Chinua Achebe: Lecturing the West in the Past Tense
Ikhide
Chinua Achebe’s publisher, Alfred A. Knopf has just published a disappointing volume of Achebe’s essays titled The Education of a British-Protected Child. They are old (well, mostly old) speeches sloppily stapled together. Almost all the ideas have been previously published multiple times, ages ago, with some freely available on the Internet. Achebe has said precious little here that offers fresh insights on the world's current condition.
Of 16 essays, only three were written in this century. The rest were written in the eighties and mid nineties. Those new to Achebe’s works may be enthralled by the power of his words but they will be better served reading his prior works; Home and Exile, Hopes and Impediments, and The Trouble with Nigeria. The same issues are recycled ad nauseam: Racism, colonialism, Africa’s humanity, Africans, African writers, James Baldwin, etc. Achebe's classic denunciation of Conrad’s Heart of Darkness has already attained ubiquity in books and on the Internet. I suspect the machinations of an overly aggressive publisher here, building a cash cow out of Achebe’s scrolls.
The essay, My Dad and Me, about Achebe’s father was first published in 1996, in Larry King’s book of the same title, but it is a tight-lipped reflection that is mostly devoted to Achebe’s great-uncle. The volume Hopes and Impediments already covers that subject richly and warmly. Similarly, My Daughters, although written in 2009 provides anecdotes about parenting in the late sixties and early seventies. It is a cute essay but the daughters are grown now; surely, they and perhaps Achebe’s grandchildren have given him enough to write about since then. The editing is sloppy. Several speeches from Achebe’s lecture circuit were poorly edited to adapt them to essay format. And the errors are unacceptable, Knopf should be embarrassed. In one essay, Achebe talks of his only meeting with James Baldwin in 1983; in another, the same meeting is in 1980. Furthermore, the official name of the conference sponsor changes depending on the essay. Achebe is a master story-teller, but you soon get tired of reading the same anecdotes over and over again. There is a recurring anecdote about confronting racism in a bus. In one essay, a bus driver confronts Achebe about sitting in the Whites Only section of the bus; in another essay, it is the bus conductor.
Achebe’s near-obsession with the West’s prejudices turns into a relentless chant: “Africans are people in the same way that Americans, Europeans, Asians, etcetera are people. Africans are not some strange beings with unpronounceable names and impenetrable minds.” (p126) It is a position that is sadly allergic to the reality: Our black leaders are compromising our humanity. As Achebe faces the West and insists on our humanity through clenched teeth, our people stand far away, trying very hard to look like the broken people that he insists we are not. Achebe’s words drip angrily like ancient history, words gone rusty in the broken pipes of Nigeria’s indifference. Missing is the Achebe who famously urged Nigerians to look inwards in The Trouble with Nigeria: “The trouble with Nigeria is simply and squarely a failure of leadership. There is nothing basically wrong with the Nigerian character. There is nothing wrong with the Nigerian land or climate or water or air or anything else.” Missing is the question: Why are things the way they are? Why are we having trouble managing change? Achebe shies away from that analysis.
We are living in incredibly exciting times and technology is driving a shift in global cultural transformation. Today, the notion of the nation-state as an entity is under serious review. The individual is becoming increasingly a municipality of one. Economic theories that assumed finite physical boundaries have ruined today’s global economy. African thinkers should be part of the conversation, and visioning a robust future for Africa. Even as we confront the West, we must also engage in honest conversations among ourselves about our contribution to this mess. Those that rubbish Africa's name today are not just white folks; black on black carnage is the rage of the day in Africa. Our leaders are openly savaging Africa; let us turn our rage on them.
This is not a review but a commentary on how Knopf conducts its business of publishing books. As technology continues to democratize and individualize creative expression traditional publishing houses will be tempted to employ gimmickry to rescue them from what they imagine is a looming irrelevance. It doesn't have to be so. There are challenges indeed but opportunities abound to use technology to showcase the talents and gifts of emerging and established writers. The unintended consequence of recycling the dated ideas of thinkers is to trivialize their legacy. That would be unfortunate and unforgivable. Professor Chinua Achebe deserves better than that. Finally, there is a lot spoken by Achebe’s silence. These essays are merely words that clothe Achebe in the silence of the bereaved. We must respect it, but as a child that grew up at the Eagle’s feet lapping up his every word, this silence hurts. Speak, speak to us great teacher.
kenneth harrow
in this case, only a small footnote or two, not so much by way of disagreement, but broader reflection.
first, there is very much of a one-way street in the global economy, where the powerful states or entities that dominate the market also dominate the marketplaces of culture and ideas around much of the world. what gets seen in the malls of one country--culturally, cinematically, etc--is replicated throughout the world as worldwide distribution networks seek to maximize their profits, killing off much of the possibilities of local culture to compete. thus small independent cinemas, or publications, struggle for the leftovers, while the dominant cultural mode levels out the responses of the rest of the world
it is the same with intellectual dominant discourses, and when ikhide says:
African thinkers should be part of the conversation, and visioning a robust future for Africa. Even as we confront the West, we must also engage in honest conversations among ourselves about our contribution to this mess,
i would argue that we need african thinkers addressing not only themselves, but the west as well--that the conversation is indeed far too one-sided, dominated in the same way that markets are.
in fact, ikhide's acute remarks are really a commentary on the marketplace, on the forces of the market, which function such that the publication of one of africa's major authors is markedly shaped by those same forces, even when that author sets about criticizing the west.
secondly, this list has become almost entirely centered around nigeria--alas. i would wish that its scope were broader. thus the malfunctioning of the nigerian state is all too often generalized as if it spoke for the entire continent. having lived in the not too distant past in senegal, i can tell you that that moderately modest state does not generally share the larger sense of despair exhibited here. i would strongly suggest the same re ghana, mali, burkina. things are not the same everywhere in africa; it isn't the case that all african leaders are bad. and most of all, i strongly disagree that a change in leadership is what is needed. leaders are the visible tip of systems that create and sustain them. (an example is obama)
the system of governance, for all its flaws, has worked better in senegal than in guinea, for example, for a long time, and for historical reasons that, according to mamadou diouf, account for how different groups of people have worked out modalities of living together that do not turn on the one dominating the other. for nigerians, nigeria sets the tone for the rest of the continent; but it doesn't feel like that to people who live in other countries, even if they see some similarities in some areas.
