The Wisdom of Traditional Africa
…... the spiritual nourishment of the African People
Embedded in the proverbs and sayings of Traditional Africa are the wisdom of African Ancestors. The wisdom of Traditional Africa
nourishes the African Being, spiritually and culturally. African wisdom emanating from African proverbs instills values as such as
morality, integrity, harmony, cooperation and community, values that have been abandoned by the new generation of Africans and
African Leadership much to the political and economic detriment of Africa. To resuscitate these values embedded in African proverbs and
sayings, UAO will publish here great African proverbs that espouse salient African values pertinent to unity, democracy, peace and stability
in Africa.
Below is a great African proverb
…... the spiritual nourishment of the African People
Embedded in the proverbs and sayings of Traditional Africa are the wisdom of African Ancestors. The wisdom of Traditional Africa
nourishes the African Being, spiritually and culturally. African wisdom emanating from African proverbs instills values as such as
morality, integrity, harmony, cooperation and community, values that have been abandoned by the new generation of Africans and
African Leadership much to the political and economic detriment of Africa. To resuscitate these values embedded in African proverbs and
sayings, UAO will publish here great African proverbs that espouse salient African values pertinent to unity, democracy, peace and stability
in Africa.
Below is a great African proverb
Sankofa, yenchi! “Sankofa, yenchi” is a proverb of the Akan People of Ghana in West Africa. “Sankofa” is thoroughly expressed in the Akan language as : "se wo were firi na wo san kofa a yenchi", which literally means "it is not taboo to go back and fetch what you forgot". The underlying meaning is that you can learn from past mistakes and correct them in the present to enable you progress smoothly into the future. The essential proverbial teaching of “Sankofa” is that “It is not abominable to go back and reclaim the past in order to build the future.” Visually and symbolically "Sankofa" is expressed as a mythic bird that moves forward while looking backward with an egg in its mouth. The bird is looking back to retrieve an egg, a precious possession the bird needs to move forward. The egg symbolizes a look to the future. It is an item of value the bird must retrieve in order for the bird to progress into the future. "Sankofa" looks to the past and into the future and as such it is an important African proverb as it encapsulates the imperative need to resuscitate, recover, and restore the great values of the African People. The proverb underscores the imperative of learning from the past. The teachings of “Sankofa” advocates African education of the African mind pointing to Africa’s past as a repository of precious values appropriate for Africa’s future progress and therefore worthy of revival. “Sankofa” advocates the revival of African values. Reviving traditional African values is reclaiming Africa’s past. Reclaiming the good values of the past enables a people to understand the journey to the present and that understanding reveals valuable knowledge of the past that are suitable for the future. Reclaiming past knowledge enables the people to deeply understand and appreciate the importance of past values, avoid past mistakes and improve on past knowledge thus generating intellectual inquisitiveness of the past leading to further expansion of knowledge. The retrieval and enhancement of values and knowledge culminate in an explosion of artistic, political and economic resurgence thus providing a solid foundation for a sustainable future progress. “Sankofa” is a constant reminder to Africans about the importance of African values in the progress of Africa. Essentially, the proverb is a reminder to the people of Africa that Africa’s past is a veritable guide to Africa’s future. The underlying meaning of “Sankofa” advises Africa to restore the good values of Africa in order to rebuild Africa’s future and offers good guidance to a strong and better future for Africa built on good values. The good values of Africa’s past are good guidance for Africa’s future and that Africa’s values are precious values capable of providing a solid foundation for the emergence of harmonious and cooperative Africa. Thus, the significance of “Sankofa” emanates from the importance of the revival of African values in the future progress of Africa and it underscores the necessity to rediscover Africa in order to initiate African progress. UAO believes that the resuscitation of the precious values of the African People and the incorporation of the values in the new systems of today provides a foundation for future progress and for the emergence of a New African Society - a culturally diverse, peaceful, harmonious and cooperative Africa. UAO believes that such precious African values as social harmony, mutual interdependence and the spirit of community good provide a good guidance towards achieving not only unity & democracy in Africa but also peace and stability. Indubitably, “Sankofa” is worth the thoughtful attention of the African People since it teaches that whatever wisdom, values and knowledge the African People have lost, forgotten, abandoned, ignored or discarded can be reclaimed, revived, preserved and perpetuated to provide a framework and a foundation for the progress of the African People. Africa! Sankofa, yenchi! Africa! It is not abominable to restore the good values of Africa such as Ubuntu, the African humaneness that underlies our philosophy of harmony & cooperation. Africa! Sankofa! Ubuntu! |
The dissemination of the Wisdom of African Ancestors is gravely limited by the social and political boundaries of Africa. UAO believes that the Wisdom of Africa can be disseminated today all across Africa through an open African Forum that permits the African People to discuss ideas freely. Click below to read what the African People are talking about. |
| The United Africa Organization - UAO Leading the match to African Unification and Democracy |
The African Diversity is beautiful and good. Let's keep it.
| The African Diversity is a source of strength. Let's keep it. |
Culture
is
Precious
It is not abominable to
revive and preserve the
African Culture for it
disseminates wisdom and
as such it is a precious
legacy from the ancestors
of Africans to the
children of Africans.
**********************************
The Wisdom
is in
The Culture
Embedded in the culture
of the African People
is the wisdom of
Traditional Africa.
Let's reclaim them!
**********************************
Cultural Diversity
is
Abundant Wisdom
The diversity of African
Culture, as epitomized by
the Kente Cloth,
is indicative of the
abundance of wisdom
on the Land of Africa.
Let's reclaim Africa!
Sankofa!
Africa!
**********************************
Reclaim
&
Respect
Reclaim Africa to
preserve the wisdom
of Traditional Africa.
Respect Unity in Diversity
to protect from demise
the wisdom inherent in all
African Cultures .
***************************
is
Precious
It is not abominable to
revive and preserve the
African Culture for it
disseminates wisdom and
as such it is a precious
legacy from the ancestors
of Africans to the
children of Africans.
**********************************
The Wisdom
is in
The Culture
Embedded in the culture
of the African People
is the wisdom of
Traditional Africa.
Let's reclaim them!
**********************************
Cultural Diversity
is
Abundant Wisdom
The diversity of African
Culture, as epitomized by
the Kente Cloth,
is indicative of the
abundance of wisdom
on the Land of Africa.
Let's reclaim Africa!
Sankofa!
Africa!
**********************************
Reclaim
&
Respect
Reclaim Africa to
preserve the wisdom
of Traditional Africa.
Respect Unity in Diversity
to protect from demise
the wisdom inherent in all
African Cultures .
***************************
| AFRICA The Land of Diversity Let's Keep It ! |
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About UAO Political Analysis of Africa The United Africa Unity in Traditional Africa Let's Talk! Africa
The African Political Mission The Africanist Papers United Africa Peoples Party The Beauty of Africa UAO World Chapters
The New African Leadership Open Letter to All Africa The Strength of Africa African Unification Books
The New African Politician The Reluctance of All Africa Open Letter to all Parties Wisdom of Traditional Africa Contact UAO
About UAO Political Analysis of Africa The United Africa Unity in Traditional Africa Let's Talk! Africa
The African Political Mission The Africanist Papers United Africa Peoples Party The Beauty of Africa UAO World Chapters
The New African Leadership Open Letter to All Africa The Strength of Africa African Unification Books
The New African Politician The Reluctance of All Africa Open Letter to all Parties Wisdom of Traditional Africa Contact UAO