Education : a tool for empowerment or a cognizance rally?

The importance of education is something that has been drilled into our minds from an early age. For many poor and disadvantaged families, it is seemingly the only way to get anywhere and become successful. The globe is full of successful people who many would say aren’t formally educated, but are successful- like our President Jacob Zuma. So how important is education really in determining the outcome of our futures?

“Education either functions as an instrument which is used to facilitate integration of the younger generation into the logic of the present system and bring about conformity or it becomes the practice of freedom, the means by which men and women deal critically and creatively with reality and discover how to participate in the transformation of their world.” –Paulo Freire

Our educational system is continuously graduating a generation of functional illiterates by dropping school standards just for the progression of the student. This not only affects the societies that we live in, but also the country as a whole. Education is supposed to equip us with not only the knowledge but also to power to solve the problems within our societies. It teaches us to make sense of issues that affect us without giving us the power to solve or change them. Every country has economists, these are people who have been ‘educated’ in the field of economics but they still fail to solve our economic issues.

Education has become what we learn throughout life, not in a classroom. Whether we would like to admit it or not we learn more from the people at school than we do in class. The educational system has become a competition of memory as a lot of what we acquire in school is irrelevant in our lives and daily struggles. It (the educational system) also promotes a detrimental idea of intelligence and how it is measured by how well you do within the system. It does not cater to the intellectual needs of all people; those that fail to progress in schools usually feel like they are dumb or slow.

Although there are alternative schools of art, the financial means to attend those prestigious schools are unattainable for a majority of South Africans. This means that because of inequality, along with the imperfect educational system- young people are without an education and ultimately without employment.

Many young people in South Africa have obtained a higher education degree and still find looking for and attaining employment to be a big hurdle. Statistics suggests that there are nearly 60 000 unemployed graduates. Our education system does not equipt us with the necessary skills to enable us to enter the workplace successfully. We find ourselfs with a degree and trapped in the 'work-experience cycle'( i.e to get a job you need work experience, in order to get work experience you need a job ).

Our current education system needs reform through the promotion of diverse and creative thinking. The focus should not be on 'the right way/ the right answer' but rather on ways to teach people how to use knowledge to make it relevant in their lives. Only when education empowers us, will society develop.

Black Pete

A controversial dutch christmas tradition stirs up tension among civilians( people). The debate is whether the celebrated character-namely Black Pete, is a harmless festive figure or an epitome of racial divide in the Netherlands.

Black Pete, commonly known as Zwarte Piet in the Netherlands is also a character from the book 'Saint Nicholas and his servant' written back in 1845. Originally, he represented a devil which Saint Nicholas captured and made his slave, and in this book, Black Pete is celebrated as part of the annual feast of St. Nicholas Sinterklaas on the evening of 5 December in the Netherlands, where thousands of Dutch people paint their faces black to depict his persona.

Nonetheless, this, like the golliwog dolls, paints a picture of racism against people of African descent. It teaches children that black people are a source of ridicule, dependent on masters. Despite protests against this tradition and intervention by the UN, the Netherlands still believe that the pervasive Black Pete caricature and tradition is not racist.

In their defence, they argue that Black Pete was not black: they say he was a chimney sweeper and therefore the blackness of his face was as a result of cleaning a chimney. If that's the case, why weren't his clothes also black and dirty?

They also claim that he was not a servant but an assistant to St.Nicholas therefore eliminating the stereotype of blacks being depicted as slaves. The Dutch government's response to this matter was that the sinterklaas celebration is a tradition for children but that different parts of society interpret and perceive it in different ways.

A recent survey revealed that 53% of respondents did not think that Black Pete was a discriminatory figure. The belief was more prominent among white Dutch people- 73% of them had no problem with Black Pete. People of African descent, according to the survey, were more likely to say the character was racist.

Therefore, from the Renaissance era to the Modern era, books written about Black Pete have been prejudicial and discriminatory to the African race. From the drawings in the 16th century, Black Pete has been represented as a devil and a servant to the 19th century books including the one I have mentioned Saint Nicolas And His Servant which is supported by subtle claims.

The fact that most dutch people and its government are choosing to have an oblivious attitude towards the negative conotation that this tradition carries shows the kind of state of affairs the Netherlands is in. Hopefully over the years the number of people against this will grow leading to a ban of this racist practice.