ken
At 07:43 AM 3/7/2010, you wrote:
Chinua Achebe’s publisher, Alfred A. Knopf has just published a disappointing volume of Achebe’s essays titled The Education of a British-Protected Child. They are old (well, mostly old) speeches sloppily stapled together. Almost all the ideas have been previously published multiple times, ages ago, with some freely available on the Internet. Achebe has said precious little here that offers fresh insights on the world's current condition. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />
Of 16 essays, only three were written in this century. The rest were written in the eighties and mid nineties. Those new to Achebe’s works may be enthralled by the power of his words but they will be better served reading his prior works; Home and Exile, Hopes and Impediments, and The Trouble with Nigeria. The same issues are recycled ad nauseam: Racism, colonialism, <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />Africa’s humanity, Africans, African writers, James Baldwin, etc. Achebe's classic denunciation of Conrad’s Heart of Darkness has already attained ubiquity in books and on the Internet. I suspect the machinations of an overly aggressive publisher here, building a cash cow out of Achebe’s scrolls.
The essay, My Dad and Me, about Achebe’s father was first published in 1996, in Larry King’s book of the same title, but it is a tight-lipped reflection that is mostly devoted to Achebe’s great-uncle. The volume Hopes and Impediments already covers that subject richly and warmly. Similarly, My Daughters, although written in 2009 provides anecdotes about parenting in the late sixties and early seventies. It is a cute essay but the daughters are grown now; surely, they and perhaps Achebe’s grandchildren have given him enough to write about since then. The editing is sloppy. Several speeches from Achebe’s lecture circuit were poorly edited to adapt them to essay format. And the errors are unacceptable, Knopf should be embarrassed. In one essay, Achebe talks of his only meeting with James Baldwin in 1983; in another, the same meeting is in 1980. Furthermore, the official name of the conference sponsor changes depending on the essay. Achebe is a master story-teller, but you soon get tired of reading the same anecdotes over and over again. There is a recurring anecdote about confronting racism in a bus. In one essay, a bus driver confronts Achebe about sitting in the Whites Only section of the bus; in another essay, it is the bus conductor.
Achebe’s near-obsession with the West’s prejudices turns into a relentless chant: “Africans are people in the same way that Americans, Europeans, Asians, etcetera are people. Africans are not some strange beings with unpronounceable names and impenetrable minds.” (p126) It is a position that is sadly allergic to the reality: Our black leaders are compromising our humanity. As Achebe faces the West and insists on our humanity through clenched teeth, our people stand far away, trying very hard to look like the broken people that he insists we are not. Achebe’s words drip angrily like ancient history, words gone rusty in the broken pipes of Nigeria’s indifference. Missing is the Achebe who famously urged Nigerians to look inwards in The Trouble with Nigeria: “The trouble with Nigeria is simply and squarely a failure of leadership. There is nothing basically wrong with the Nigerian character. There is nothing wrong with the Nigerian land or climate or water or air or anything else.” Missing is the question: Why are things the way they are? Why are we having trouble managing change? Achebe shies away from that analysis.
We are living in incredibly exciting times and technology is driving a shift in global cultural transformation. Today, the notion of the nation-state as an entity is under serious review. The individual is becoming increasingly a municipality of one. Economic theories that assumed finite physical boundaries have ruined today’s global economy. African thinkers should be part of the conversation, and visioning a robust future for Africa. Even as we confront the West, we must also engage in honest conversations among ourselves about our contribution to this mess. Those that rubbish Africa's name today are not just white folks; black on black carnage is the rage of the day in Africa. Our leaders are openly savaging Africa; let us turn our rage on them.
This is not a review but a commentary on how Knopf conducts its business of publishing books. As technology continues to democratize and individualize creative expression traditional publishing houses will be tempted to employ gimmickry to rescue them from what they imagine is a looming irrelevance. It doesn't have to be so. There are challenges indeed but opportunities abound to use technology to showcase the talents and gifts of emerging and established writers. The unintended consequence of recycling the dated ideas of thinkers is to trivialize their legacy. That would be unfortunate and unforgivable. Professor Chinua Achebe deserves better than that. Finally, there is a lot spoken by Achebe’s silence. These essays are merely words that clothe Achebe in the silence of the bereaved. We must respect it, but as a child that grew up at the Eagle’s feet lapping up his every word, this silence hurts. Speak, speak to us great teacher.
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the "USA-Africa Dialogue Series" moderated by Toyin Falola, University of Texas at Austin.
For current archives, visit http://groups.google.com/group/USAAfricaDialogue
For previous archives, visit http://www.utexas.edu/conferences/africa/ads/index.html
To post to this group, send an email to USAAfric...@googlegroups.com
To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to USAAfricaDialogue-
unsub...@googlegroups.com
Kenneth W. Harrow
Distinguished Professor of English
Michigan State University
har...@msu.edu
517 803-8839
fax 353 3755
xok...@yahoo.com
Thanks for the feedback. In terms of your thoughts, I would say fair enough, not much to quibble about. My thoughts and lately have been influenced by a persistent question: Why are things the way they are? There is an insidious form of condescension prevalent in Western liberal orthodoxy; I call it avuncular racism. When someone asks difficult questions about race, the debate is quickly shut down by howls of righteous indignation from the left. Everyone retreats for safety and the status quo remains. Why are things the way they are? Racism is a big part of it but it does not account for it all. My point is that as leaders, rather than immersing ourselves in a culture of despair, we should calm down, take a deep breath, inventory our unique gifts and learn to use our gifts to negotiate from a position of strength. It just seems to me that we are spending a lot of time these days on the defensive about our humanity. We are perhaps protesting too much.
