There is a time in every man’s education when he arrives at the conviction that envy is ignorance; that limitation is ignorance; that imitation is suicide; that he must take himself for better for worse, as his portion; that though the wide universe is full of good, no kernel of nourishing corn can come to him but through his toil bestowed on that plot of ground which is given him to till – Ralph Waldo Emerson
DOORS OF NO RETURN
Ever since the first ship of African slaves as human cargoes sailed away, the search for an authentic African identity has been on. Along the Coastline of Africa, many “Points of no return” abound that signify the beginning of the journey of a people now known as Africans in diaspora. Even for Africans in Africa, colonial enslavement and mentality has eaten deeply into their lives and lifestyles. It is present in the eroding values and ethics, food, art, music, language, and culture. Many Africans are now searching for their African consciousness; And that search led the Centre for Black African Arts and Civilisation (CBAAC) in collaboration with Pan African Strategic and policy research Group (PANAFSTRAG) to invite about one hundred and forty participants to a conference aimed at further recovering African renaissance on a serene beach resort in Ouidah, Benin Republic. The conference tagged “Global African spirituality, Social capital and Self-reliance in Africa” held from November 4th to 8th, 2007, and was attended by scholars from around the world. Joe Agbro Jr. was there and reports
Advancing African rebirth and renaissance
Seeing his fair skin and body features, it is easy to guess he has foreign blood. Dressed in beautifully embroidered African outfit, it stands to be assumed that he is just a foreigner, one like many who love African clothings. When he is not wearing a cap, the little round growth of hair on his otherwise cropped skull glares in reminiscent of a devotee to
an exotic creed. However, at a closer look, his face offers a shock as tribal marks similar to that of Africans stand out like soft pelts. He is not your average mulatto! Over the three days he was at Ouidah, his Africanness became more pronounced with each passing day. “I can cook local food; I sew all the stuff I’m wearing, and I can even beat the drums.” He said displaying a beautifully carved drum. He continues, “I can skin a goat in twenty minutes and I can carve wood too. My mum taught me all that.” The way he danced to the beating of local drums with energy and vibes showed the African “spirit” flowing in his veins. Perhaps, that should not be too surprising because he is Olojede Olomo, the son of Olori leja OniIfa Iyaolorisa Aina Olomo, a professor at Texas University and an an Iya Ifa based in Texas who has dedicated over twenty years of her adult life to Ifa worship. “It is my first time in Africa”, Olojede says “and I have really found my roots here.” For American-bred Olojede, it was an homecoming.
Ouidah, the ancestral town of Voodoo spirituality was also a melting point of the slave trade while it lasted in the country. It was from places like this that European ships, loaded with human cargo began the enslavement of Africans. Hence, it was a dejavu, as about one hundred and forty participants from Nigeria, Republic of Benin, Brazil, Kenya, Niger, Jamaica, United Kingdom, USA, Ghana, Trinidad and Tobago, and Canada came to Casa Del Papa, a peaceful resort right on the beach. The motive for the gathering was how to move Africa to the place it rightly deserves to be. It was here that 36 academic eggheads of African descent or interest retreated to initiate a jaw-jaw for three days.
The chief host of the conference, Professor Tunde Babawale, Director and CEO of CBAAC Nigeria reiterated thus: “that Africa is the birth place of man is no longer news, that the continent also parades some of the brightest minds that the world has ever known is equally self evident. Yet Africa has not come to terms with self reliance”. He opined that the culture of dependency has overcome Africa. Hence, the purpose of the conference according to him was to “re-address this dependency manifested in social, cultural, technological, economic, and intellectual terms. It is our intention also to emphasize the significance of African spirituality.”
Professor Jacob Kehinde Olupona, a revered Nigerian scholar at the Harvard University, USA, in his keynote address titled “Sacred ambiguity: African spiritual, social capital and self-reliance” opined that religion cannot be exonerated from the predicament which African societies find themselves. According to him, “Africa has been traditionally associated, in the mind of the West, with exploitation, poverty, despair – and more recently with endless civil wars and terrorism. If we are being honest, we cannot ignore the fact that religion has been part of the problem. But there is a possibility – in fact, the necessity – that religion be part of the solution. As scholars, religious leaders, and public figures, we cannot stand by and watch. This must be every African for every other African. We must join the fray, we must save ourselves.”
