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"History, like beauty, depends largely on the beholder, so when you read that, for example, David Livingstone discovered the Victoria Falls, you might be forgiven for thinking that there was nobody around the Falls until Livingstone arrived on the scene."

Desmond Tutu. (From his 1981 speech "Fortieth Anniversary of the Republic?", as published in  Hope and Suffering: Sermons and Speeches, November 1984)

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"African societies recognised the value of the storyteller – many of them were acclaimed within their societies and awarded special status, but they were also expected to conduct their work with integrity and good faith. It may serve the storytellers of modern societies to consider living up to the high expectation that their role in society entails and attempt the same." H. Nanjala Nyabola on the Value of Storytelling.

http://bit.ly/16u97y9

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The Truth About A Monstruous Crime of The Colonialists: (Patrice Lumumba's Independence Day Speech)

Men and women of the Congo,

Victorious independence fighters,

I salute you in the name of the Congolese Government.

I ask all of you, my friends, who tirelessly fought in our ranks, to mark this June 30, 1960, as an illustrious date that will be ever engraved in your hearts, a date whose meaning you will proudly explain to your children, so that they in turn might relate to their grandchildren and great-grandchildren the glorious history of our struggle for freedom.

Although this independence of the Congo is being proclaimed today by agreement with Belgium, an amicable country, with which we are on equal terms, no Congolese will ever forget that independence was won in struggle, a persevering and inspired struggle carried on from day to day, a struggle, in which we were undaunted by privation or suffering and stinted neither strength nor blood.

It was filled with tears, fire and blood. We are deeply proud of our struggle, because it was just and noble and indispensable in putting an end to the humiliating bondage forced upon us.

That was our lot for the eighty years of colonial rule and our wounds are too fresh and much too painful to be forgotten.

We have experienced forced labour in exchange for pay that did not allow us to satisfy our hunger, to clothe ourselves, to have decent lodgings or to bring up our children as dearly loved ones.

Morning, noon and night we were subjected to jeers, insults and blows because we were “Negroes”. Who will ever forget that the black was addressed as “tu”, not because he was a friend, but because the polite “vous” was reserved for the white man?

We have seen our lands seized in the name of ostensibly just laws, which gave recognition only to the right of might.

We have not forgotten that the law was never the same for the white and the black, that it was lenient to the ones, and cruel and inhuman to the others.

We have experienced the atrocious sufferings, being persecuted for political convictions and religious beliefs, and exiled from our native land: our lot was worse than death itself.

We have not forgotten that in the cities the mansions were for the whites and the tumbledown huts for the blacks; that a black was not admitted to the cinemas, restaurants and shops set aside for “Europeans”; that a black travelled in the holds, under the feet of the whites in their luxury cabins.

Who will ever forget the shootings which killed so many of our brothers, or the cells into which were mercilessly thrown those who no longer wished to submit to the regime of injustice, oppression and exploitation used by the colonialists as a tool of their domination?

All that, my brothers, brought us untold suffering.

But we, who were elected by the votes of your representatives, representatives of the people, to guide our native land, we, who have suffered in body and soul from the colonial oppression, we tell you that henceforth all that is finished with.

The Republic of the Congo has been proclaimed and our beloved country’s future is now in the hands of its own people.

Brothers, let us commence together a new struggle, a sublime struggle that will lead our country to peace, prosperity and greatness.

Together we shall establish social justice and ensure for every man a fair remuneration for his labour.

We shall show the world what the black man can do when working in liberty, and we shall make the Congo the pride of Africa.

We shall see to it that the lands of our native country truly benefit its children.

We shall revise all the old laws and make them into new ones that will be just and noble.

We shall stop the persecution of free thought. We shall see to it that all citizens enjoy to the fullest extent the basic freedoms provided for by the Declaration of Human Rights.

We shall eradicate all discrimination, whatever its origin, and we shall ensure for everyone a station in life befitting his human dignity and worthy of his labour and his loyalty to the country.

We shall institute in the country a peace resting not on guns and bayonets but on concord and goodwill.

And in all this, my dear compatriots, we can rely not only on our own enormous forces and immense wealth, but also on the assistance of the numerous foreign states, whose co-operation we shall accept when it is not aimed at imposing upon us an alien policy, but is given in a spirit of friendship.

