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Is Democracy An Affront To
Our African Culture Our The reverse?
By: Saliho A. Donzo
18 January, 2012
 Let
take a bit of introspection to some historical backgrounds
of the term democracy. Modern democracy might have started
with the a popular rebellion against the monarchy in England
(1642), which was brought to a climax/highlight by the
execution of King Charles I…
Later an inspiration led and guided largely by political
philosophers, notably the French philosopher Montesquieu and
Jean Jacques Rousseau, and the American statesmen Thomas
Jefferson and James Madison played pivotal/key role in the
fight to establish modern democracy . Before the end of the
19th century, every important Western European monarchy had
adopted a constitution limiting the power of the Crown and
giving a considerable share of political power to the
people. They held the view that all men are created equal,
that they are endowed by their Creator with certain
unalienable Rights that among these are Life, Liberty, and
the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights,
Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just
powers from the consent of the governed.
That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of
these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to
abolish it, and to institute new Government, having its
foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in
such form, as to them shall seem most likely to affect their
Safety and Happiness..(Microsoft ® Encarta ® 2009).
On the other hand, most scholars believed that African moral
values and principles derive from religion, implying that
African morality is, thus, a religious morality (Opoku,
1978: 152), Danquah (1944: 3), Sarpong (1972: 41), Busia
(1967: 16), Parrinder (1969: 28–9), Idowu (1962: 146). The
claim implies in turn that the moral beliefs and principles
of the African people derive from those of religion, that
religion provides the necessary justification for moral
values and beliefs, and that moral concepts, such as good,
bad, right and wrong, are defined (or, must be defined) in
terms of religious prescriptions or commands…
This piece of work is seriously concern with recent effort
anticipated by some Liberian to support the issue of Gay
Right, and relentless/harsh statements made by the western
leaders in defense of “Homosexuality/Gay Right”. Especially
the statement ‘No gay right, no aid’ (technically addressed
to Africa).
Have we as Africans, mortgaged/loaned our moral values ?
Maybe I can conjecture/guess a bit and say yes, that we have
sold our values for international aids, and ways of life
making our own culture to lingered in an everlasting
lag/delay.
Somebody somewhere will like to wonder over the expression
“everlasting lag or endless delay.” In the first place we
embarrassed our culture by allowing the westerners to
intrude, and manifest a system that will determine our
destiny in a way that they want it to be, we saw it and
accepted it, only few went against it, and majority of those
few who went against it, most often meet their untimely
death orchestrated by them, and implemented by our own
people.(see the death of Gaddafi, also read online Mary
Kimani article “the pursuit of justice or western plot?
www.africarenewal.com) this is an extract of the article
“The ICC “has been put in place only for African countries,
only for poor countries,” Rwandan President Paul Kagame told
reporters. “Every year that passes, I am proved right.…
Rwanda cannot be part of colonialism, slavery and
imperialism.” Jean Ping, the president of the AU Commission,
told the French radio network RFI that the “ICC always
targets … Africans. Does it mean that you have nothing on
Gaza? Does it mean you have nothing [on the] Caucasus? Does
it mean that you have nothing on the militants in Colombia?
There is nothing on Iraq? We are raising this type of
question because we don’t want a double standard.”/ From
Africa Renewal, October 2009, page 12 ).
Yes! we sold our values for democracy , in exchange for
foreign aid, this was clearly noticeable when recent
statements imitating from the U.S. and the UK, calling on
all to approve gay rights, in the name of democracy, because
that is their life and their own happiness , so nobody
should reduce them to insult or assault , they should be
given equal rights and protections under the law, because
this is embedded in the values of democracy. You cannot
accept one portion of democracy and reject the other. when
it is time to remove your president whom you regard as
despot/tyrant you agree and appreciate democracy, because it
is in your favor(see the Arab spring case study northern
Africa), but when it is not in your favor , then you
denounce/condemn democratic values. So it would have been
better for you/Africans not to entrapped yourselves in this
game of the west.