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T
kenneth harrow
the problem we face in africa now is not racism. it still exists, but global economics doesn't care about races; it cares about capital. i don't see what good it does to distance oneself from the left, which is the only position of critique of those forces whose overall effect has been to ground africa into the dust in the past 20 years. you are right to criticize positions that are now dated, as you criticized the essays in achebe's new publication.but neoliberal economics have engendered and furthered conditions of economic imbalance, both within the continent and between africa and the world. let's drop avuncular racism: i agree 100%. but where do we go now in turning around the current conditions of economic injustice? i rely on those insightful political scientists, mbembe, mandani, zaleza, historians like diouf, etc, to inform me on how we are to rethink our engagement for today. and lastly, i work in african lit and cinema, and the recent works of the imaginary, to etch out the features of life today, speak loudest and sometimes are the best ways to think about representing conditions of life today. one thinks of sissoko's brilliant film Bamako--not for its arguments, but its cinematic images and dialogue; or Haroun's Daratt, an incredible statement on the issues of conflict and reconciliation. sometimes there is more "truth" about the world in the way people construct it in cultural forms than in any other ways
ken
At 02:03 PM 3/7/2010, you wrote:
Ken,Thanks for the feedback. In terms of your thoughts, I would say fair enough, not much to quibble about. My thoughts and lately have been influenced by a persistent question: Why are things the way they are? There is an insidious form of condescension prevalent in Western liberal orthodoxy; I call it avuncular racism. When someone asks difficult questions about race, the debate is quickly shut down by howls of righteous indignation from the left. Everyone retreats for safety and the status quo remains. Why are things the way they are? Racism is a big part of it but it does not account for it all. My point is that as leaders, rather than immersing ourselves in a culture of despair, we should calm down, take a deep breath, inventory our unique gifts and learn to use our gifts to negotiate from a position of strength. It just seems to me that we are spending a lot of time these days on the defensive about our humanity. We are perhaps protesting too much.
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T
Ikhide
Okey Ukaga
Editorial: Toward A Better Society
Okechukwu Ukaga
This volume examines a variety of factors that represent both challenge and opportunity for sustainable development; among which are: conflict management, security, natural resources, agriculture, and globalization.
Individual and societal conflicts are sensitive issues in Nigeria. However, while much has been written on commitment in Nigerian literature, its place in conflict management and resolution is still relatively new. In the first paper, Ayo Kehinde with evidence provided by Tanure Ojaide’s Children of Iroko, J.P. Clark’s The Casualties, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Purple Hibiscus and Half of a Yellow Sun and Segun Afolabi’s A Life Elsewhere on the relevance of literature in conflict management and resolution, deconstructs the erroneous claim that literature is not effective in conflict management and resolution. The paper argues that, while the four selected Nigerian writers treat the issue of conflict management and resolution, the main differences in their works are in techniques and the degree of passion that have characterized their writings. It is established that much of the interest which Nigerian writers have generated in recent years stems mainly from their focus on those issues of society which the people feel are closest to their hearts, particularly aspects of socio-political relationship. Nigerian literature exploits, with a new intensity, the perennial pan-national problem of conflict. The paper suggests that the writers recommend national solidarity and high morale in the face of extra-national enemies or rivals.
In the second paper, Aderinto and Akinwale examine the democratic process and security challenges in Nigeria since 1999. With data generated from a qualitative analysis of relevant documents, and using a combination of political and developmental theoretical approaches, the paper argues that threats to lives and properties, occasioned through escalated violence before and after elections, assassinations, kidnappings, arms proliferation, politically-induced ethnic crises, political use of the Police, have become endemic despite Nigeria’s return to democracy. Attempts made to consolidate the Nigerian democracy tremendously yielded adverse results largely due to unresolved constitutional crises, collapse of infrastructure, unproductive foreign assistance and exclusion of the public from active participation in politics. These gaps have contributed to the growth of different crises undermining national security and peace in Nigeria.
In the third paper, Ibaba examines the linkage between democracy and peace building in the Niger Delta. The analysis is predicated on three issues: (1) the interdependence between developments and peace building, (2) the linkage between democracy and development, and (3) the important roles Civil Society Organizations can play in peace building. The paper suggests that in the explanation of conflict in the Niger Delta, centralized federalism, ethnicity politics, and the politics of revenue allocation are not as important as the lack of democratization. The paper posits that Civil Society Organizations can act as vanguards to ensure political participation and accountability, which in turn are critical for peace and sustainable development.
In the fourth paper, Raphael Ogom deals with the regrettable abandonment of agriculture following the discovery of oil in Nigeria. From the 1960s through to the early 1970s, the Nigerian government cultivated a strong and competitive economy that boasted healthy exports of agricultural crops. With the discovery of oil, however, these crops were abandoned in favor of petroleum as the mainstay of the country’s economy. This abandonment, which found analytical support from the conventional argument that the salience of tree crop resources in an economy is a typical feature of economic backwardness, is unfortunate because it has resulted in the precariously mono-cultural state of the country’s economy, and its excessive dependence on a finite resource, petroleum. Focusing on oil palm production in the Niger Delta region, the paper recommends resuscitating and expanding these resources. This would not only diversify the economy, but also increase state revenues for development.
In the Fifth paper, Ephraim Okoro examines market globalization and its impact on Africa focusing on Chinese presence in Africa. With the surge of Chinese entrepreneurs and their businesses in Africa, it is critically important to explore the quality and quantity of products and the scope of services which China exports to Africa, the bilateral nature of economic relationship between China and Africa, and the effect of this relationship on Africa’s domestic business environment. Further, the paper examines the role of African leaders in their business partnership with China. It identifies a lack of balance in trade negotiations and agreements, an absence of social and ethical accountability in the conduct of businesses, a lopsided commercial exchange, and an economic burden on African development agenda.
Finally in the essay, A Swamp Full of Hyenas, Ikhide Ikheloa, reviews the book A Swamp Full of Dollars: Pipelines and Paramilitaries at Nigeria's Oil Frontier by Michael Peel. Ikheloa notes that Peel not only offered a familiar tale of the devastation of Nigeria’s Niger Delta by oil conglomerates and thieving Nigerian leaders with courage and conviction, but also makes the connection between the suffering in the Niger Delta and the material comfort in the West. Thus, even while highlighting some unpleasant events or circumstances, literature can offer motivation for us to envision and strive for a better society. Creating and maintaining a great society, in turn, requires honest implementation of appropriate strategies based on critical values such as rule of law, equity, servant leadership, and active citizenship.