Even Belgium, which has finally learned the lesson of history and need no longer try to oppose our independence, is prepared to give us its aid and friendship; for that end an agreement has just been signed between our two equal and independent countries. I am sure that this co-operation will benefit both countries. For our part, we shall, while remaining vigilant, try to observe the engagements we have freely made.

Thus, both in the internal and the external spheres, the new Congo being created by my government will be rich, free and prosperous. But to attain our goal without delay, I ask all of you, legislators and citizens of the Congo, to give us all the help you can.

I ask you all to sink your tribal quarrels: they weaken us and may cause us to be despised abroad.

I ask you all not to shrink from any sacrifice for the sake of ensuring the success of our grand undertaking.

Finally, I ask you unconditionally to respect the life and property of fellow-citizens and foreigners who have settled in our country; if the conduct of these foreigners leaves much to be desired, our Justice will promptly expel them from the territory of the republic; if, on the contrary, their conduct is good, they must be left in peace, for they, too, are working for our country’s prosperity.

The Congo’s independence is a decisive step towards the liberation of the whole African continent.

Our government, a government of national and popular unity, will serve its country.

I call on all Congolese citizens, men, women and children, to set themselves resolutely to the task of creating a national economy and ensuring our economic independence.

Eternal glory to the fighters for national liberation!

Long live independence and African unity!

Long live the independent and sovereign Congo!

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United States of Africa: The Vision

Several African leaders have time and again spoken of the immense power that would be if Africa united and was governed centrally. Here are some thoughts,ideals and visions that have been floated by various Pan-Africanists:

‘Divided we are weak; united, Africa could become one of the greatest forces for good in the world. I believe strongly and sincerely that with the deep-rooted wisdom and dignity, the innate respect for human lives, the intense humanity that is our heritage, the African race, united under one federal government, will emerge not as just another world bloc to flaunt its wealth and strength, but as a Great Power whose greatness is indestructible because it is built not on fear, envy and suspicion, nor won at the expense of others, but founded on hope, trust, friendship and directed to the good of all mankind.’ 

Kwame Nkrumah, I Speak For Freedom (1961)

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They just ask me to do a video with flowers and butterflies, but we are not living with butterflies. We are living with guns, with al-Qaida, with Sharia — all those kind of things that are not Malian." ~ Amkoullel. Malian rapper on the recent music censorship in Mali.

http://n.pr/TKVZgH

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African music has to transform from being a niche market of imported product, to its inevitable and rightful role as the mainstream soundtrack of our continent. In short, African music’s primary market needs to be Africanised.

http://www.music.org.za/Editorial.asp?ID=15

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'Most well-intentioned corruption busting remedies in Africa fail because the root causes of corruption on the continent are often poorly understood.' 

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“Symmetry should be the linchpin of this relationship. Donor-recipient relationships based on prescription and dictation of unsuitable antidotes will not do. Our independence of decision should not be encroached upon by conditionality of aid. This is a fundamental question of dignity which cannot be compromised by temporary necessity.” ~Isaias Afrwerki, Eritrean President (1995)

Eritrea, a country once considered 'the future of Africa that works' has recently been described as  “pariah state,” “the North Korea of Africa,” “isolationist,” “spoiler,” “the most repressive nation on earth,” and more. What Changed?

Find our more in the article: 21 Years and Counting: Eritrea's Independent Path Towards Sustainable Development, Peace and Cooperation.

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We are going to see that we create our own African personality and identity. We again rededicate ourselves in the struggle to emancipate other countries in Africa; for our independence is meaningless unless it is linked up with the total liberation of the African continent.' Kwame Nkrumah

Kwame Nkrumah's Vision of Africa. http://bbc.in/SztZvq

What's your vision of Africa?

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"As with many African countries, Malians don't benefit from their natural resources. In this case, gold is exploited by foreign investors from which the citizens see no return in their lives. Even worse, pollution is killing them. " (via Daily Motion).

In Swahili, 'Mali' refers to wealth. The irony of this noun is brought forth when compared to the African nation so-titled,not so because it isn't wealthy (Mali boasts quite a number of natural resources); her wealth benefits all but her own people.