Dark side of the Rainbow nation

Annually on 24 September, South Africans gather to celebrate Heritage Day. Essentially it should not only be a day of embracing each other’s diverse traditions, values and roots, but also a day of redressing the inequalities that came with the history of apartheid. However, the sad reality is, there are still discriminatory practices against our fellow Africans. So how can we genuinely then celebrate Heritage Day?

 Xenophobia is currently one of the rife forms of discrimination against foreigners in South Africa. It is perceived to have significantly increased in South Africa after the installation of a democratic government in 1994 despite claims that South Africa is a nation that is governed by the principles of Ubuntu. Between 2000 and March 2008 at least 67 people died in what was identified as xenophobic attacks and also in May 2008 a series of riots left 62 people dead.

We also see xenophobia in the recent attacks against Somali shop owners.

 A 2004 study published by the SA Migration Project revealed that 21% of South Africans were in favour of a complete ban on entry by foreigners and 67% were in favour of strict limitations to apply in respect of the number of foreigners allowed. This paints a picture of a country that is divided and not accepting of other people.

Acceptance of one another’s differences is only possible if we truly understand who we are; therefore enabling us to understand the diversities in other people. That's where the teachings of our heritages should come in.

 Kwazulu Natal Premier Zweli Mkhize once said: “Our people must be taught to accept all people and fight against xenophobia and bring to an end all forms of political intolerance that caused brother to murder brother,”

According to Oxford English Dictionary, ‘Heritage’ is: 'the history, traditions and qualities that a country or society has had for many years and that are considered an important part of its character.’ But Heritage Day has become a day to show-off the Nguni tribe that one belongs to in colourful traditional attire, instead of being a day to teach and instil pride in the fundamental principles along with everything else that makes up our different cultures.

 Ubuntu, a fundamental principle across all cultures and religions, is a philosophy that preaches goodness and humanity to others. This philosophy that previously disadvantaged people had in the past is the reason why we have democracy today. This day should remind us all as Africans, that it is not our tastes or preferences that bind us, but rather our differences that make up who we are as a continent.

 Heritage Day is dedicated to the celebration of our differences, thus we have to question if we really understand our heritage and who we are. Such an evaluation is vital in building a South Africa that future generations will be proud to live in.

Capitalism and the death of Ubuntu

The concept of Ubuntu can be described as “humanity to others” or “I am what I am because of who we all are”. Fundamentally, it is based on the principles of unity and selflessness. But under a capitalist system, the profit motive nullifies the principles of Ubuntu.

The capitalist system compensates people based on the work that they are able to do, and does not accord all the work to the same value (i.e. the ability to direct the production of thousands of motor vehicles is seen as more important than the ability to keep a drain clean).

The study of economics also teaches us that under a capitalist market, increasing consumer spending is economically desirable and hence leads to economic growth.  This leads us to believe that success is attained by material wealth.

This belief is apparent in recent generations; a recent survey conducted by a US university on a quarter of a million new college students found that their main reason for attending college was to gain material wealth. Therefore, it is evident that on our quest to attaining material wealth, we become subject to greed.

Unlike Ubuntu, which is based on the principle of unity and equality for all, capitalism promotes the direct opposite. It instills a materialistic definition of success and for this reason, our generation has dedicated their lives to the attainment of money.

Clearly, capitalism continues to eat our spirit of Ubuntu. Our relationships have turned into nothing more than economic transactions: we are taught to find our worth in what we acquire; we are never whole; always yearning for materials to fill the void where humanity should be. Crapitalism turns We into Me.

When i think of the youth of 76 and how they united not only for themselves, but for black people across the country, i cannot help but feel a deep sense of sadness and betrayal for what they stood and fought for; I cannot help but ask: at what price did we get democracy? Yes, they fought for change and equality, and many would argue that we have it; but what did democracy of 1994 really change?

Clearly, the lessons of the sacrifice paid by the youth of ’74 mean very little to this present generation. Lost also are the sacrifices of all the heroes past, who paid the ultimate price for the struggle. Lost are the lessons of servitude; of selflessness; of long-suffering; and of securing the future of generations unborn.

With the gradual death of ubuntu, it has become scary and frightening to even contemplate what our collective future holds in store. The more you look, the more you see a future of dog-eat-dog; of gross greed; of unrestrained materialism; of insatiable lust for money – and more money and yet more money.

A future measured by how much you have acquired. A future where the personal motto is: I Before Others. A future where relationships are devoid of conscience and rather, depend on: What Can You For Me?

