The history of Africa is replete with themes on Slavery; Colonial and Neo Colonial rule; Poverty; and most importantly, A lower race. Pained by this situation an African child needs to raise basic questions as those asked by the boy in Oswald Mbuyiseni's poem "Boy on a Swing". Reflecting on his situations in the Apartheid South Africa, this character, as young as he happens to be, asks mind changing questions (please see the poem).
Today, are we African young minds taking the trauma of our civilization into reflection? Do we trust our capabilities to create a new history for Africa? So much that in the later days it would be said that we who were last have become the first. Is it possible? YES!!! But who shall do this for us?
In the years aback the Jews slept on the illusion that a certain messiah, as prophesied, would come safe them from Roman dominion, but no, Jesus came (even though many over there and here still await his coming or the coming of another messiah) their stand in the comity of civilizations was unchanged. Are we Africans awaiting a messiah?
History has demonstrated that only the oppressed can free themselves. Revolutions don't occur top-bottom, no, they occur bottom-top . As young people whose situation is highly determined by the older generation, are we going to sit still on the fences?
Let us get it clearly, the difference between us and the rest of the world is what they know and what we know not. Knowledge has been the dividing line and their material advancement is a product of their intellectual advancement. Can we educe therefore that our focus must not be to clamour for material possession, but build our minds - that is the crux. Once we achieve this mental liberation, which is the cradle of Many Revolutions to follow, then we have tackled the disease. We do not need guns or violence, we need only our brains.
Was Education not meant to build us achieve this? In truth, does the supposed education we get in our Ivory Towers and pre-tertiary schools meet this need? The answer is no. What do we do now?
We have to start here: we need an urgent educational revolution which shall redesign our schools for real education (we shall in a short while dialogue to identify what real education is). We the young people must by this realisation have a Let's identify the education we need, and then demand for it. But we must at all times realize that only the creative minority changes the world. This is my conviction.
Nice having you guys. Together we shall move the unmovable.