Self-Confidence Key to Preserving Cultural Identity

By Lewis Machipisa

To many people, Africa is all about war and more war. Not that there is a shortage of conflicts on the continent, but that is not all there is to Africa. However, to shake off this rotten image, Africans, and the developing world in general, first have to regain their self-confidence, according to the WSF conference on culture and identity yesterday.

'Africa is not poor but our continent is presented as such. We are like people who are begging for solutions and financial resources,' said Aminata Traore, a writer from Mali.

'We should explore internally our own forces, and if we look in Africa, we find that each society has its own responses to the majority of the problems we are facing,' she said.

'But the dominant paradigm is ignoring what we have,' Traore told those gathered for the conference on cultural production, diversity and identity.

Speaker after speaker repeated that it is crucial to regain self-esteem as a starting point.

For instance, said Traore, ' the problem of debt is somehow related to the lack of self-esteem and self-confidence that we are suffering. It starts with our identity and culture.'

'Culture is not just about organising artistic activities. To me culture is everywhere. We can rebuild Africa in terms architecture, interior designs, in terms of textiles. We have a lot to produce. But we must stop looking to foreign countries, because for the time being what we are receiving is their old cars and old clothes. Africa is like a garbage bin due to lack of self-esteem and confidence,' she added.

A Senegalese participant called attention to the need to develop local languages. 'It's not easy to speak in a language that is not your own. Yes, you may speak French, Portuguese or English, but from cultural point of view, we cannot fully express ourselves. We are limited and this inhibits us culturally.'

But for self-confidence to be achieved, the enormous inequalities among communities have to be eradicated, agreed conference delegates.

A Brazilian indigenous man made a passionate plea for equal treatment of all people. 'Brazil is a rich country with a rich culture, but it is unequal. There are two Brazils: the slave Brazil and the master Brazil. The riches are not for all.

'We are not allowed to express ourselves. A culture of peace is needed in Brazil. Minorities are oppressed in this country but the media doesn't show this. It only shows what the elites want to see,' he said.

An indigenous activist from Bolivia complained of discrimination against his community. 'We live today in an area which doesn't even have fish because of the energy megaproject in the area,' he said.

Traore sees a racist element to the whole saga. 'Many people promote African culture without involving Africans. We always see things through the eyes of the dominant culture.

African cultural goods are so desired in Europe, but why is it so difficult for an African to get a visa to visit Europe?' she wondered.