Frightening indeed.

Social Apartheid

The 27^th of April has become a historic day for many South Africans; especially the black community. This day marks the 19^th anniversary of a false democracy and an exaggerated social integration. Freedom day is supposed to be a celebration of the ‘death’ of apartheid (separation) but one still finds traces of our dirty history in current society.

I had decided to spend my ‘freedom-day’ in Newtown at ‘Back To the City’; this event was a celebration of all that is Hip Hop, featuring B-boy dancers, rappers, graffiti artists, Dj’s, poets..etc. All these ‘different’ styles of hip hop came together to share and celebrate the life and role of Hip Hop in our current society.

The interesting thing about all these different groups within this culture is how they ‘fought’ to be different from the rest; this is clear when you look at their self-expressions through the attire that they chose on the day. What I noticed by looking at these people who claim to be individuals, was a trend. You could tell the poets apart from the skaters, rappers and vice versa.  I realised that defining yourself is stripping yourself of being an individual. By labeling yourself; one has to be conscious of the fact that you are calling/naming yourself according to a criteria and behavior already set by someone else for you, eg rappers sagging their pants.

Like any other Hip Hop event, you get what are called ‘wack cats’ and these are artists that produce mainstream ‘bubble-gum’ (nonsense) music that so many who claim the culture, enjoy. The separation of the stages was a wonderful idea as each stage catered for the different tastes of individuals. The stages showed, very clearly, who was there for the hip hop and who came to just have fun and kill time in the excitement.

Although it was my first time at the event, it was clear that this event was pretty big. The number of people in attendance was massive and the atmosphere at the Red Bull Stage was phenomenal. Hip Hop has evolved into a new way of self-expression, especially considering how dub-step is growing bigger and bigger within the culture. Although the main stage had relatively prominent artists, it was really difficult to enjoy their performances as there were technical issues between the microphone and the speakers; thus making it difficult to get the full experience of the artist’s work. Even if there were no technical problems with the equipment, I could not help but feel as though the main stage was there to promote artists instead of celebrating the culture and enjoying the hip hop. The performances lacked emotion and sincerity, whereas the second stage just pulled the crowd and kept them there. One artist in particular that really impressed me was young white man who was mimicking dub-step beats using his mouth.

A part of me was impressed by the number of white people who actually came to the event(as few as there were) to share and experience a culture primarily associated with black people. The fact that they chose to come to this event, instead of the Metallica concert that was happening on the same day means that there is a difference but still no change in the integration of races within South Africa.

The fact that a relatively huge rock band had a concert on the same day as the event I went to, speaks volumes about the meaning of ‘freedom-day’. It is clear that although direct apartheid was abolished, social apartheid still exists. I would see this as an insult to our democracy; to me it is just another sign that shows the lack of consciousness of the people of our country. The fact that after 19 years, we still cannot enjoy each other’s cultures, is a clear indicator that this is not accidental but it is by design.

The capitalist culture that so many countries have adopted will forever create apartheid between people. Understanding capitalism enables one to understand socio-political structures that exist in society to maximize monetary gain.

Apart from all the politics of the day, I enjoyed the event and I would gladly buy tickets for the next ‘Back to the City’, not because I’m such a huge fan of the culture but because the atmosphere is one that betrays literature and can only be understood through experience.

For once in my life I had a glimpse of freedom. It felt as though I existed in a different time- where people around me did not care where everyone else came from or who/what they were; the law did not matter; people were smoking weed, laughing, dancing. A common love for a culture created unity among strangers- I felt FREEDOM!

Freedom and Accountability

Enrich Fromm, a German psychologist and philosopher, once wrote, “The way to become truly free in an individual sense is to become spontaneous in our self expression and behaviour and respond truthfully to our genuine feelings.” When we think of freedom, feelings of having total power and authority over our lives should be evoked; and that authority shall act as a prerequisite towards being accountable for every decision we make concerning our lives.

 

It is unfortunate that people fear their own power so much; what’s even more unfortunate is the exploitation of that fear. Too many people are conscious that our government, for example, is not doing much to change or better our lives, but they would rather suffer in silence than to speak out against the injustice. Too many people are also theoretical ‘revolutionaries’ on social networks, but many of those same revolutionaries conduct themselves completely different in the real world.