WHERE DOES AFRICAN STANDS ON THE ISSUE OF GAY RIGHT?
Most of us Africans will say NO to this gay right thing,
because it contravenes/violates our cultural values, but
minority would say “as long as it is to satisfies certain
individuals right base on their own mutual consent, then it
is right or legal under democratic values…
What should we do ?
Now that we have engendered ourselves to be victim of this
game over the past more or less 50 years, the question that
is being asked by many is that “are there ways out for us ?”
Emphatically, I will say yes, but the price is going to be
huge and it takes our collective actions as people from a
single continent; because the west is using simply what they
have to get what they need. The notion of most of our
brethren is that, we need the west more than they need us,
but I can ardently say No! this notion is fake/false! but
instead they have created a system that make us look more
dependent on them, and we have fallen preyed to this system,
but we can prove it wrong. Other great nations today have
done it, and today they are some of the greatest and
respectful nations , remember again, the price will surely
be costly, we need to be decisive as Africans and
non-sectarian in our approach towards this end if we want to
engage the process . Maybe we could use China, Saudi Arabia,
and the creation of CELAC as a case study.
HOW DID CHINA REGAIN HER RESPECTS?
China is now the world's second biggest economy and the
largest exporter of goods, with 9.6% of the global share,
followed by Germany, the United States and Japan. China has
an income per capita of $4,400 in current dollars and is
well established as a high-middle income country. China's
foreign reserves, which now exceed $3 trillion, are the
largest in the world (www.bbc.com/business).
Behind this rise, there has been a dramatic structural
transformation entailing rapid industrialization, a massive
movement out of agriculture, and an impressive stretch of
trade-related growth. This status is not a gift from nature
to China, but instead the Chinese decided to ‘cross their
Rubicon.’ Taking a decisive step and not turning back.
At a certain point in history ,the international community
chose Taiwan to be the sole representative of the Chinese
people instead of Chairman Mao’s China. It took 26 years,
when on October 1971, for the UN to pass resolution 2758 .
China was admitted and on its terms it refused to be a
member if it didn’t have a vote right. When the demand was
met and the resolution tabled, it still took a year for the
Chinese foreign minister to respond in writing to the UN
Secretary General on 29 September 1972, a letter which
didn’t say yes or thank you, but spelt out guarantees
required for China’s dignity to be respected. During this 26
years the Chinese focused more on making them selves self
dependent and more productive than ever before , making
maximum use of what ever they had in order to regain
international respect , This was how china came on the spot
light. china did this regardless of their huge population
and today she is enjoying this international privilege.
Saudi Arabia Case:
The second scenario was explained by Donald Neff (a
journalist for more than forty years. He spent 16 years in
service for Time Magazine and is a regular contributor to
Middle East International and the Washington Report on
Middle East Affairs.) and John Perkins in his book “the
confession of an economic hit man “ said that members of
Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries or the
OAPEC (consisting of the Arab members of OPEC, plus Egypt,
Syria and Tunisia) proclaimed an oil embargo. This was "in
response to the U.S. decision to re-supply the Israeli
military worth about 2,2 billion". By January 18, 1974, U.S.
Secretary of State Henry Kissinger had negotiated for an
Israeli troop withdrawal from parts of the Sinai.
The promise of a negotiated settlement between Israel and
Syria was sufficient to convince Arab oil producers to lift
the embargo in March 1974. By May, Israel agreed to withdraw
from some parts of the Golan Heights. The action caused an
economic earthquake around the world, according to many,
this embargo increased the unemployment and contributed to
the deepest recession that America have had in the postwar
World War II period." After embargo, the U.S. then,
recognized the important of Saudi Arabic. In an attempt for
such oil crisis not to repeat, the U.S. swiftly made a
contract with the Royal House of Saudi, protecting the
family rule, as long as the country can guarantee being a
major supply hub of oil to the U.S. Besides, the U.S. agreed
to build infrastructures and other basic services for the
people of Saudi Arabia, respecting their religion and
cultural values. This agreement, based on the protection of
mutual interest , has enormously contributed to the present
role the Saudis are playing in regional and International
Politics.
