AFRICA AND THE DIASPORA

How many of us know that today is “Africa Day”? Or that on 25 May 1963, the OAU (Organization Of African Unity, not Obafemi Awolowo University) was founded? Well today is Africa Day and the OAU has decided to focus on “Africa And The Diaspora” and the following are my thoughts:

As a kid I thought that “Diaspora” was a person’s name but Diaspora (noun): a word of Greek origin from diaspeirein to disperse was used for the scattering of the Jews to countries outside of Palestine after the Babylonian captivity. So we understand it now abi?

There are two major fashions:

1. Diaspora via SLAVERY
2. Diaspora via MIGRATION

We, Africa, thank thee "Diaspora" for:

1. EXPOSURE: Having an education is cool and having an education in a very developed environment is way too cool. What’s more? You get to live and interact with people whose minds  live the technology you learn. This gives the Africans an opportunity to come back home and assist develop the society. Now aint this cool?
2. DILUTED CULTURE: the African culture(s) has been hit hard due to contact with the whites. It is good that barbaric, unholy traditions are banished but then we also lose certain values in our culture.
3. MODERN DAY SLAVERY/ HUMAN TRAFFICKING: Some of us WILLINGLY give ourselves to slavery in a bid to just be on the other side of world. It seems that if you do not LIVE in US, UK or other developed parts of the world you are suffering. Don’t misconstrue me here. I am just saying that it is not a “DO-OR-DIE” affair. Take it easy oh my people.
4. “REDUCED” RACISM: Maybe being in Diaspora has made the whites and other races mix to an extent that racism is seen as at least a “politically incorrect” behaviour. If you live with someone you see as a lesser mortal and it he happens to beat you in school everytime then...sorry he is a human...
5. BRAIN DRAIN: Don’t you agree that is the main thing eating into Africa? For instance in my paternal family where there are about 8 siblings, only 3 are in Naija while the rest reside in the US. The same goes for my maternal family where 3 are in the US with 2 back home. When I say these folks are in the US I mean they are all citizens, have lived all their lives there and are major people (highly placed doctors, nurses, academicians, et al). These are brains that could have been useful in our African society. Unfortunately, it is the same issue with your fam too...

People go always enter ghana-must-go bag waka go Russia sha but the real question is "what positive exposure do we bring back home?". So I leave you with the words of a wise man:

“The moment the slave resolves that he will no longer be a slave, his fetters fall. Freedom and slavery are mental states.” – Mahatma Ghandi


Note: I must have failed to address some important facts. Please leave a comment on your thought. Many thanks.

The Exodus...