Africa—A Battle for Men’s Minds
“The Negroes possess some admirable qualities. They are seldom unjust . . . There is complete security in their country. Neither traveler nor inhabitant in it has anything to fear from robbers.”
Thus wrote world traveler Ibn Battutah, who visited West Africa over 600 years ago. His comments were about the black Africans that lived in part of the great Mali Empire ruled by King Mansa Musa.
How pleasant it would be if such reported conditions of justice and security could exist today, not only in Africa but in the whole world! Obviously, if such an account was basically accurate, there must have been forceful influences affecting the minds of those Africans.
Did you know that this period in African history, called the Golden Age, was marked by many intellectual developments among black Africans? One of the cities in this great Mali Empire—Timbuktu—was world renowned as a center of learning, of mental accomplishments. Sixteenth-century traveler and historian Leo Africanus described the city during his day:
“In Timbuktu there are numerous judges, doctors and clerics, all receiving good salaries from the king. He pays great respect to men of learning. There is a big demand for books in manuscript, imported from Barbary (North Africa). More profit is made from the book trade than from any other line of business.”
Many feel that such teachings and intellectual accomplishments were responsible for the reportedly high level of civilization and morality. Consequently, a number of persons today look to education, or to reaching the minds of Africans intellectually, to bring about a solution to some of the serious problems now plaguing Africa. So there is a battle on to reach men’s minds in the so-called “Dark Continent”!
Serious Problems Plague Continent
Most knowledgeable Africans will agree that much of the continent is faced with many distressing problems. Spectacular economic progress in some places is contrasted with the vast majority living in poverty.
Crime is rife in one African city after another. The town of Soweto, in the suburbs of Johannesburg, is reported as having “outrageous crime. Indeed, few cities, if any, in the world have a higher crime rate than Soweto.” In one month 145 murders were reported there!
As in other parts of the world, inflation, inexperience, greed and corruption have made progress difficult. In a special issue about Africa, Ebony magazine noted that “400 million human beings . . . are waging a total war against poverty, ignorance, disease and neo-colonialism.”
African Problems—World Problems
The problems of one tenth of the human family, housed on a landmass second only to Asia in size, are certainly going to affect the world community. This is especially so since that “landmass” is teeming with vital natural resources, including nearly all the world’s known supplies of gold, diamonds and chromite.
Nigeria is second only to Saudi Arabia in exporting oil to the United States. A third of the world’s reserves of uranium, 15 percent of the natural gas, along with 10 percent of the oil, are to be found in Africa. In an energy-conscious world, such rich deposits are not to be overlooked, and the shortage of such resources could have grave repercussions in industrialized countries. It could affect you!
To solve the problems, many black leaders recognize the need to reach the minds of the masses. Extensive educational programs have been launched in numerous African countries. Even the leaders have endeavored to convey the idea of such a need by calling themselves by the titles “The Teacher” and “The Guide.” Yet, education is not easy. Why?
Many Forces Vie to Dominate African Thinking
“Tribalism is the scourge of Africa,” remarked President Felix Houphouet-Boigny of the Ivory Coast. Tribalism is a strong mental force that breeds conflict. It is a fervent loyalty to the tribe of one’s birth. While a person may manifest kindness and honesty toward a member of his own tribe, he often feels distrust, perhaps even animosity, toward someone of another tribe. An Associated Press release from one African country reports that “tribalism has become the main complication in virtually every African conflict.”
Similarly, many have strong feelings against persons of another race. Racial tensions mount throughout Africa. One white businessman living in a racially strained area thus described the situation: “It’s like having a bomb in your backyard.”
Also, the surge of modern materialism into African society cannot be ignored. Many Africans have, for the most part, abandoned old customs and now build a culture around the benefits of modern technology. Their whole quest in life is to enrich themselves with all the conveniences of a new age. In many sections of Africa, money rules as an unfeeling “king,” and persons will resort to almost anything—stealing, killing, cheating, and so forth—to get it! So the flood of materialism also assaults the African’s mind.
Another powerful force that vies for control in African thinking is nationalism. Black political figures have endeavored to unify their countrymen by creating a sense of loyalty to the nation. Many African countries have just recently obtained self-rule, and many persons are filled with an inner pride because of the accomplishment.
So the forces of tribalism, materialism and nationalism have not solved Africa’s problems. Why not? Because, as many discerning Africans realize, minds need to be trained in other areas, if ever there is to be a semblance of genuine peace and unity.
Proper Instruction Needed About What?
“WANTED: A CODE OF CONDUCT FOR ALL NIGERIANS.” This headline glared in a recent newspaper from Africa’s most populous country. The article that followed deplored the lack of high morals or proper ethics among many in the nation. Despite the advances in education and technology, it commented: “All Nigerians must think again. A country must live by a minimum code of ethics if it is to survive as a nation.” Why so?
One African journalist bemoaned:
“We have spent enormous sums building roads and highways, but we can no longer travel on them with much hope that we will reach our destination in safety. The walls of our homes are even less likely to protect us. . . . All of us live in fear for our lives and lives of our loved ones. That is what it means to be a Nigerian today. And what manner of life is this?”
What is recommended as a solution? The above-quoted newspaper urged: “Consequently developing nations have to make more cautious attempt to change the mentality of their people.” (Italics ours.)
Yes, the “mentality” of people needs changing so that they can develop a proper “code of conduct.” But such education is not easy. Persons can be taught to read and write. But to teach morals requires reaching not only the mind but also the very heart. In attempting to legislate such morals, government officials, battling to reach African minds, have viewed the project as trying to “attempt the impossible.” Yet, such instruction is crucial.
Strong families create strong towns and cities which, in turn, create strong nations. For this reason, one Black Muslim leader urged “the restoration of the family as the basic unit of our society.” (Italics ours.) So instruction is needed to help strengthen the steadily eroding African family. Especially is there a need to train children, for 45 percent of the African population are under 15!
Critically needed is proper instruction about the right attitude to have toward a person of another tribe or race. As we have seen, tribalism and racism have splintered much of Africa. A report about conditions in one country concluded by expressing this hope: “May black hand clasp white in friendship and give Rhodesia peace to match the beauty of the land.”
For a land or nation to be truly beautiful, people must get along with one another. But minds would have to be reached into very deeply to bring about such fellowship. Love, along with proper morals, cannot be legislated. So the most important instruction must effect proper morals, strengthen the family and develop real love between people of different tribes and races.
“An impossibility!” exclaim many. Yet such instruction not only is possible but is actually being successfully accomplished by persons in at least 41 African countries along with the neighboring islands. Who are doing this work? How successful are their methods? Why were the closing months of 1978 of outstanding importance in this massive teaching program? Read with interest the answers in the following article.