Shola Adenekan
Okey Ukaga
FYI
*Contemporary developmental challenges in African small towns*
We invite articles for an edited book that will broadly explore the developmental challenges and issues of small towns (non-metropolitan) empirically, theoretically, and historically in specific urban contexts in Africa. We welcome papers, and are not restricted to investigating urban development in relation to: theoretical problems (sustainability and scale of development); ongoing environmental problems (urban sprawl, climate change, dwindling natural resources); land grabbing (formal and informal processes); public service provision and investment (health, education, infrastructure); economic dichotomies (informal and formal, urban agriculture, rural-urban linkages), urban policy and tourism development. We specifically encourage non-South African case study contributions.
If you are interested in contributing a chapter, please submit a short abstract (100-200 words) and title, indicating the type of chapter you are proposing (empirical, theoretical), and issue(s) you will be addressing in the chapter. The deadline for receiving abstracts is 15 April 2010. Authors will be notified by 15 May whether they may submit the completed chapter which is due on 30 November 2010. The manuscript will be submitted to a reputable publisher for publication. Proposed titles and abstracts must be submitted electronically to rdona...@sun.ac.za <mailto:rdona...@sun.ac.za> and mara...@ufs.ac.za <mailto:mara...@ufs.ac.za>.
/Editors: Ronnie Donaldson (Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, University of Stellenbosch) & Lochner Marais (Centre for Development Support, University of the Free State)/
__._,_.___
Reply to sender
| Reply to group
Cornelius Hamelberg
It’s heart-rending and I confess to a great disappointment in reading
someone like Shola Adenekan whose extensive experience covers
“freelancing for publications like BBC News Online, the Guardian and
the Christian Science Monitor” and recently interviewing Ngugi Wa
Thiongo the now famous African mind de-colonizer, and after that still
falling into/ resorting to the now ancient and all too familiar trap
of stereotypically lumping together so many disparate and well meaning
elements such as “ NGOs, politicians, soldiers Pentecostals churches
and Islamic fundamentalists” and others together under the blanket
accusations expressed in the usual profound / grand generalities
about non-existent realities/ categories of Master and slave (there
would be no slave if you did not have a master) “the arrogance of the
liberal west”, “the condescending and know-it-all attitude of the
left” that annoys Shola Adenekan most – that and all that is
pilloried on Conrad’s “Heart of Darkness”
As if in every modern do-good Westerner/ European Africanist (with
mild exceptions in men of empathy and understanding such as
Distinguished Professor of English Ken Harrow) lurks the uncanny
spirit of a Joyce Cary, neo-colonially hell bent on taking the Mickey
out of “Mister Johnson” represented by the various accusers who see
themselves represented in that light.
Lion roar! Tiger pounce and not just like a pussycat.
Reading and re-reading the points made in the exchanges/ dialogue of
understanding between Ikhide and Harrow, I myself come to quite a
different understanding and insight – quite different from Shola
Adenekan’s. I wish for a moment that someone like the very seasoned
Cameron Dodou were to enter into the four piece dialogue/ discussion
with the kind of input I anticipate, having read so many of his
articles since the days of the cold war. So it would be (Harrow-
Ikhide – on one wavelength – and Cameron Dodou - Shola Adenekan on
another – in which there would be a similar resonance - and perhaps
for good measure (extra flavour) we could throw in a wild card - Dr.
Ubuntu & the Encyclopaedia Britannica just to add some exotic and
unpredictable condiments to the sauce.
At least we would have the good sense to separate the wheat from the
chaff and stop forever protesting like boys and take our own destiny
into our hands in our own spheres, like men.
“And why should Caesar be a tyrant then?
Poor man! I know he would not be a wolf,
But that he sees the Romans are but sheep:
He were no lion, were not Romans hinds.
Those that with haste will make a mighty fire
Begin it with weak straws: what trash is Rome,
What rubbish and what offal, when it serves
For the base matter to illuminate
So vile a thing as Caesar”
I think the stereotyping of the good-willed and understanding
Westerner is being overplayed in this cozy USA –Africa Dialogue Forum
where it’s likely to get a lot of sympathy from Mr. Johnson and others
like him. But today Caliban can curse – yes he can – and is not
putting up with forever being impaled on the cross – in the name of
Jesus. It’s unfortunate that such barbarity is currently taking place
in Jos….
Today we have excellent well meaning and hardworking people like
Jeffrey Sachs – and there are sufficiently large numbers of his type
that do not fit into the negative categories - there’s him there’s
people like the late Susanne Wenger, Ulli Beier, etc, and their
contributions should be accentuated with less weeping and more joy:
http://www.google.com/search?q=Jeffrey+Sachs
On Mar 8, 4:13 pm, "Okey Ukaga" <ukaga...@umn.edu> wrote:
> FYI
>
> *Contemporary developmental challenges in African small towns*
>
> We invite articles for an edited book that will broadly explore the developmental challenges and issues of small towns (non-metropolitan) empirically, theoretically, and historically in specific urban contexts in Africa. We welcome papers, and are not restricted to investigating urban development in relation to: theoretical problems (sustainability and scale of development); ongoing environmental problems (urban sprawl, climate change, dwindling natural resources); land grabbing (formal and informal processes); public service provision and investment (health, education, infrastructure); economic dichotomies (informal and formal, urban agriculture, rural-urban linkages), urban policy and tourism development. We specifically encourage non-South African case study contributions.
>
> If you are interested in contributing a chapter, please submit a short abstract (100-200 words) and title, indicating the type of chapter you are proposing (empirical, theoretical), and issue(s) you will be addressing in the chapter. The deadline for receiving abstracts is 15 April 2010. Authors will be notified by 15 May whether they may submit the completed chapter which is due on 30 November 2010. The manuscript will be submitted to a reputable publisher for publication. Proposed titles and abstracts must be submitted electronically to rdonald...@sun.ac.za <mailto:rdonald...@sun.ac.za> and marais...@ufs.ac.za <mailto:marais...@ufs.ac.za>.