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The New Harvest: Agricultural Innovation in Africa

Africa faces three major opportunities that can transform its agriculture into a force for economic growth: advances in science and technology; the creation of regional markets; and the emergence of a new crop of entrepreneurial leaders dedicated to the continent's economic improvement.  Filled with case studies from within Africa and success stories from developing nations around the world, The New Harvest (an e-book by Professor Calestous Juma) outlines the policies and institutional changes necessary to promote agricultural innovation across the African continent. 

More about the e-book and a link to download it here.

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Aid or Trade? Development meets business in Africa.

' ...  aid is no longer about transferring money or shipping goods. It’s rather about setting up sustainable companies, while taking local constraints and the environment into account.'

More on this Africa Interactive initiative here. 

What do you think? Aid or trade?

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When Europeans Were Refugees in Africa

Today, when African refugees flee to Europe to seek asylum, they meet with hostility at European borders. But there was a time, such as before and during World War II, when European refugees flocked to Africa to seek sanctuary.

The majority of the refugees originated from eastern Poland, on the Ribbentrop-Molotov Pact line (a defensive alliance signed by Hitler and Stalin on 23 August 1939), just before the start of World War II. Evidently, there were also a small number of Jews who managed to flee Hitler’s tyranny to East and Southern Africa. According to Dr Lwanga Lunyiigo, an African historian formerly of Makerere University in Uganda: “The refugees from Europe [who stayed in Uganda] also included Jews as well.”

The first group of an estimated 17,000-19,000 Polish refugees arrived in Africa around 1942. Their ships docked at Mombasa, the Kenyan port, and from there they scattered in various directions in East and Southern Africa – from the Equator to the Cape of Good Hope. These countries included: Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

More at http://bit.ly/R3OZey

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lf words and debate could improve lives Africans would extend their life expectancy to 180. (@calestous) -Calestous Juma

Do you agree? Do words and debate result to the much-needed action on the continent? Share your thoughts below.

(Check out some comments and responses to the original tweet here.)

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'All of the philosophers I studied were white (with a few Eastern exceptions), and, for that matter, they were all male. Africa, the cradle of civilization, seemed to have no footing in the highest form of human thought.' -Walter Mosley. American Novelist.

Who are Africa's noteworthy philosophers, past and present, and how can we collaboratively bring to light their thoughts,insights and works?

Here's a list of African Philosophers as populated on Wikipedia.

http://bit.ly/AfricanPhilosophers

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1960: The Year of Independence

Between January and December of 1960, 17 sub-saharan African nations, including 14 former French colonies, gained independence from their former European colonists. 

These were:

Cameroon (January 1st)

Togo (April 27th)

Madagascar (June 26th)

Democratic Republic of Congo (June 30th)

Somalia (July 1st)

Benin (August 1st)

Niger (August 3rd)

Burkina Faso (August 5th)

Ivory Coast (August 7th)

Chad (August 11th)

Central African Republic (August 13th)

The Republic of the Congo (August 15th)

Gabon (August 17th)

Senegal (August 20th)

Mali (August 20th)

Nigeria (October 1st)

Mauritania (November 28th)

The rise to independence of 17 sub-Saharan African countries in 1960 is in part the result of a long process that began fifteen years earlier in the tumult of World War II.

At the end of the war, Africans involved in pro-independence movements put pressure on colonial powers, reminding them of promises made to secure their support in the war effort. The colonising countries, chaperoned by the United States, were thus obliged to let their colonies go.

In 1944 in Brazzaville, General de Gaulle suggested that it was time for France to take “the road of a new era”. Two years later, the French colonial empire was replaced by the French Union, which in turn became the French Community in 1958.

At the same time on the African continent, Morocco, Tunisia, Sudan, Ghana, and Guinea won their independence, while the unrest in Algeria continued to exhaust and damage France’s reputation.

(Source(and for more on the lead up to independence in each country, check out the original France 24 article.)

Anyone with a narrative, from actual experience or from stories told, on what the atmosphere was then, with the independence wave sweeping across the continent? Please source and share on the comment section below.