Étiologie du drame africain

Title in English: Etiology of African tragedy in the European civilisation’s sources of values.                         By Dr. Priscilla Uche.

Essay in French based on  «An effective African Union for a new Africa » Topic for the celebration of African Day on May 25, 2005

               « The past is like light that guides our steps through                                                     the darkness of the future». (African proverb)

 Context 

With regards to Black Continent‘s disastrous situation, how does the debate on the African Union’s ineffectiveness amounts to focusing on the effects, rather than on the fundamental causes of African’s problems. How does political empowerment, as well as European’s sense of moral constitute rescue measures for Africa, for Europe and for the entire humanity?

Firstly, the essay gathers and exposes essential facts attesting the reality of ills affecting African people in different parts of the world, as well as in their Continent. It examines principal sources of European tradition in search of conceptual, ideological and cultural database likely to offer historical explanations to dramatic acts that are at the root of these ills. From the findings of this research, it stands out, as history can equally testify, that Europe has, on the subject of ills affecting Black Continent, elaborated and applied, time without number, uncountable political measures that have systematically failed. These repeated failures prove that Europe, according to Mr. Michel Rocard, has been on the wrong track: «que l’Europe faisait une fausse route dans la question relative au désastre africain». These numerous failures indicate furthermore that the kind of solutions applied are completely in contrast with the nature of problem from which Africa and her
people are suffering. Europe’s repeated failures constitute, in final position, tangible proof of the illusion to use material logics to resolve moral problems.

Secondly, after introducing different material sequences (political, ideological, cultural) as well as immaterial sequences (moral and spiritual) required to evaluate these sufferings and determine their consequences, the work proceeds to lay emphasis, through Black people’s dramatic situation, on the breach of human unity caused by acts of Slave trade, of Colonialism and of Apartheid.

Thirdly and finally, the essay goes on to highlight the importance of human unity by restoring human values within the framework of political and educational objectives. The philosophy of this essay upholds that humanity is one, that all human beings share the same destiny, that all elements of nature are interwoven and united with each other. This natural law explains why African catastrophic situation has profound consequences, not only for Black people, but equally for Europe and for humanity as a whole. In other words, if African disaster represents a desperate situation for Black people, it constitutes, however, cases of moral conscience for the western nations and stakes of justice, order and peace for the international community.

Today, these stakes and cases are calling for greater awareness of human unity. They are also requiring Europe to develop new African policies based on greater awareness of historical events at the origin of Black Continent’s drifting apart. The cases and stakes are equally demanding Europe to face her dreadful past by assuming her responsibilities in these acts, recorded in the Books of Justice and Right, as crimes against Black people, but of which, unfortunately, she has never, up till now, taken adequate measures (Pour une autre Afrique).
Objectives

This work defines human unity as one of the factors essential for building a fraternal, just, peaceful and prosperous world.
Intended for public at large, this essay tends to sound the alarm bell concerning Black people’s catastrophic situation; to disclose the moral crises responsible for this catastrophe, and to draw general attention to the impact of this moral crisis on the world’s peace and stability. It is in this optic that this work constitutes a discussion paper for the western nations.

Meant for public at large, this work aims, also, to heighten the average European’s awareness of Black people’s current plight, by offering him a new and complete database necessary to look differently at the human being behind the ‘black skin’; necessary to get into deep thought as how to give a significant meaning to the word « human unity ».

Intended for public at large, the essay insists, furthermore, on the interest to promote the spirit of human unity through by treating issues of injustice resulting from acts of Slave trade, of Colonialism, of Apartheid and of Racism; through by deliberating on Europe’s payment of her moral debts: confession and amendments for all the atrocities committed against Black people, and through by integrating the history of these atrocities in the western nations’ school Curriculums.
Author: Dr. Priscilla UCHE