The case with the Community of Latin American and
Caribbean States (CELAC).
Similarly, I strongly hold the view that the historic
founding of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean
States (CELAC) in Caracas, Venezuela on Friday Dec 2 and
Saturday Dec 3, 2011. Is aimed that doing just what those
nations listed supra did. That which Africa is afraid to do.
I drew this view from a statement made by the Venezuelans
president during the creation of ( CELAC), when he said “For
how long are we going to be the backwards periphery,
exploited and denigrated/belittled? Enough! Here we are
putting down the fundamental building block for South
American unity, independence and development. If we
hesitate, we are lost!” said Venezuelan president and
official host of the inauguration Hugo Chávez.
This move by them, further remind me of a statement issued
by Dr. H. Boimah Fahmulai when he said “The African people
are their own liberator” when he appeared before the
Liberian (Truth and Reconciliation Commission ) TRC. I
wholly agreed with him, because during the time of
oppression, when the oppressed do not speak out his mind,
the oppressor will always continue his tyrannical act. So it
is time for Africans to show to the world that we are a
group of independent nations, and by the virtues of this
fact, our decisions are not going to be influence by our so
call international partners, who are only friendly with us
just because they simply want to protect their interest at
our detriment.
We need to speak against western instruction on our
continent , we need more Ahmed Sekou Toure, More N’kromanist,
more Leoperd Sida Sagors and more of those young Africans
who believe in the Gaddafic Vision of an African Solidarity.
Until then, the white men will always come on our continent
with beautiful ideas and fake economic forecasting and
realistic solutions to them. They will always come as
humanitarians organizations helping the downtrodden masses,
building infrastructures and so on, but I want you to
remember that those infrastructures are going to be build by
their own engineers so that the capital that they brought in
your country will go back to their country in the form of
salaries to the contractors, but nevertheless the physical
feature of those developments will be present on your land.
Now the open secret is that, those infrastructures are traps
, in order to gain your vote as a less developed country(
LDC) in time of their need. In a case they want to build a
military base on your continent you will be the fist to
accept it, because you have their infrastructures helping
the masses of your people. For this reason we as Africans
are always second to any motion emanating from them.
Our representation as a continent with a permanent seat in
the U.N. Should be a necessity. Because if this happens The
U.K, USA, France, etc will not easily ride on us to accept
what is a best practice by them. We as African have our own
ways of life which is completely different from the western
styles. Yes! we accept democracy, which gives us the courage
to change with changing time, and hold firm to unchanging
principles… in most of our African cultures , it is an
abomination (an outrageous act , an indignation or a
disgrace) to us, as a group to give Gays and Lesbians
recognitions which the USA and the UK are vehemently
campaigning for, accompanying by words of treats to stop
their supports to nations refusing.
But I can say, let no African nation be carry away by this
gambit/strategy, they need you more then you think you need
them. If they can stop aid to Africa, trust me this will be
the beginning of our freedom… The persistent/unrelenting
messages from the west to the world especially Africa to
give Gays and Lesbians rights, contravenes the
tenet/principles of the same democratic value. Remember
“….That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted
among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent
of the governed. That whenever any Form of
Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the
Right of the People to alter or to abolish it….“
Their unrelenting messages will reduce most aid dependent
African Leaders in accepting this message without the
consent of the governed. And this, trust me, will be a fine
recipe for the majority to abolish many regimes on our
already fragile continent . from this point , I think it is
undemocratic for the minority will to supersede the will of
the masses because of western influences…
What is disgusting is that, nations that claimed to be a
Christian nations, and from where Christianity is claimed to
have originated, before reaching our continent are blindly
supporting such an abomination…
NOW ! TO ALL LIBERIANS, SAY “NO!”, TO GAYS RIGHT.
Saliho A. Donzo
donzonic2g3@yahoo.com,
sdonzo@mopea.gov.lr
Mamba Point, Monrovia, Liberia
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