 Yes, we are social beings, and the fear of isolation is a scary one, but one should not fall into a spiral of silence because of the fear of being an individual. We allow ourselves to be oppressed by political systems out of the fear of not belonging. How often have we seen teachers/lecturers assigning a group task in class? And within those same groups you will find that everyone is reluctant to be ‘the leader’ but everyone wants to follow. This is a social behaviour that has become dominant in our society and it reflects a sad reality of how people want to rejoice together in victory but point fingers (to the ‘leader’) in defeat or failure. Everyone wants to achieve greatness but not many are confident enough in themselves to dare to try.

 As Marianne Williamson wrote, “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.' We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people will not feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone and as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give others permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

 SPIRITUAL FREEDOM

I understand that the subject of God and religion is a sensitive one for many people, but unfortunately this to me is the biggest subject that needs to be questioned and interrogated. One cannot be truly free if one believes in God as an external force that is outside of us. My biggest concern with religion is how it strips people of their power; it is too passive and submissive to encourage people to achieve more.

 Who is God?  Does God exist? Does God exist because He/She exists; or does God exist because we can’t explain our own existence?

 One of my biggest problems with religion (especially the one in which I grew up believing) is that it sements the idea that I do not own my life; if something bad happens then that’s God testing your faith and if something good happens then that is God (again) showering you with blessings. I’ve sat through countless sermons where priests have told people to stay true to God and believe in God’s ‘perfect timing’.

 This nonsensical idea makes me wonder why we are on earth if nothing can be claimed as ours. I believe God does exist, but not in you because You are God: the God of your own life. I don’t think one can say “I don’t fear my freedom” if one still prays. We are all human, asking for help or assistance is not a bad thing when you can relate to the person helping you; asking for help from God to me says that you acknowledge his/her existence and the power he/she has over your life.

When you were studying your butt off, pulling all nighters to attain the 90% that you got, was that an act of God or a result of your dedication and hard work? Too many people have questions about religion and the political relevance of it but most of them would rather sit through the sermons with protesting thoughts than speak out and detach themselves from all that is God and church because life without God- is YOUR life. And the accountability of how you turn out being your fault is an idea scary enough to silence great minds.

 ‘Blind pupils. -- As long as a man knows very well the strength and weaknesses of his teaching, his art, his religion, its power is still slight. The pupil and apostle who, blinded by the authority of the master and by the piety he feels toward him, pays no attention to the weaknesses of a teaching, a religion, and soon usually has for that reason more power than the master. The influence of a man has never yet grown great without his blind pupils. To help a perception to achieve victory often means merely to unite it with stupidity so intimately that the weight of the latter also enforces the victory of the former-from Nietzsche's Human, all too Human, s.122, R.J. Hollingdale transl.’

Controlled Power

We live in a society where the public has more power than the government/ state.  Although the public has more power than the people that are controlling them; they seem to be oblivious of this power.
One of the first and most revolutionary questions we should be asking is WHY?!. This is where the relationship between protection and control comes in. These two concepts are almost the same and distinguishing between the two is almost difficult. In my opinion, the relationship between these two concepts is the distribution of power; not forgetting that the one needs the other in order to exist.
Control is almost impossible without power and although this might make a bit of sense, there is one element that we seem to be forgetting; something that binds these two things together-Fear.
In order for your state to control you, it has to make you scared of certain things; the moment your scared they offer a solution that will need you to give up some of your power or rights(without you knowing).
The news is a great medium to instill fear in people; whether we would like to admit it or not, the media does not only broadcast information; but it also attaches importance to the broadcast by the amount of exposure and the manner of the broadcast also lets you know how to feel about it. The liberation of a people seems like nothing more than a pipe-dream when you look at how the media has created a materialistic culture of drones that care only for themselves and not their people. We have to understand that most things are worthless; it is the socio-psychological values that we have attatched to these things.
Media has done a great job of measuring success by how much money you have; thus keeping you in the system trying to attain more money not knowing that the more you have-is the more you have to lose and the fear of losing these things will make sure that you keep playing THE GAME and stepping on more heads to reach the top.
The state is failing us; yet we think we are powerless to change our situations. We should always remember that without us; there is no state, not voting is not an option as there is a 'life jacket' in the system that is called the silent vote. Let us change our vote to the underdogs, we don't have long to be exploited; lets take back our power and spread the word!
The revolution should start on social networks and the conversations we have; lets use these Asocial networks against the oppressive system to liberate ourselves from mental slavery first; the rest will follow.

FOR THE ATTAINMENT OF CONSCIOUSNESS!!