‘The perpetrators of the terrorist attacks in Maroua in Cameroon were two girls, one of them aged between 13 and 15 years old.’
I could not help but think about this sentence all through the night that followed. Why? How? I thought of the Chibok schoolgirls’ kidnapping in Nigeria. I thought of the schoolgirls in my small town of Ngambè in Cameroon. What if one of them was among the perpetrators of these bombings in Maroua?
And I asked myself; after slavery and colonisation, is terrorism now the new calamity about to decimate young people? They should be full of hopes and aspirations. So what is driving the increasing numbers that choose to end their lives in such an incomprehensible way?
Admittedly it can take very little in one’s life to be indoctrinated, especially in these challenging times; both in the West with the recent financial crises and in Africa where macroeconomic gains have trickled down too slowly to the masses. More importantly, the push for volatile democratisation, individualistic capitalism and consumerist globalisation seems to have fuelled religious and political extremism, increased inequality and cultural isolation across the globe. In Africa especially, political freedom remains the privilege of a few while unemployment ravages the youth; they are easy prey for extremists of every hue.
It is against this backdrop – and viewing the perceived economic success of emerging countries’ economies like China – that we can now question the long-term viability of the so-called ‘Western’ model with its quest for unbridled growth and infinite progress or, at least, we can question the automatic ‘copy and paste’ of that model into the African context.
It is obvious that we need a new model, a vision that can withstand the obstacles we face and promotes a sense of solidarity amongst ourselves: in short, a dream for Africans by Africans in Africa.
In fact, as these challenges create numerous threats, they also create several opportunities. A new generation of young Africans (political activists, entrepreneurs, artists, etc.) now has the opportunity, by pushing forward innovative ideas, not only to open a new era in the world’s history but also to drive and lead it. One of my mentors has a habit of repeating this sentence to me: ‘You are incredibly blessed to be young and African today because a significant part of humankind’s destiny is going to be played out in this region of the planet’.
But it has now become obvious that we desperately need a new model, a vision that can withstand the obstacles we face and promotes a sense of solidarity among ourselves: in short, a dream for Africans by Africans in Africa.
With all the negative narratives and overarching feelings of hopelessness that trail the lives of many here, our generation needs a realistic dose of optimism that encourages dignity and perseverance so that we can believe that we can dream, do and achieve in Africa. By instilling the idea that Africa also offers the opportunity of harmony and prosperity, we can lay down the foundation of a new dream, a new ethos for our people on the continent.
Recent experience all over the world has shown that there cannot be closed islands of peace, security and happiness where there still remain pockets of marginalisation, inequality and discrimination.
But, how can we define this new ethos? Americans have their ‘American Dream’, Japanese have their ‘Wabi-sabi’ and Koreans have their ‘Han’. What about Africans? My sense is that ubuntu is our ‘African Dream’. Ubuntu is a Zulu term roughly translating to ‘human kindness’. It is an ancient philosophy popularised during the 80s and 90s by prominent figures such as Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu. It refers to the belief in a universal bond of sharing that connects all humanity. And indeed recent experience all over the world has shown that there cannot be closed islands of peace, security and happiness where there still remain pockets of marginalisation, inequality and discrimination.
So perhaps it is now time to come together as Africans across the spectrum of cultures and religions to embody the Ubuntu spirit and understand its central assumption: you can’t be human all by yourself and your inner peace and happiness is inextricably caught in the peace and happiness of other people around you and all over the world. As President Obama recently echoed late President Mandela’s thoughts, ‘There is a oneness to humanity’ and ‘We achieve ourselves by sharing ourselves with others, and caring for those around us’. Ubuntu aspires to order, justice and truth through a subtle equilibrium between the advancement of human creativity and the preservation of natural order.
It is also clear that – from palaver trees to tontines – Africa already shows tentative premises of Ubuntu in action.
The unique sense of interconnectedness as called for by Ubuntu has already been exemplified throughout African history. From Africa’s founders to Africa Renaissance pioneers, from Ruben Um Nyobè to Thabo Mbeki, including leaders of ancient west African empires such as Tunka Manin, Sundiata Keita or Mansa Musa, our continent has shown a strong commitment to the values of diversity, dialogue and collaboration. It is these values which underlie the philosophy of Ubuntu and which are so much needed today to solve critical issues like terrorism, global warming, rising unemployment that we are facing today.
It is also clear that – from palaver trees to tontines – Africa already shows tentative premises of Ubuntu in action.
Tontines work as informal savings mechanisms. Every month, each member would contribute a fixed share into a ”pot’ and, every month, a different member takes the entire sum, usually to take care of household expenses (tuition for a child, household equipment, etc.). Tontines exist throughout sub-Saharan Africa and, despite the rise of modern economies based on European-style banking systems, they are still largely popular among Africans. Tontines work, economists say, because their loans are backed by social pressure, a system familiar to Africans.
Therefore, it is precisely because of its Ubuntu component that African-type tontines have proved so successful so far and have inspired many other micro-financing schemes across the emerging world.
Therefore, it is precisely because of its Ubuntu component – interconnecting community members – that African-type tontines have proved so successful so far and have inspired many other micro-financing schemes across the emerging world. Furthermore, recent initiatives such as Ushahidi, which use the concept of crowdsourcing for social activism and public accountability, Jokkolabs, a leading Pan African network of collaborative working spaces, or artists such as Hervé Yamguen, are wonderful ambassadors of this Ubuntu attitude.
Moved by this same spirit, young Africans should now commit to building a more collaborative, sustainable and multicultural society for Africa and for the world. This would be a world where common interest, rule of law, merit and social justice prevail over cronyism, corruption, economic predation and intolerances of all forms whether they be tribal or racist. And the remarkable number of collective platforms and catalysers we have in Africa (@YALINetwork, the African Leadership Group and @leapafrica ) can only help.
History has shown us how the actions of few can create a collective movement changing the destiny of a community, a country or the world – for good or for bad. It is our mutual responsibility to inspire and educate people to act, in all aspects of their lives, in concert with social principles that advance this ‘African Dream’. The proactive engagement of each one of us can make the difference we seek.
So let’s give a little space to our Ubuntu ethos and make sure that this decade marks a step towards engaging in an open discourse about how to create a more collaborative, sustainable and multicultural society for Africa and the world.