Changing times call for change in attitude
Ndigo Naka (for Related by Humanity) - Wednesday, January 5th, 2011 at 11:42 AM
Like most people I know, I too think that 2010 was a challenging year in many aspects and things are going to be equally challenging in 2011; not only because of the Global Financial disaster, the Haiti earthquake and the rippling effects that these events have on our local economy, but also because of what is happening in our society with regards to the subtle undermining and disregard of civil liberties and human rights that manifest as discourtesy and disrespect in most instances, regardless of where such behavior takes place.
When things happen on a subtle level, we tend to pretend that they don’t really matter or merit public discussion, but it’s these subtle nuisances that eat away at our social fabric like a cancer, causing a slow demise of our nation’s human development health. If we should pause for a moment and take stock of where we are with our attitude towards “cultural diversity”, for instance, we will find that certain “myths” still hamper our progress. It is a myth to think that anyone is better than another, based on appearances or status.
It was not so long ago that we had the so-called “Rasta Law” repealed, when the New Constitution’s Bill of Rights made it illegal to discriminate against people wearing a particular hairstyle. Now, in my book, we should not have to have laws dictating what hairstyles people should or shouldn’t have, as was the case prior to 2007. Still, that being as it may, a mere change in the law does not automatically create a change in attitude, and there are still those who find it convenient to hold on to their old prejudices as if it gives them some sense of moral superiority or security.
Cultural diversity and bio-diversity are not destroyed by either Laws or attitude, so it is in our best interest to learn to accept and live with Natural differences, and make the most of what we have. Accepting people who are in some way, different from ourselves, is to open our eyes to the bigger picture, broaden our horizon and expand our intelligence. Instead of judging people based on personal prejudice, it is better to use wisdom to discern what is positive or negative about someone; wisdom and experience. Stereotyping is not only an injustice to the person being stereotyped, but an injustice against the person who is practicing it, because they limit themselves to prejudice instead of opening their eyes to the possibilities and potential of what the other person has to offer that could be of benefit to society as a whole.
To make my point, I am going to use the analogy of a Pot Luck Party, where everyone is asked to bring a dish. If everyone brought the same dish, say the same pot of Peas and Rice, and there was no variety of ‘salt ting’, no Veggies, no Sides, no Dessert, the meal would be seriously lacking indeed, and everyone would push out their mouths in displeasure and say what a waste it was to end up with twenty pots of Peas and Rice and nothing else to ‘carry it off’. It would be the same effect if everyone brought only Ham, or Turkey, or even Johnny Cakes. It is often said that “variety is the spice of life”, and when it comes to food, this is quite obvious. But when it comes to people, it is not so obvious, or appreciated.
I would like to challenge all of us to make an effort this year, 2011, to be more ‘open-minded’ towards people who we see as being different from us. We all need not look alike, sound alike, or have the same educational background or experiences to make valid contributions to our social development. We don’t all need to have a bald head, or sport a long weave, or a fancy cut, or have locks that reach down to the ground to be able to sit at the same table and partake in the problem solving exercise as part of our nation-building processes. We don’t have to be in the same age bracket either. We need to rethink how we deal with people and cut back on the tendency to ‘write off’ people as being too young, too old, too this or too that, based on our personal prejudices. At the end of the day, despite our cultural or other differences, “we’re all in this together”. Everyone has value, and some may be more insightful than others, based on their level of consciousness or awareness of certain situation. We can all learn something from someone with a different view point. We need to control our own prejudices more than we need to try and control others.
I trust and hope that as the year unfolds, we will get our acts together with all the social issues that need to be addressed, get some progress on those that have been addressed but not improved, and in general, become a more socially progressive people whose creativity and development is not stagnated by narrowness of mind and limited intellect.
Ndigo Naka (for Related by Humanity)
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Esau Vanterpool
Dear Editor.
Please allow your reading audience to have an opportunity to partake of these words of critical importance to us as a people and culture, that, with hope, the ultimate survival of us, and our nation may not be relegated to the trash heap of an unwritten or insignificant history.
As the dialogs and discourses emanating from our homeland News Agencies are read across the globe, the whole world must be shuddering in disbelief as it asks the question, “what is education achieving in these post slavery years for its masses in the diaspora?” My Lord, what an embarrassment!!
Heavenly father, the price of being found trying to learn a few hundred years ago was severe beatings, rape of our queens and princesses, mothers, sisters, aunts, nieces and others, mutilation and or extermination of our kings, princes and men with backs thicker than logs and stronger than oxen, who were endowed with valor and honor. Yet today, with no such brutality in evidence, our ancestors, whose shoulders have brought us thus far, may be rolling over in their graves as they witness our retrogression.
Education, in part, is to be learned in all that is worth while knowing.You can be educated in soul, vision and feeling, as well as in mind.
Many a man was educated outside the school room. It is something you let out, not completely take in. You are part of it, for it is natural; it is dormant simply because you will not develop it, but you can if certain intellectual, spiritual and psychological links of the past are dismantled.
God created every man with it knowingly or unknowingly to him who possesses it—that is the difference. Develop yours and you can become as great and full of knowledge as the other fellow without even entering the classroom. To spiritually regulate one’s self is another form of higher education that fits man for a nobler place in life, and still, to approach your brother by the consciousness of your own humanity, is an education that softens the ills of the world and makes us humankind indeed.
Every culture, except our own, teaches its succeeding generations its history that it may learn therefrom and evolve accordingly. Our negation of our African sensibilities and disconnect with our historical past heritage and knowledge, substituted instead for importation of foreign concepts, habits, customs, policies and non-innovative ways of being, practice and truth, I submit, is the greatest, most threatening consequence of our “miseducation of our youth” to our continued detriment, disadvantage, survival and complete recovery from an insubordinate past in the centuries ahead.
Great article – but cultural diversity while a good thing, will always be subject to the value sysytem of the people who hold the reigns of power, socially, economically and politically, whether local or international. And access to the privileges of power are overwhelmingly controlled by this group.
@Dickson Igwe, while it is true that the ‘ruling class’. so to speak, will attempt to control the progress of the working class, by denying certain rights and privileges, it is up to the working class to stand up for their rights, fight for the causes and overcome the obstacles. It may be difficult, but it can be done. It has been proven with the Civil Rights Movement, and just a short while ago, when the world was changed by a new face in the White House. So, I agree with your sentiments, but that is not to say that it has to remain that way indefinitely.
@Dickson Igwe, I agree with you to the full.
In the BVI context, more acceptance and respect can take place on both sides- between foreigners and VIslanders. However, in a small island developing state, some rules, and policies may seem very protectionist and in favour of one set of people. In my view, it is a reality we all must face if we are immigrants in another man’s land. With the BVI being as small as it is we must save our country for those generations unborn. We can never have a totally fair system though it is desirable especially in light of our new Constitution and the convention on HRs. Given the BVI’s sheer size, the scales will always seem to be tipped to one side more than the other an any given issue.
Having said that, overall all though I do understand what the author is trying to say.
I applaud you Ndigo for taking a bold and much needed stance on this important issue so early in the year. I hope that we add this to our New Years resolution. I will add that we as a people of colour need to rise above this place of self hatred and begin to love ourselves and hence our other brothers and sisters of the African diaspora.
Keep writing and speaking on these issues, so that together, those of us who share these thoughts will drown out the din of ignorance and stupidity.
Thank you for this piece. Attitude is very important for social cohesion and progress in general.
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