Religion and Spirituality
And so, religion instead of spiritualism somehow turned to be the front burner throughout the conference, and nearly every speaker right from Dr. Lateef Adegbite, the Secretary-General of Nigerian Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs, (NSCIA) and Aisha Al-Adawiyyah from Women in Islam, USA, who by the second day felt she was threatened as the Islamic faith which she practised was often referred to as “guest faith”. The problem arose because of the absence of a working definition of spirituality. Hence, varied definitions by some participants clashed and this caused passion as most sought to protect their religious ideologies.
The compere, Dele Ashiru was most vital in helping to gauge the temperature and act accordingly. Dr. Grace Wamue-Ngare of Kenyatta University, Nairobi, Kenya, however defines African spirituality as “the idea of fitting into the community.” To her, “it involves communal participation. And the amount of participation is not important, but the contribution of everybody including even the lame.” She contrasted this “with the western form of spirituality which excludes people who cannot contribute economically to the society and are regarded as valueless or useless” unlike African spirituality which is “all inclusive”.
Also, interestingly, while issues of guest faith flaunt at opposing sides in Africa, it is African Traditional Religions (ATRs) that acts as a pivot in the crisis plaguing Africa’s Socio-economic and political landscape. And throughout the duration of conference, the Awise, was like the final arbiter on issues concerning Ifa. People listened while he talked. This was expected as de facto, he is the Babalawo of the world.
Economies in the discourse
On Social capital, it was consented that Africa’s technological underdevelopment was as a result of little appreciation of the link between technology and deep spiritual activity. In a paper delivered by Dr. Aderemi Ajala of the department of Anthropology at the University of Ibadan titled “Ifa divination s a diagnostic and therapeutic device in Yoruba healing system”. He said, “Ifa divination, being a system of inquiry made into obscurities and uncertainties is acclaimed to encompass a wide range of knowledge, which includes medicine, law, architecture, economy, communication, IT, astronomy, and many other facets.” He continued, “some people who attend churches and mosques would in time of problems start sneaking back to consult Ifa oracle. And the practice is they will park their cars maybe a kilometre away from the Babalawo’s place and walk down to avoid attention. Also, have you noticed how some ailments that orthodox doctors give up on and ask the patient to go back home.” He however feels there is need to further develop it to attain maximum efficacy in the area of diagnosis. To this, Oloye Professor Aina Olomo vented her resentment that certain limitations on the potency of Ifa as purported by Ajala was underestimated saying with conviction in her voice, “Ifa not being able to diagnose diseases. That is not true. Ifa can do anything. It only depends on the expertise of the diviner.”
Mrs. Adeola A. Faleye, of the department of African Languages and Literature, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ife, did justice to “The creative spirituality of Yoruba hairstyles and technology.” She showed that apart from the spirituality involved in irun didi(Hair weaving), the beauty of the hair-do is also unique and it is a veritable source of individual maintenance for the weaver.
Arts and Culture
Dr. Dani Lyndersay of the University Of West Indies, Trinidad and Tobago, who teaches theatre art, was expressive when she talked on “the restorative and spiritual dimensions of theatrical performances”. She cited instances where students of hers while acting “Sango” in a play were transformed as if in a trance. This “frequent transformation”, she said has led to banning of Sango drums in Trinidad and Tobago. However, with the ban came another instrument, “Ogun-Iron or steel pan” which was gotten by flattening empty iron drums used for bringing in American products.
African culture was also promoted in the form of dress style as participants were mostly clad in beautiful African designs. The Olomos were a shinning example in that regards and they were resplendently dressed in rich African fabrics and designs throughout. Other participants also reflected different African dressing. The Kwara state cultural troupe led by Mrs. Stella Oyedepo ensured that the academic discourse did not become too boring as it was spiced up with brilliant displays. Many that attended will not forget in a hurry how “catching and electrifying” the Sango dance was. At the close of the conference, the Olomos again showed how culturally rich they were in Yoruba tradition when they took turns at dancing to the drum beats of the troupe at the closing ceremony.