>
> /Editors: Ronnie Donaldson (Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, University of Stellenbosch) & Lochner Marais (Centre for Development Support, University of the Free State)/
>
> __._,_.___
>
> Reply to sender
>
> <mailto:rdonald...@sun.ac.za?subject=call%20for%20papers%20-edited%20book%20on%20Contemporary%20developmental%20challenges%20in%20African%20small%20towns>
>
> | Reply to group
>
> <mailto:TourismGeogra...@yahoogroups.com?subject=call%20for%20papers%20-edited%20book%20on%20Contemporary%20developmental%20challenges%20in%20African%20small%20towns>
>
> --
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the "USA-Africa Dialogue Series" moderated by Toyin Falola, University of Texas at Austin.
> For current archives, visithttp://groups.google.com/group/USAAfricaDialogue
> For previous archives, visithttp://www.utexas.edu/conferences/africa/ads/index.html
> To post to this group, send an email to USAAfric...@googlegroups.com
> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to USAAfricaDialogue-
> unsub...@googlegroups.com
>
> --
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the "USA-Africa Dialogue Series" moderated by Toyin Falola, University of Texas at Austin.
> For current archives, visithttp://groups.google.com/group/USAAfricaDialogue
> For previous archives, visithttp://www.utexas.edu/conferences/africa/ads/index.html
> To post to this group, send an email to USAAfric...@googlegroups.com
> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to USAAfricaDialogue-
> unsub...@googlegroups.com
>
> --
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the "USA-Africa Dialogue Series" moderated by Toyin Falola, University of Texas at Austin.
> For current archives, visithttp://groups.google.com/group/USAAfricaDialogue
> For previous archives, visithttp://www.utexas.edu/conferences/africa/ads/index.html
Femi Kolapo
I think useful Ken’s suggestion of the necessity of Africa’s intellectual and political leadership to continue to engage with the Left. This, in as much as the Left is virtually the only social agency left standing that continues to critically call to question in a logical and systematic fashion the totalizing views and structures that it would seem that imperialism has succeeded in selling to majority of African political and intellectual leaders as universal. This does not of course imply that the Left does not have it myopia as described by Ikhide.
If, as Soyinka said, a tiger does not display its tigritude, then, its tigritudeness must just be there. It defines him, imbues him with confidence—a times over confidence, as when it single handedly takes on an elephant. Its spots are inherent, non self-consciously part of him that makes him a tiger with jaws, fangs, claws, stealth, speed, appetite and deadly cunning. Also if imperialists of the left or of the right, of Ancient Rome, Istanbul, of Mali or of more recent Buganda and Sokoto all threw up hegemonic structures and ideologies to explain and justify to themselves and the world whatever they do from their powerful positions, then it’s not nearly their fault that they think and act the way they think and act. It is natural. Once they cease thinking and acting hegemonically, they lose their imperium. Hence, it seems to me that identifying racism as the major problem bedeviling Africans today implies that one would have to give over almost all agency in the transformation of the situation to the imperialist on moralist grounds. I don’t think it will work, and this is not to deny that there are strong anti-racist movements, programs and projects in imperialist countries of the West which are very helpful to Africa's struggle against imperialist hegemony. It is simply that imperialisms do not go without necessarily othering those who must be imperialized. They may abandon racism qua racism, but some other forms of othering must anchor their missions to help the weak and the poor. It does not seem that any imperialist has ever been able to help it.
To put it rather crudely, if African leaders, especially leaders of thought, do not or could not conceive of imperialism, globalization, Westernization, to be theoretically opposed in major respects to Africa's real -developmental - interests and that all the welter of interconnecting structures and ideas within which their countries’ politics and economics operate are subject to constraining webs of these forces that must need be busted by planned strategic actions, then they will in no wise ever consider themselves called to the duty of challenging the pretenses and dictates of those forces. Yet the solution to the ravages of any phase of imperialism on the imperialized could not be left in the hands of members of the imperialist centre, however benevolent and anti-establishment they may seem to be and however useful their support promises. The imperialized must seize whatever agency they have, and right since political independence and within the current moral climate of international diplomacy, Africa has had some agency opportunities which it seems that its leadership has mostly wasted, essentially because they have been unable to sustain the genuinely nationalist and pan Africanist ethos of their predecessors, ethos, which seem to me mostly to have emanated from engagment with the international Left . \ Femi Kolapo
------------------------
F. J. Kolapo, Ph.D.
History Department * University of Guelph * Guelph * Ontario * Canada* N1G 2W1
Phone:519/824.4120 ex.53212 Fax: 519.766.9516
kol...@uoguelph.ca
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the "USA-Africa Dialogue Series" moderated by Toyin Falola, University of Texas at Austin.
For current archives, visit http://groups.google.com/group/USAAfricaDialogue
For previous archives, visit http://www.utexas.edu/conferences/africa/ads/index.html
To post to this group, send an email to USAAfric...@googlegroups.com
To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to USAAfricaDialogue-
unsub...@googlegroups.com
Kenneth W. Harrow
Distinguished Professor of English
Michigan State University
har...@msu.edu
517 803-8839
fax 353 3755
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the "USA-Africa Dialogue Series" moderated by Toyin Falola, University of Texas at Austin.
For current archives, visit http://groups.google.com/group/USAAfricaDialogue
For previous archives, visit http://www.utexas.edu/conferences/africa/ads/index.html
To post to this group, send an email to USAAfric...@googlegroups.com
To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to USAAfricaDialogue-
unsub...@googlegroups.com
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the "USA-Africa Dialogue Series" moderated by Toyin Falola, University of Texas at Austin.
For current archives, visit http://groups.google.com/group/USAAfricaDialogue
For previous archives, visit http://www.utexas.edu/conferences/africa/ads/index.html
To post to this group, send an email to USAAfric...@googlegroups.com
To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to USAAfricaDialogue-
unsub...@googlegroups.com
Kenneth W. Harrow
Distinguished Professor of English
Michigan State University
har...@msu.edu
517 803-8839
fax 353 3755
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the "USA-Africa Dialogue Series" moderated by Toyin Falola, University of Texas at Austin.
