I think it is not an exaggeration to say that the African pattern of communalism is one of the best in the world. Although there is no system without its disadvantages, the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages. Come to think of it, in the African setting, especially in the olden days, a child was born to parents, but the entire society helped to take care of that child. That is the kind of system we practiced, and it was good to some extent, or should I say, to a very large extent.
Imagine a child misbehaving in public. Before you know it, the people around would first discipline the child before the parents even arrived. And when the parents eventually came, they would not dare scold those who corrected the child. Rather, they would thank them for stepping in and filling the gap. That is a typical African pattern. I do not know much about other African countries, but here in Nigeria, especially among the Yoruba people, they are very good at this.
However, times are changing, and people are changing as well. With Western influence and other factors, our culture is gradually being eroded and replaced by Western culture, which does not always suit our way of life. We are merely copying their pattern, and it cannot work here the same way because we can never be as original as they are with it. Fake and original will always look different, no matter the resemblance.
I was talking to a friend who lives in the UK, and he mentioned that it is difficult to scold a child there, even your own child, let alone someone else’s child. He explained how some children could be destructive, yet you dare not correct them because they might even insult you in return. He said, “I can’t imagine if they were in Africa; I would have slapped one or two of them.”
Should we then say Africans are backward for believing in communalism? I do not think so. There are many ways Africa may be behind, but when it comes to this system, I give it to us. Imagine someone sustaining an injury in public, many people would quickly gather around to help before you know it. I do not think that is always the case in many Western countries. Everyone tends to mind their business. The best many people would do is call 911. Every system has its strengths in its own way, but the spirit of being your brother’s keeper will always prevail in Africa.
I even remember the popular saying that “it takes a village to raise a child,” because a child is not seen as belonging only to the biological parents. In terms of selfishness and greed, communalism helps to reduce them, as people are often ready to help one another and be their brother’s keeper.
Sadly, I think all these values are gradually changing. What we see now are people bringing out their phones to record videos or take pictures when they are supposed to help those in need. Many people would rather use such moments to create content for social media. Everything has now been turned into content.
However, overreliance on communalism might also prevent development, and I think that is one of the problems Africa is facing. Our leaders have already capitalized on this mentality by making people feel they are doing them a favour whenever they share food during election periods, only to neglect them afterwards. It is sad and sickening.
What do you think? Which system is best suited for Africa considering the direction things are going?
A friend from Finland once spoke to me about the socialist system, where the government is largely responsible for providing social welfare, and people benefit greatly from it. He told me how his wife, who is yet to get a job, still receives financial support every month and can also attend school free of charge.