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Diaspora Africans need decolonisation of mind

[ Posted On: 2007-11-06 ]

Global Africa needs a push by both the Diaspora of Enslavement and the Post-colonial Diaspora. The former has economic and political influence, especially in the US, while the latter understands Africa and Africans because of its recent connection.

The African Diaspora is not a homogenous group prone to any type of overarching collective action. It is understandable that many of the descendants of the Diasporans who left the continent through enslavement identify more with their current countries than with contemporary Africa.

A significant aspect of the 'enslavement process' was to mis-educate the Diasporans about Africans, and Continental Africans about those in the Diaspora. This stubborn barrier still exists within the Global African community and needs to be reversed by appropriate education.

As we consider steps towards a Pan-African reconnection, a genuine effort must be made to educate, inform and expose Africans in the Diaspora of the dynamic and rapidly evolving contemporary Africa. That Africa is different from the Africa their grandfathers left three centuries ago or that is presented in the media.

Additionally, efforts must be made by Continental Africans to conceptualise and understand the ties that bind the Diasporans to their host countries.

A Global Africa re-linking 'action plan' should include specific aspects.

The first aspect should be 'The Diaspora is Welcome' policy manifesto. South Africa is recognised continentally as a leader in the development of the New Partnership for Africa's Development (Nepad), for its peacekeeping efforts, and recognised for its significant business investments in the continent over the past 13 years.

For this reason, the South African government is in a unique position to help craft and foster development of a set of principles and ideas to be put forth by the African Heads of State indicating the aims and intentions in strengthening economic ties with the African Diaspora.

This 'Diaspora Linkage Policy Manifesto' could then be modified and adopted by the African Union, which can then deliver it to Africans in the Diaspora with an invitation to share their views with the African Heads of State.

The underlying point here is that African constituents and beneficiaries of this initiative, both in the continent and the Diaspora need to be inspired if there is to be anything more than an intellectual understanding and acceptance of this initiative. Respective colonial experiences have made such an initial understanding imperative.

Real action will need to be stimulated by a cogent statement of how the constituents' respective self-interests will be served by this linkage programme. It is important to state how this exercise will further their own self-interests now and in the future.

The second aspect is Constituent Identification. Since they have the closest connections to the Continent, it will be important to identify and develop an effective means to communicate with the post-colonial Diaspora, occasionally referred to as the neo-Diasporans. This constituency can help lead the efforts to engage and mobilise the more distant Diasporans of Enslavement.

In this regard, there is an important role to be played by the diplomatic missions of African countries abroad in identifying the relevant Diaspora groups, as well as providing leadership and external administrative support for the international mobilisation of the plan of action.

The third aspect involves assembling a database of the African Diaspora Organisations. Although some Diaspora-related organisations are well known, there are many more that may be smaller and less known but have something equally important to contribute to Africa's development.

Accordingly, an audit of the organisations that have an interest in the African Diaspora should be undertaken as a first step towards the creation of a database.

Article Source: http://www.afroarticles.com/article-dashboard

About The Author: James N. Kariuki - is head of the African Diaspora Unit at the Africa Institute of South Africa in Pretoria.

| View Profile & All Articles By: James N. Kariuki |

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