For current archives, visit http://groups.google.com/group/USAAfricaDialogue
For previous archives, visit http://www.utexas.edu/conferences/africa/ads/index.html
To post to this group, send an email to USAAfric...@googlegroups.com
To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to USAAfricaDialogue-
unsub...@googlegroups.com
You received this message because you are subscribed to the "USA-Africa Dialogue Series" moderated by Toyin Falola, University of Texas at Austin.
Cornelius Hamelberg
Some of what I mean (and about the role of NGOs in Africa, Professor
Tunde Zack-Williams - ammeber of thgis Forum, is one of the experts )
In some academic quarters there was near universal wrath over Brother
Obama “lecturing” Africa during his presidential visit to Ghana. Not
that he said anything amiss, or anything that should not be said or
have been said, just that some bitter truths are so difficult to take
coming from other than a born son of the soil. Of the many relevant
examples of such we have the case of a very optimistic Bo Görnasson
who actually led a moral campaign against corruption in his part of
East Africa and this went down well with the victims of corruption but
not many of the perpetrators ( perpe-traitors); and in West Africa we
have the case of Clare Short and since we are now in the realm of
speeches and articles, there’s this particular speechin which she
addressed issues that continues to bedevil that unfortunate nation
especially issue of corruption which Gunilla Carlsson’s erstwhile
European Development Days guest, Ernest Bai Koroma is most assiduously
addressing even as you read this. Here is : More Clare Short
http://www.thelocal.se/blogs/corneliushamelberg/2010/03/09/yes-we-are-all-human-beings/
On Mar 8, 11:27 pm, Cornelius Hamelberg <corneliushamelb...@gmail.com>
wrote:
kenneth harrow
i said "left," not "liberal." even liberal can
mean a range, not a specific type, but given the
trashing of Liberalism in the USA, starting with
Reagan, we have seen that even that whipping-boy,
for all its hypocrisies, adheres to policies that
serve the broader population. in contrast, the
right serves the wealthy. that division
corresponds to international political divides as
well: the left, liberals included, are inclined
to demonstrate concern for non-western countries
and try to ameliorate the situation; the right
serves the interest of large corporations whose
desire is to maximize profits at any cost.
it is incredible to me how the ideology of
right-wing, neoliberal capitalism, which
maximizes exploitation of african societies,
should have gained any traction in african intellectual circles.
i agree, criticize the liberals as much as
necessary: they also benefit from the north-south
divide. but if there is to be any movement away
from the endless miseries of globalized economic
systems, it will not come from Shell, from the
horrible mining companies, from the horrific and
monstrous arms industries which are HAPPY to see africans destroy themselves.
align yourself with those who care. like amnesty
international, human rights watch, etc. those
organizations are sustained primarily by the
left. now tell me, who sustains the imf?? who is
it that permits and supports the flow of arms
into the hands of militias, and the flow of gold
and coltan out of the continent? who is it that
sustains the disastrous conditions in the east
congo? who is it that seeks to ameliorate those
conditions? maybe it is time to read Heart of
Darkness a little more carefully, because all
those shady, unethical, vicious types were skewered there as well.
ken
> For current archives, visit
> http://groups.google.com/group/USAAfricaDialogue
> For previous archives,
> visit http://www.utexas.edu/conferences/africa/ads/index.html
> To post to this group, send an email to USAAfric...@googlegroups.com
> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to USAAfricaDialogue-
> unsub...@googlegroups.com
Kenneth W. Harrow
Farooq A. Kperogi
1 Park Place South
Suite 817C
Atlanta, GA, USA.
30303
Cell: (+1) 404-573-9697
Blog: www.farooqkperogi.blogspot.com
"The nice thing about pessimism is that you are constantly being either proven right or pleasantly surprised." G. F. Will
Awomolo, Abi
On Leadership: Both the Right and the Left believe only one ideology can provide good governance - democracy. The Right assassinates or discredits any leader that thinks differently while supporting dictatorships. on the other hand, the Left send Electoral Monitors to oversee elections.
On Development: The Right declares, "open your markets so you can participate in free trade." As a result, they grab the best of Africa's industries at terms deleterious to continental progress. The Left says, "let's help you sell your arts and crafts. They are really cute."
On Aid: The truth be told, African states gained independence during the Cold War era when the concern of the West was to keep its empires intact. Thus, aid was given as quid pro quo to dictators who legitimized western ideology and not to responsible leaders who wanted to help their people. For the Left, only the boldest like Jeffrey Sachs tells it like it was/is. Others simply call for debt forgiveness on the premise that the 'bad boy leaders stole the money, let's not punish the people for their offenses.'
On Population: Both the Left and the Right believe Africa is overpopulated. To combat the problem, the Right forment war by encouraging or backing dissidents. The Left distribute disease through vaccinations and tie development aid to family planning which include forced sterilization.
On Haiti: The earthquake was predicted at least two years prior (albeit inaccurately) hence adequate plans could have been made for evacuation, refuge, restoration etc as is done in the West. Plus, U.S. marginalized other aid agencies so it could control center stage in the relief efforts. People ask why so much money has been poured into Haiti yet so little change has been witnessed. The answer lies in the Right/Left approach to resolving 'current' crisis in Haiti. Often, the Right chooses to create a wound while the Left brings the bandaids.
Finally, I agree with Professors Harrow and Kolapo that Africans need to review our own culpability in the crisis on the continent. Sure, we can't trust the West, neither can we trust some of us. In terms of a solution, I agree with the venerable Ngugi Wa Thiong O that we must educate Africans to relate with non-Africans on an equal footing. The state of education in Africa is deplorable and unless we understake serious measures to upgrade educational facilities and resources at all levels, we will continue to take a subservient position to imperialists.
Abi Adegboye, Ph.D
AfriChild, Inc.
