People during Umuganda exercise. (John Mbanda)
Editor,
Reference is made to Kenneth Agutamba’s article, “Make money, give it away; why?” (The New Times, September 7). In my opinion, it is not true that the tenets of capitalism are waning as the author says.
Instead, the outcome following the Cold War” is that the entire communist camp has now openly integrated the world’s commercial capitalist market, and it embraced all related tenets enumerated in the article. It rather is communism that is waning – Cuba and China joining last in the main capitalistic stream.
Second, the author’s view in the article is anchored in “charity”, a concept and attitude deeply embedded in Christianity (and Islam), that both capitalists and communists alike share. But not everyone on earth is nor should be Christian (or Muslim). Why then we, Africans, shouldn’t be advocating a third option, that of communalism instead?
Based on concepts such as Ujamaa, Ubuntu, Umuganda…, the communalist worldview advocates that, as distinct from animals and all other earth living and non-living elements, we humans are all fundamentally and highly relational beings. And exclusive to humans, and far advanced in Africa, we have developed cultural forms to institutionalise those relationships.
Contrary to capitalism and communism, both ideologies institutionalised mainly to exchange material artifacts through the market. In communalism, material exchanges are operated through integrating cultural abstract expressions.
Every daily move such as giving out something, whether individual or collective is deeply embedded in a complex abstract cultural manifestation. Rich or poor in material wealth, all our body, brains, and group are geared toward fostering physical life into others, especially those closer kin, those adopted together with those of the same blood and flesh.
In short, in this other view so distinct from Christianity and its charity concept, in world down-to-earth people’s behaviour, communalist richer or “hard working” individuals do not “give” to poorer in exchange of some immediate or future reward in heaven or on earth.
In traditional Africa, like in all similar non market-based cultures, we never gave anything “free” or “away”. We never lent things for some calculated interest. Pure gratuity was not practiced; one never gave anything to those from whom they didn’t expect to receive back in one way or another. Naturally and culturally, we shared with one single ultimate common purpose: to survive, all together.
That is what you call the “just inborn virtues of human nature”. Lonely wealthy people die too, often more miserably than any of the most wretched on earth.
Francois-Xavier Nziyonsenga
Reference is made to Kenneth Agutamba’s article, “Make money, give it away; why?” (The New Times, September 7). In my opinion, it is not true that the tenets of capitalism are waning as the author says.
Instead, the outcome following the Cold War” is that the entire communist camp has now openly integrated the world’s commercial capitalist market, and it embraced all related tenets enumerated in the article. It rather is communism that is waning – Cuba and China joining last in the main capitalistic stream.
Second, the author’s view in the article is anchored in “charity”, a concept and attitude deeply embedded in Christianity (and Islam), that both capitalists and communists alike share. But not everyone on earth is nor should be Christian (or Muslim). Why then we, Africans, shouldn’t be advocating a third option, that of communalism instead?
Based on concepts such as Ujamaa, Ubuntu, Umuganda…, the communalist worldview advocates that, as distinct from animals and all other earth living and non-living elements, we humans are all fundamentally and highly relational beings. And exclusive to humans, and far advanced in Africa, we have developed cultural forms to institutionalise those relationships.
Contrary to capitalism and communism, both ideologies institutionalised mainly to exchange material artifacts through the market. In communalism, material exchanges are operated through integrating cultural abstract expressions.
Every daily move such as giving out something, whether individual or collective is deeply embedded in a complex abstract cultural manifestation. Rich or poor in material wealth, all our body, brains, and group are geared toward fostering physical life into others, especially those closer kin, those adopted together with those of the same blood and flesh.
In short, in this other view so distinct from Christianity and its charity concept, in world down-to-earth people’s behaviour, communalist richer or “hard working” individuals do not “give” to poorer in exchange of some immediate or future reward in heaven or on earth.
In traditional Africa, like in all similar non market-based cultures, we never gave anything “free” or “away”. We never lent things for some calculated interest. Pure gratuity was not practiced; one never gave anything to those from whom they didn’t expect to receive back in one way or another. Naturally and culturally, we shared with one single ultimate common purpose: to survive, all together.
That is what you call the “just inborn virtues of human nature”. Lonely wealthy people die too, often more miserably than any of the most wretched on earth.
Francois-Xavier Nziyonsenga
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