The life of late Afrobeat musician, Fela Anikulapo kuti was also brought into the discourse. This was by Eesuola Olukayode of the University of Lagos, who sees hope for Africans if they could imbibe values in ATR such as the late musician practiced. On critique of the late musician’s morality, he referred to Moses sleeping with his maid, Solomon’s and David’s many wives and concubines as facts in the bible, yet, these same men are upheld as great by Christians. So, “what is wrong with Fela marrying twenty seven wives or sleeping with many other women.” He asked. That analogy aligns with the words of Afe Adogame of the University of Edingburgh, UK that “we should look for the similarities that bind us, rather than focus on the differences”.
On the issue of economic liberation of Africa, the widely held view was a return to African Traditional religion. In the words of General Ishola Williams (Rtd.) of PANAFSTRAG “there are too many islands of black people doing good things. When do we get to meet?”
Kelvin Onaghise, a Nigerian and the secretary-general of the Edo state community in Benin who runs a gallery in Benin was there. Displaying his wares at the conference centre he says, some countries shy away from appreciating art. Referring to the Nigerian government, “our government is doing enough in tourism. That is why we are outside owning galleries here in Benin. Other smaller African countries are doing better in that area than us.”
The visit of His Royal Highness Alabi, The Onikoyi of Ikoyi in Ouidah on the closing day was emotional as he related how as Yorubas originally from Ikoyi in Ogbomosho, southwest of Nigeria, he found himself being born and bred in Ouidah. Brought as slaves, he narrated how his father ensured he spoke Yoruba, learnt the culture and tradition of Yorubas, and how he was eventually able to trace his ancestral home back in Ogbomosho. He told of how, now, the Yoruba people all over Benin Republic are being eroded of this culture, and efforts are being made to connect back. His tale was indeed touching and brought to the fore the pain of being cut off from one’s ties.
Resolutions
At the end of the conference, it was agreed in a communiqué that post-colonial Africa has failed to address the challenges of development, that racism is separatist, common in the western hemisphere and Africans, both at home and in the diaspora are being battered by slavery and colonization, and African renaissance will remain a dream till Africans start to teach African history and ideologies, imbibe African spiritualism, appreciate African arts and culture and promote African technology..
It was recommended that the concept of African spirituality be broadened beyond malignous African religion to include other religions in Africa, that there should be effective communication and collaboration among Africans and a discontinuance of western ontology to express social reality in Africa. Also, its civilisation must be recovered beyond Islam and Christianity, while African languages must be made compulsory and a revisit of the educational curricula in order to de-colonize the continent. The cultural policies need to be revised to incorporate African realities
To Dr. Akorede of the department of English at Adeyemi College of Education, Ondo, Nigeria, “the fear of the unknown and of the incomprehensible within the context of the indigenous and contemporary African worldview is a key factor underlying the attitudes and dispositions of the average African.” Kofitse Ahadzi, the head of research of Afrikania Mission in Ghana opines, “it is okay if you decide to be a Christian or a Muslim, but we (Afrikania Mission) have decided to go back to our roots.”
Touring the slave-route
A highlight of the three-day conference was the tour of the slave route where slaves were taken before its abolition. At Place du chacha where slaves, mostly prisoners from the Yoruba kingdom were sold to the whites in covert, there was a feeling of de javu and the route along which they passed where the men were made to circle the tree of forgetfulness nine times and women seven times so as to forget entirely where they were coming from. The slaves however, deployed a strategy of preserving their African soul by later circling a tree of remembrance three times so as not to forget their culture and to aid a return of their souls back to Africa when they died. According to the tour guide, they were chained on the neck, hands and legs to form a “chain guard” while walking and sculptures depicting stubborn slaves chained across the mouth and the legs was most moving. Once arrived at the seaside, the slaves could do nothing about their fate. Seeing the mass grave where about 40, 000 slaves were buried and the point-of-no-return, was further testimony of the colonial masters’ wickedness to Africans in collaboration with fellow Africans.
The next step
It turned out to be a stimulating conference despite the squeeze of thirty six papers in three days. But as loquacious Diane Stewart, a professor of African religion at the Emory university who was full of ideas and could not stop yapping with any listening ear said, “it is okay to discuss Islam and Christian, or any other religion, but what is crucial to me is reserving time after that to talk the politics of how our kids can live better”. She also believes the initiative by CBAAC for such a conference is very good but it should go a step further and with other relevant bodies so as to translate words into action