Clark Atlanta University
________________________________
From: usaafric...@googlegroups.com on behalf of Femi Kolapo
Sent: Tue 3/9/2010 2:02 AM
To: usaafric...@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: USA Africa Dialogue Series - Chinua Achebe: Lecturing the West in the Past Tense
I think useful Ken's suggestion of the necessity of Africa's intellectual and political leadership to continue to engage with the Left. This, in as much as the Left is virtually the only social agency left standing that continues to critically call to question in a logical and systematic fashion the totalizing views and structures that it would seem that imperialism has succeeded in selling to majority of African political and intellectual leaders as universal. This does not of course imply that the Left does not have it myopia as described by Ikhide.
If, as Soyinka said, a tiger does not display its tigritude, then, its tigritudeness must just be there. It defines him, imbues him with confidence-a times over confidence, as when it single handedly takes on an elephant. Its spots are inherent, non self-consciously part of him that makes him a tiger with jaws, fangs, claws, stealth, speed, appetite and deadly cunning. Also if imperialists of the left or of the right, of Ancient Rome, Istanbul, of Mali or of more recent Buganda and Sokoto all threw up hegemonic structures and ideologies to explain and justify to themselves and the world whatever they do from their powerful positions, then it's not nearly their fault that they think and act the way they think and act. It is natural. Once they cease thinking and acting hegemonically, they lose their imperium. Hence, it seems to me that identifying racism as the major problem bedeviling Africans today implies that one would have to give over almost all agency in the transformation of the situation to the imperialist on moralist grounds. I don't think it will work, and this is not to deny that there are strong anti-racist movements, programs and projects in imperialist countries of the West which are very helpful to Africa's struggle against imperialist hegemony. It is simply that imperialisms do not go without necessarily othering those who must be imperialized. They may abandon racism qua racism, but some other forms of othering must anchor their missions to help the weak and the poor. It does not seem that any imperialist has ever been able to help it.
xok...@yahoo.com
What, for heavens' sakes were you babbling about below? How embarrassing! Please read what others have contributed and compare the tone and scholarship to what you have written below. It diminishes you immensely and you ought to be embarrassed by the outburst below. This contribution of yours was wholly unnecessary and disrespectful to me and those who put in a lot of sweat equity into what was promising to be a good thread. And if you ask me, this reflects extremely poorly on your English comprehension skills. Your characterization of my position (or what I understand the intemperate outburst below to mean) has absolutely nothing to do with what I stand for. You don't have to respond to everything. If a subject matter is above your mental station, simply leave the matter alone, go do something else, like read a good book on English comprehension;-)
Be well.
- Ikhide
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T
toyin adepoju
toyin adepoju
Shola Adenekan
Citizen Kperogi,
What, for heavens' sakes were you babbling about below? How embarrassing! Please read what others have contributed and compare the tone and scholarship to what you have written below. It diminishes you immensely and you ought to be embarrassed by the outburst below. This contribution of yours was wholly unnecessary and disrespectful to me and those who put in a lot of sweat equity into what was promising to be a good thread. And if you ask me, this reflects extremely poorly on your English comprehension skills. Your characterization of my position (or what I understand the intemperate outburst below to mean) has absolutely nothing to do with what I stand for. You don't have to respond to everything. If a subject matter is above your mental station, simply leave the matter alone, go do something else, like read a good book on English comprehension;-)
Be well.
- Ikhide
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T
From: "Farooq A. Kperogi" <farooq...@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 9 Mar 2010 15:26:15 -0500Subject: Re: USA Africa Dialogue Series - Re: FYI, book project on contemporary developmental challenges in African small towns
Farooq A. Kperogi
Suite 817C
Atlanta, GA, USA.
30303
Cell: (+1) 404-573-9697
Blog: www.farooqkperogi.blogspot.com
"The nice thing about pessimism is that you are constantly being either proven right or pleasantly surprised." G. F. Will
Femi Kolapo
there is a CNN story, “Experts warned of Haiti earthquake risk” by Brandon Griggs on Jan 14 that may answer the question of whether the quake in Haiti was predicted some time before it occurred. The following are its opening paragraphs:
"Scientists have warned for years that the island of Hispaniola, which Haiti shares with the Dominican Republic, was at risk for a major earthquake.
Scientists have warned for years that the island of Hispaniola, which Haiti shares with the Dominican Republic, was at risk for a major earthquake.
Five scientists presented a paper during the 18th Caribbean Geological Conference in March 2008 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, stating that a fault zone on the south side of the island posed "a major seismic hazard."
Chidi Anthony Opara
Intellection from most African writers? I dare say no!
For instance, when Negritude (a seemingly noble proposition) was
proposed, there were cultural puppeteers in China and Russia working
through the promoters(perhaps unknown to them) to whittle down British
and American cultural expansionism in Africa. The Soyinkan Tigritude
proposition (another seemingly noble proposition) and the Nobel Prize
was a hit back from the British (read also Swedish) and American
cultural imperialists.
Even now, when you hear “ABC Literary Movement In Africa” or “XYZ
Project of New Literature in Africa”, it is the same music being
played with new instruments.
This is the major reason why I read critiques and comments by African
Intellectuals with reservations.
By Chidi Anthony Opara
On Mar 7, 1:43 pm, Ikhide <xoki...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> Chinua Achebe’s publisher, Alfred A. Knopf has just published a disappointing volume of Achebe’s essays titled The Education of a British-Protected Child. They are old (well, mostly old) speeches sloppily stapled together. Almost all the ideas have been previously published multiple times, ages ago, with some freely available on the Internet. Achebe has said precious little here that offers fresh insights on the world's current condition.
>
> Of 16 essays, only three were written in this century. The rest were written in the eighties and mid nineties. Those new to Achebe’s works may be enthralled by the power of his words but they will be better served reading his prior works; Home and Exile, Hopes and Impediments, andThe Trouble with Nigeria. The same issues are recycled ad nauseam: Racism, colonialism, Africa’s humanity, Africans, African writers, James Baldwin, etc. Achebe's classic denunciation of Conrad’s Heart of Darkness has already attained ubiquity in books and on the Internet. I suspect the machinations of an overly aggressive publisher here, building a cash cow out of Achebe’s scrolls.
