TEDxTerryTalks - Iris Amuto - 10/03/09
Africa's true value lies in its vibrant, everyday humanity, which counters negative external perceptions. The speaker argues that Africa offers vital, fundamental human experiences—like light, water, and family—and that incorporating African literature into global education is key to showcasing its richness. The best illustration is the personal experience of being recognized for one's "exotic" appearance, leading to a realization that African culture must be seen through its own narratives. ## Speakers & Context - Speaker: Unnamed individual; presented at UBC. - Purpose of talk: To showcase the vibrant, colorful, and inspiring aspects of Africa, moving beyond narratives focused on problems like HIV, AIDS, poverty, and hunger. - Criticism of prevailing narratives: Cites Richard Dahlen's book *Africa: Ordinary States, Ordinary Miracles*, which the speaker countered by showing Africa's depth beyond "problems." - Media criticism: Notes the media's tendency to "feed on the wars and the disasters" and ignores the "ordinary" aspects of African life. - Aim: To shift perception from viewing Africa as *"a scar on the conscience of the world"* to recognizing it as a *"beauty mark on this planet."* - Advocacy focus: Inclusion of African books by African writers in university education. ## Theses & Positions - Africa possesses inherent human values and essentials of existence (light, earth, water, food, family, love, sickness, death) that are immediate and intense, often lost in external focus. - The core issue confronting Africa is not ignorance, but rather *"the preconceived ideas that people have of the continent."* - The true essence of Africa is its cultural richness, traditions, and its capacity for ordinary, non-crisis life. - The speaker asserts that to fully grasp Africa's fullness, one must experience it directly: *"you cannot fully grasp the fullness of Africa's Humanity... until you have experienced it."* - African culture and humanity are profound and diverse, going far beyond the visible narratives of crisis. ## Concepts & Definitions - **Ordinary Miracles:** A term related to the book *Africa: Ordinary States, Ordinary Miracles* that suggests hidden, non-crisis realities. - **African Humanity:** Encompasses the *very Essentials of existence*—light, earth, water, food, family, love, sickness, death—being immediate and intense. - **Beauty Mark:** A figurative descriptor replacing the negative phrase *"scar on the conscience of the world"* to describe Africa's place on the planet. - **Literature as Medium:** Positioned as the most effective way to explore the unknown aspects of the continent through *"their eyes through their thoughts and through their words."* - **Naming Conventions:** Demonstrated the diversity in nomenclature across regions (e.g., Zulu, Igbo, Ghanaian, Arabic), indicating varied origins of hope and blessing. ## Mechanisms & Processes - **Cultural Connection:** The effort made by diasporic Africans living outside the continent to maintain connection through shared culture or beliefs. - **Identification Anecdote:** The speaker was called out on her "exotic" skin color by an American, which, while initially annoying, highlighted the need for greater external exposure to African identity. - **Community Celebration:** Observed that nearly every African community celebrates with music, indicating music is as natural as breathing. - **Linguistic/Cultural Deep Dive:** Presented examples of names like *Bongani* (Zulu, means be grateful), *Chiang* (meaning son), *Akuchi* (Igbo, means wealth from God), and *Koo/AA* (Ghana, meaning born on a Monday), illustrating deep, coded cultural meaning. ## Timeline & Sequence - **First Year at UBC:** Incident occurred at a fraternity party where the speaker, being the only African girl, was noted for her "exotic" skin color. - **Past Summer:** Speaker returned home and shared a reunion hug with her mother, during which her aunt commented on her "foreign accent," showing latent cultural observation. - **Present/Current Action:** Organizing social, cultural, and educational events through the *Africa awareness initiative* at UBC to foster dialogue. ## Named Entities - **Richard Dahlen:** Author of *Africa: Ordinary States, Ordinary Miracles*. - **UBC:** University of British Columbia, location where the speaker gave the talk. - **Kenya:** Speaker's home country, noted for its tea and the Maasai tribe. - **Ethiopia:** Cited as one of the oldest countries in the world. - **Republic of South Africa:** Cited for its rhythmic dance and song. - **American man:** Individual who first noted the speaker's skin color as "exotic." - **Mom, Aunt:** Family members involved in the recognition moment at the airport. - **Maasai tribe:** Specific ethnic group from Kenya mentioned in relation to culture. - **Ethiopian:** Cited as an example of an ancient country. - **Zulu:** Language/culture associated with the name *Bongani*. - **Igbo:** Origin of the name *Akuchi*. - **Ghana:** Location linked to names *Koo* and *AA*. ## Numbers & Data - **4 million years ago:** Estimate of when Africans emerged in Africa. - **A hundred years ago:** Period when *Homo sapiens* spread globally. ## Examples & Cases - **The "Exotic" Encounter:** The specific instance at the fraternity party where the speaker was complimented on her "exotic" skin color, leading to a moment of personal disappointment mixed with realizing the need for cultural exposure. - **The Airport Reunion:** The moment at the airport where the mother's hug and the aunt's comment about a "foreign accent" highlighted the visible markers of returning or being from elsewhere. - **Cultural Naming Examples:** Concrete examples of names and their meanings (*Bongani*, *Akuchi*, etc.) used to demonstrate the depth of meaning embedded in African culture. - **Diving into Diversity:** Highlighting the physical biodiversity from *"rainless deserts of Namibia"* to *"the diminishing Snows of Kilimanjaro"* to *"the forests of the Congo Basin."* ## Tools, Tech & Products - **Book:** *Africa: Ordinary States, Ordinary Miracles*. - **University setting:** UBC curriculum and student club organizational capacity. - **Camera/Media:** Implicitly critiqued—the media's role in broadcasting images versus deep understanding. ## References Cited - *Africa: Ordinary States, Ordinary Miracles* by Richard Dahlen. ## Counterarguments & Caveats - The common critique/issue: Focusing solely on HIV, AIDS, poverty, and hunger, which oversimplifies the continent. - External narrative viewpoint: Tony Blair once referred to Africa as *"the scar on the conscience of the world."* - The speaker's response: Africa is not a scar, but a *"beauty mark on this planet."* ## Methodology - Using personal narrative (fraternity party, family reunion) to illustrate abstract cultural arguments. - Comparative anthropology through shared cultural elements (music, naming conventions) across diverse geographical areas. - Advocacy through educational initiatives (*Africa awareness initiative*) to encourage literature-based dialogue. ## Conclusions & Recommendations - The speaker urges the audience to *"look at you,"* to see the complexity beyond the narrative of struggle. - Call to action: *"I feel that we should include more African books by African writers in our University education."* - Final imperative: *"let them look at you turn around and around let them see you."* - The ultimate recommendation is for the global community to embrace the *fullness* of Africa's humanity through direct experience and representation. ## Implications & Consequences - If the world only sees the crisis narrative, it misses the profound, persistent cultural vitality and everyday "miracles" occurring across the continent. - The failure to integrate African voices into education perpetuates the idea of Africa as solely a source of global problems. ## Verbatim Moments - *"Africa... it is time for us to know the vibrant color colorful inspiring side of Africa."* - *"The problem is not ignorance but the preconceived ideas that people have of the continent."* - *"Africa is not a scar but a beauty mark on this planet."* - *"The ordinary gets ignored in Africa as it does in Asia or South America."* - *"Literature is a medium of communication that we can use to explore the unknown."* - *"In Africa you are yet to find an African Community that does not celebrate with music."* - *"What makes me Kenyon?"* - *"The name bongani means be grateful in Zulu."* - *"you are not the Dark Continent a Heart of Darkness a place of horrific savagery you are not inhuman"* - *"you are my mother see her Africa the motherland"*