remained locked in vicious struggles against Apartheid, of some variation thereof. In some cases, aid and assistance from Cuba, under the leadership of Fidel Castro, was paramount. It should be said here, that had it not been for Cuban solidarity, with its aid and assistance on the ground, that many Southern African Liberation Struggles might still be locked in protracted struggles, against their European oppressors, who had real and/or tacid support of Israel and the United States government. It is important to lay this cursory background for what is about to happen in Dakar at years end.

Today, the Africa we see, is at a crossroads. What does this mean, how is it related to FESMAN, and how is it relevant to us, and what can we do about it, if anything? While literally all African countries are free of colonial rule, many African countries, if not African people, remain subjugated and exploited by neo-colonial relationships with past colonizers, the IMF and/or Global Corporations whose oppression knows no boundaries and respects no borders. We needn't point out any particular perpetrator. For our purposes here, what is important, is, what will our response be, and with what amount of force and commitment will we be willing to back it up.

The history of African peoples have been marked by distinct periods; the Great Empires and decline, the slave trade and resistance, colonialization and independence. The election of President Barack Hussein Obama, as leader of the most powerful nation on earth, marks the beginning of another era in African history. Though the two events are not necessarily related, one cannot deny the irony that they occur similtaneously. The second event, which is the subject of this paper, is the African Renaissance. What we hope to achieve in this paper, is to make a contribution to what the content and elements of this Renaissance should and can be. We hope to accomplish this by using the following outline format:

Seven Key Characteristics of African and Diasporan Development

1. Exhibition and Preservation of African Peoples artistic heritage and the progressive character of its culture -
When we speak here of African peoples, we refer to all people of African descent, on the continent and in diaspora. As African people enter into a new stage of development which will allow engagement into the global economy, it is mandatory that institutions are built which preserve the integrity of African and Diasporan art forms, languages, systems of thought (Dogon, Maat, Ifa, Akhan, Zulu, Masai, etc.), and cultural traditions, such as Council of Elders, Rites of Passage, Cooperative Economics, Extended Family, Reverance for Nature and the Spiritual Quest of Oneness with a God Force. These defining elements of African life and culture must not be lost at the expense of modernization. We must learn from the mistakes of European and American industrialization which did not allow for its social institutions to keep pace with the changes occuring in their social fabric so quickly. Thus, they experience serious crisis in their families, respect for law, poor distribution of wealth (causing social disparity), poor socialization of their youth, and lack of the ability to integrate minority groups fully into society.

2. Transfer and Exchange of Knowledge, Technolgy and Science between and among Continental Africans and Diasporans -
Each grouping of African peoples must establish consortiums, economic clubs and strive to build Pan African Universities which can encourage, inventions, the study of architecture, science which can benefit African peoples globally.

3. Dynamic Development Strategies and Methods -
Such strategies must, of necessity, be African-centered in order to protect their integrity and the interests of African people. Land development must be done in a manner that dose not compromise the ecological balance.

4. Infra-structure Development on the Continent and Rural Areas in Diaspora
a. Transportation - Cross continent rail system.
b. Roads - paved
c. Sustainable Energy
1.Solar
2. Water - ocean, waterfalls, etc.
3. Wind
4. methanol>ethanol
d. Indigenous Sanitation systems and Water Treatment
e. Indigenous Communication Systems and ability to connect with Global sytems.
f. Reduction of and Penalties for toxic wastes caused by foreign corporations

5. Modernization of the Agricultural Sector While Preserving the Quality of Rural Social and Cultural Life -
This is important in terms of its contribution to health and growing low carbon food for the indigenous, without compromising the export market also. Irrigation systems with purified water is an essential component. The key is balance.

6. Expansion of Cultural and Economic Trade and Exchange -
Festivals such as FESMAN and FESTAC must not only focus on the arts, but also on the Art of building more people to people trade between and among African peoples.

7. Methodologies which Ensure that African Mineral Wealth Benefits Indigenous Peoples-
Corruption must be challenged and fought and replaced by a system which allows re-distribution of wealth on a level of parity. Quatar and Kuwait might serve as models.

The FESMAN Festival is being referred to as the beginning of the the African Renaissance. But the African Renassaince should not seek to duplicate or copy its European counterpart. Also, it should not just be restricted or limited to just a revival of the arts, though, the arts should and will be a necessary component. African culture has influenced almost every peoples on every continent around the globe and remains one of its greatest exports. However, it remains necessary to define the meaning and scope of renassaince as we apply the term in the African socio-economic-political-cultural millieu. We have reached a historical point in time, where people of African descent must become actively engaged in the path to constructive development on the African continent. It is no longer acceptable for Africa's human, material or natural resources to continue to be exploited by foreign interests who have little or no concern for the well being of its indigenous people and the culture that sustains them.

We argue here, for the African American, in particular, to play a key role in the "Engagement of Constructive Development" on the African continent. As a spiritual people, we must not believe that our ancestors would allow us to go through the pains of MAAFA for no reason. Not only did we resist the enslavement process at every chance, we also contributed in substantial ways to the industrialization process in Europe and America that came after. We invented, farmed, labored, became schooled, and since the sixties, have accumulated sizable wealth, in spite of the racism and White Supremacy which seeks to keep us, as a community, supressed and exploited. History has shown us, and it has become apparently and abundantly clear that the development of Africa and the liberation of African Americans are intrinsically linked. African Americans have accrued the wealth, training, education, skills and technological experience which Africa now needs in order for it to develop in accordance with it's capacity for growth. As Africa grows, it too can helps to contribute to the expanded possibilities of all of its children abroad (in Diaspora), through favorable people-to-people trade, distribution and manufacturing opportunities. This was Garveys' dream when he said "African for the Africans", and why Malcolm taught us that we were/are an African people and that our destinies are mutually linked with our brothers and sisters on the continent.

As Kwame Nkrumah, the first President of Ghana, would posit, a real Pan African Unity must extend beyond just sentiment and feeling, but must be realized with a material base. This base must be build upon the capacity to satisfy basic human needs of African people; food, clothing, shelter, health and to live in a realm of freedom from oppression, exploitation and domination. Cultural expressions, philosophy and revolutionary theories alone, will not quench the Africans' thirst for a uniquely developed society. The old African American adage is applicable, which says, "While its true we don't live by bread alone, we can only come to that conclusion, after we've eaten". Though it is of paramount importance to maintain the cultural integrity of our Motherland, we must also devise a development strategy that does not compromise the values inherent in the people and their lifestyle. Such a strategy must also be sensitive to the needs and demands of nature and the ecological balance of the continent. Africa's mineral wealth has been exploited too long and those foreign interests who have engaged in such behavior (and we all know who they are) must not only repent, but pay to Africa and its children, fair reparations for their continued rape of Africa's human and natural resources for over 500 years. Yet, in all of this, there is no substitution for the united actions of all of Africa's children to restore Africa to it's proper place of prominence in the world. This can only happen when continental and diasporan Africans decide, together, to take over the areas of Critical Social Space which define the African character and personality and by extention, it's territorial integrity. Africa cannot grow as long as aliens continue to control its means to create its own wealth, and to satisfy the needs and aspirations of its peoples, at home and abroad. It is our hoped that the Development strategies proposed above, will serve as a step in that direction, and begin to answer the crucial question, Which Path to African Development?

This paper is humbly submitted by,
Mwalimu Wesley Kabaila
National African American Congress,
Chair
June, 2009