But, aren’t we all just a little bit Tribal? The tribe has been accepted at one time as a friend, rejected as an enemy at another, and finally smuggled in through the back-door as an accomplice.”- Chinua Achebe (The Trouble with Nigeria). Like Nigeria, a major challenge to democracy in Africa is not the prevalence of ethnic diversity, but the use of identity politics to promote narrow tribal interests, i.e. They have not helped Africa in any way! Amb Chief Adebo article on tribalism; illus. Tribalism’s has a significant presence in Africa. Racism in Africa is multi-faceted and dates back several centuries. It is so scary that in the current situation it is associated with our previous kings’. In South Africa – the Rainbow Nation – Africa’s diversity is reflected in the constitution, with the recognition of 11 official languages! The Licra denounces directories of "racialized" caregivers, Multiple Internet users testify to the racism of which they have been victims (France). Tribalism or ethnicity, religion and corruption are popular clichés used to describe or analyze various forms of anomalies in Nigerian nation building. Tribalism is The Left and The Right, Tribalism is The Alt-Right. As Americans, we no longer engage ideas. New York: Routledge. These tribes divide Africans and are used as a means to stay in power. Although, back then, before the penetration of colonialism, things ran smoothly and it was due to the fact that they had their on settlements and ways of doing things. It is believed that tribalism is a result of arbitrary post-colonial boundaries that forced different communities to live within artificial borders. Human evolution has primarily occurred in small groups, as opposed to mass societies, and people naturally maintain a social network.With a negative connotation and in a political context, tribalism can also mean discriminatory behavior or attitudes, based on loyalty to one's social group. Some of the more important are the Ashanti, Fanti, Kikuyu, Ibo, Masai, Watusi, Zulu, Yoruba, Hausa, and Fulani, just to name a few. Pan African Youth Peace-Building Organization In this article, tribalism and ethnicity are used interchangeably, because of its varying use to different people, but refers to same subject in the discourse. Remember, what makes Africa, Africa is our culture and traditions and we cannot throw these away all in the name of nationalism. So the new Constitution of Kenya seeks to address the issue of ethnicity by ensuring that a president needs broad geographical support to be elected. (Moran, Abramson, & Moran, 2014, p. 503), Tribalism is very strong and causes many issues within Africa (Juma, 2012). But Tanzania seems to be an exception. For example, in the early days of Ghana’s independence, the problem of tribalism plagued the body politics of the nation – with the likes of the separatist National Liberation Movement, Northern People’s Party, Ga Shifimo Kpee, Anlo Youth Organization, Muslim Association Party, etc. – coming to the fore. (I don’t really think they are crazy, just making a point). National leaders seek to transform intertribal hostility into collaborative community efforts. (Moran, Abramson, & Moran, 2014, p. 503). ★TRIBALISM IN KENYA★ is exceedingly becoming venomous and a matter of national concern. 'tribalism' as given, useful in explaining political actions but itself not really requiring much explanation. In that sense, political parties are the outgrowths of the class structure of a society – not the tribes. We are tribal by design, so we could survive the lion attacks, and just like we still have remnants of our physical pasts in our bodies, we have that programming that says, form a tribe, if you want to survive. Tribalism Today. Thus, according to Socrates, democracy without education breeds demagoguery. In Africa, a great deal of the people primarily find their identity in ethnicity in place of national identity; and this also has significance in there won’t for political power. This results in immense social pressure. It is believed that tribalism is a result of arbitrary post-colonial boundaries that forced different communities to live within artificial borders. The dynamics of human development is not in doubt. It is important for Africans to begin building upon tribal heritage while moving beyond narrow tribal loyalties and constraints for the greater common good of the nation and its economic development (Moran, Abramson, & Moran, 2014, p. 503). Through education, people are brought to a new paradigm. “Nothing in Nigeria’s political history captures her problem of national integration more graphically than the chequered fortune of the word tribe in her vocabulary. According to Wikipedia, tribalism is the state of being organized in, or advocating for, a tribe or tribes. In Africa, a great deal of the people primarily find their identity in ethnicity in place of national identity; and this also has significance in there won’t for political power. These languages include French, English, Portuguese, and a dialect of Dutch. In modern Africa tribalism can mean several things. It has created many hardships and obstacles for Africans, those in which they still need to attempt to overcome. Here are the causes and effects. Tribalism in Africa dates back many centuries ago. 47 were here. Juma, C. (2012). which is not the best way to go. Viewpoint: How tribalism stunts African democracy. Moran, R. T., Abramson, N. R., & Moran, S. V. (2014). Socrates’s point was that voting in an election is a rational decision, not a random intuition. Tribalism in Africa . They end with the burden of increasing income by any means, legal or otherwise for these successful Africans (Moran, Abramson, & Moran, 2014, p. 503). In the absence of efforts to build genuine political parties that compete on the basis of ideas, many African countries have reverted to tribal identities as foundations for political competition and conflicts. CitiNewsroom.com is Ghana's leading news website that delivers high quality innovative, alternative news that challenges the status quo. But this is mostly not the situation in Africa, unlike some other advanced democratic societies. The slogan of ‘100 % Zulu’ was made famous by President Jacob Zuma when he had to face various rape charges. According to Karl Marx, politics is the concentrated expression of economics, i.e., the politics of society are brought about by the productive capacity of its economy. As the force of tribalism deteriorates in modern and urban environments, Africans search for substitutes. They act on ethics among the tribal groups, it is their way of existence as they see their members as relations and blood ties, ready to sacrifice whatever it takes to cater and protect them. Tribalism Tribalism in its present form in Africa however is not a traditional aspect of African culture I argue as Clientelism had been, but a product of the development imposed on the region by Colonialism. It has been estimated that there may be some 600 to 1,000 different tribal groups or more in Africa. Yes, you are right. However, after the divide and conquering of Africa decided at the Berlin conference 1884, things turned sour for clashing tribes. Besides, the objective of African development has been seriously undermined by tribalism, which provides a hunting ground for predators. Tribalism obviously has an extremely negative effect on Nigeria’s unity, and in some cases, can even be life-threatening, because some people are ready to do anything to stand for their ideals. Although, back then, before the penetration of colonialism, things ran smoothly and it was due to the fact that they had their on settlements and ways of doing things. This apparent new upsurge in tribalism in South Africa appears to be driven by a number of factors. THE same has happened, and is happening, in Africa. Department of Sociology and African Studies Center . This is largely due to the Eurocentrism of early anthropologists who forced tribal societies into a simplistic model of cultural evolution.Many tribes refer to themselves with their language's word for \"people,\" while referring to other, neighboring tribes with various ephitets. 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