>
> The essay, My Dad and Me, about Achebe’s father was first published in 1996, in Larry King’s book of the same title, but it is a tight-lipped reflection that is mostly devoted to Achebe’s great-uncle. The volume Hopes and Impediments alreadycovers that subject richly and warmly. Similarly, My Daughters, although written in 2009 provides anecdotes about parenting in the late sixties and early seventies. It is a cute essay but the daughters are grown now; surely, they and perhaps Achebe’s grandchildren have given him enough to write about since then. The editing is sloppy. Several speeches from Achebe’s lecture circuit were poorly edited to adapt them to essay format. And the errors are unacceptable, Knopf should be embarrassed. In one essay, Achebe talks of his only meeting with James Baldwin in 1983; in another, the same meeting is in 1980. Furthermore, the official name of the conference sponsor changes depending on the essay. Achebe is a
> master story-teller, but you soon get tired of reading the same anecdotes over and over again. There is a recurring anecdote about confronting racism in a bus. In one essay, a bus driver confronts Achebe about sitting in the Whites Only section of the bus; in another essay, it is the bus conductor.
>
> Achebe’s near-obsession with the West’s prejudices turns into a relentless chant: “Africans are people in the same way that Americans, Europeans, Asians, etcetera are people. Africans are not some strange beings with unpronounceable names and impenetrable minds.” (p126) It is a position that is sadly allergic to the reality: Our black leaders are compromising our humanity. As Achebe faces the West and insists on our humanity through clenched teeth, our people stand far away, trying very hard to look like the broken people that he insists we are not. Achebe’s words drip angrily like ancient history, words gone rusty in the broken pipes of Nigeria’s indifference. Missing is the Achebe who famously urged Nigerians to look inwards in The Trouble with Nigeria: “The trouble with Nigeria is simply and squarely a failure of leadership. There is nothing basically wrong with the Nigerian character. There is nothing wrong with the Nigerian land or
> climate or water or air or anything else.”Missing is the question: Why are things the way they are?Why are we having trouble managing change? Achebe shies away from that analysis.
>
> We are living in incredibly exciting times and technology is driving a shift in global cultural transformation. Today, the notion of the nation-state as an entity is under serious review. The individual is becoming increasingly a municipality of one. Economic theories that assumed finite physical boundaries have ruined today’s global economy. African thinkers should be part of the conversation, and visioning a robust future for Africa. Even as weconfront the West, we must also engage in honest conversations among ourselves about our contribution to this mess. Those that rubbish Africa's name today are not just white folks; black on black carnage is the rage of the day in Africa. Our leaders are openly savaging Africa; let us turn our rage on them.
Qansy Salako
Chidi, my friend....what in Turai's world are you trying to say?
Must you write in poetry all the time?
You must know that intellectuals and Nwalimus are not the only ones reading you.
Semi-literate cab drivers like me read you too.....you hear?
And I nor know book, a beg.
Boy o boy.........I come miss exchanges bawku for this place over through in the past few months.
But who knew that I would ever become engaged in an undertaking that would make me become busier even than Obama?
Kwabby would gleefully tell us he received a dozen enquiries from fans each time his erudite thoughts were missing on the discussion menu for a couple days on USAAfricaDialogue or when they needed his deep wise counsel on a current hot topic.
Well, not one single enquiry I received over 3 months!
So much African love........I feel so blessed.
If you ask me (or not), I would wager there is so much intellectual racism going on in this group.
Like I care.
I miss myself.....that's all that matters.
B'ori Salako ba ti f'ore, abuse buse.....once Salako's chi proclaims good luck for the day, the rest is forgettable.
Ikhide, my Ikhi, you don read so much book so tey you don become your own Mwalimu.
But take am easy o.......the more book you read and critique, the more you invite critics from among your intellectual colleagues who don't read.
Meanwhile, what you are saying below about Alfred Knopf's latest publication package on Achebe is not as farfetched as it seems.
It is quite common in the world of artists including literary, movies, music, etc.
It is so common in the music industry, listeners seek out new labels/re-issues that contain only their favorite
song tracks for an undiluted enjoyment.
I do it all the time.
It is through re-issues that I get my radio hit jazz numbers that I listen to in my cab.
This means that re-issues (be it of books, essays, movies or music) are intended more for new audience/consumers who want them than for original serious academic evaluation like you are doing below.
For all you know, the new Knopf's assembly may be more suitable for a new reader who is just discovering Achebe for the first time or even a school.
A be, I lie?
“See” y’all in another 3 months!
QS
--
Chidi Anthony Opara
you write in poetry all the time? You must know that intellectuals and
Nwalimus are not the only ones reading you. Semi-literate cab drivers
like me read you too.....you hear? And I nor know book, a beg".
If I no write like dat, how una go take know say me too I dey? Anyway
sha, my people at Arugo motor park and Ekeukwu Owerri market have
already fined me for writing what they called "bombastic".
Chidi Anthony Opara
> For current archives, visithttp://groups.google.com/group/USAAfricaDialogue
>
> For previous archives, visithttp://www.utexas.edu/conferences/africa/ads/index.html
>
> To post to this group, send an email to
> USAAfric...@googlegroups.com
>
> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to USAAfricaDialogue-
>
> unsub...@googlegroups.com- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -
kenneth harrow
been off line, at african literature association meeting in tucson. great meeting, with lots of people, lots of nigerians!
i do not have other lists in mind. this list has offered strong intellectual debates, and my only gripe is that i am not into local nigerian politics, don't know the governors etc. i am very interested in what happens in nigeria, but my own personal focus tends to issues concerning rwanda, burundi, drc, senegal, cameroon; countries i have lived and worked in, or countries for which i have an amnesty international responsibility. but who wouldn't care about what happens in nigeria. it is important; but my interest is necessarily limited. everyone probably knows that going to irin gives information on african countries which is pretty reliable and comprehensive, but it isn't a discussion list.
it is up to the members of the list to pique our intellectual curiosity; and there are some really gifted people here whose manipulation of the word gives great pleasure. maitres de la parole, masters of the word, as they say.
best
ken