Page 19 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 21

Art & Culture

African descent) need to know who how to help her striving, we should
is sharing our main goals. make an effort and speak with each Africans have to unite across the
Through the lens of the Western other. It is possible to have different boundaries of spiritual or religious
world, we can easily get a distorted opinions on one topic and come belief systems. Everyone should be
picture of Pan-Africanism and all to an agreement on another topic. able to believe in what feels right
of its diverse manifestations. This Conversations can also help us to for them. And nobody should be
doesn’t mean that everyone has to understand each other better. Even facing discrimination because of
become Rastafari, but it does mean though we will not agree, but at their beliefs or the outer appearance
that we Africans have to value each least we can broaden our horizons that comes with these beliefs. Since
other because of our different and develop more respect for each Africa is the cradle of humanity,
perspectives. One of our main goals other. Learning from other Africans Africa displays a diversity that is
should be to tell African stories and their experiences is a form of rarely seen in any other place. And
from an African perspective and education which will permit us to yet, the shared history of colonial-
make a consistent effort to learn create solutions. ism, enslavement and discrimination
from each other without holding on in a white supremacist society, unites
to prejudice. 3. Music and Education us. For the wellbeing of the African
I believe that, if more Pan-African continent it’s worth coming together
minded people would promote their and finding African solutions for
And what can we learn from thoughts and an African centered African problems. Africa is for all
the Rastafarian movement? education through music, some the Africans at home and abroad.
Africans who didn’t even know that
1. Unity despite diversity they are Pan-African would discov-
Pan-Africanism and the develop- er the beauty and importance of
ment of an African consciousness Pan-Africanism. Yes, sometimes we
are on a steady rise. If all Pan-Afri- all do need music for pure physical
canists can agree on the greatness enjoyment, but we also do need a
of Africa and her People, it should stimulation of our brains. Imagine if
be possible to appear as a united singing along to your favorite song
front to the global society. That does could mean enjoying yourself while
not mean – I cannot stress it enough learning something.
– that all Africans and people of In promoting educational music, we
African descent have to become are walking in our ancestor’s foot-
the same and that everyone has to steps. Music brings people togeth-
give up his or her unique culture er. And African Music has been a
in order to be a part of a Pan-Af- means to tell stories, to celebrate
ricanist movement. It does mean life, to educate the children and for
that, we have to love each other no resistance since the early days.
matter our cultures and spiritual and Nonetheless, non-musical formal
religious beliefs. education is a main factor to the
(And yes, sure, everything that advancement of the African conti-
promotes violence should not be nent. For example, some Rastafar-
tolerated.) ian communities set up their own
schools, because they do not trust
2. Having Conversations the western educational system. And
The same as reasoning is a common as I said in my Article “The History
Rastafarian practice along different and Development of Education in
and like-minded people, having Afrika” it is about time, that Af-
more conversations and discussions ricans create an African centered
should be practiced by all different school system.
groups of Africans. It’s okay that we
do not always share the same beliefs, Africa for the Africans at home
but when it is about Africa and and abroad

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