The necessity of passing on cultural philosophies to young people today

For most people, the most important elements of our cultures are language, rituals, and material expressions. However, we often overlook the wealth of knowledge embedded in our cultures; this knowledge, although rich, can only be accessed through slow and persistent discernment. Cultural philosophy cannot simply be compiled into a book. Moreover, such philosophies often lack definitive boundaries, as they share elements across cultural families and continuously evolve through global interaction.

Our cultures hold treasures of wisdom that offer practical life lessons and skills rarely taught in schools or universities. As the world observes the World Day for Cultural Diversity this week, on May 21, it is crucial to reflect on our own national dynamics as a country rich in cultural diversity, where 77% of the population is under the age of 35 and approximately 35% are aged between 15 and 35 (Tanzanian National Bureau of Statistics, Population and Housing Census, 2022).

When we speak of philosophy, it is important to remember that every philosophy is a product of its cultural milieu and the lived experiences of its people, experiences that resonate most deeply with successive generations.

As African people, we must consciously embrace a broader perspective: our collective philosophy should guide how we live our lives. Development cannot proceed out of step with this philosophy, for we cannot separate ourselves from the cultural reality from which it arises.

While our cultural philosophies are not as systematic as the popular philosophies, especially from the West, ours are in no way inferior. In the context of our lives, they are superior in the sense that they arise from a crucial component of our shared lives woven for many generations and, as such, have better access to transforming our lives for the better.

As Africans, our cultural philosophies can help us, and especially us young people, to navigate even the most recent evolvements in the global life trends. For example, with the evolvement of communication technology, the actual capacities of people to socialise naturally and physically are slowly but consistently under attack. This is because modern technology comes out every day with better enticing tools and platforms to keep its users entertained and satisfied with the socialisation availed by the communication devices.

From our cultural philosophies, at least shared across the people of African origin, both those within the continent and those in diaspora, the sense of community is deep and strong; as the Ubuntu philosophy, for example, says, “I am because we are.” When young people are taught that this is our way of life, they grow with a reflection to own this new sense of being as a backdrop and a springboard from which they bounce as well as make sense of their lives.

On the other hand, cultural philosophies are important for solidifying a sense of identity. We do not exist as people with no roots. We are not empties to be filled by global thoughts. This is an important message for our young people today. Teaching cultural philosophies helps them grapple with fundamental questions of identity, belonging, and boundaries, especially as life becomes increasingly shared beyond the physical realm.

Building a strong cultural identity revolves around the values attached to these three things: Being, exploring questions like Who am I, and why am I…? Belonging, exploring questions like, Where do I belong, and why? Who am I/are we connected to? And boundary, establishing capacity to ask questions like, What can I accept and what can I not accept? How far can I go in this or that? How much is enough, and how much is too much? How much is tolerable and how much should be abhorred?

Young people who do not ask these questions are prone to becoming victims of the global manipulation trends, as they lack crucial pillars of support, as mentioned above.

Other problems of our times revolve around leadership, violence, mental health issues, loneliness, family crises, and many others. I believe returning to the positive philosophies of our cultural roots will be of help. We must acknowledge that not all ideas are good and workable amongst us, just because they sound intelligent.

We ought to know and also teach our young people that the rest of the world looks at life and its values and dynamics differently, beginning with family, friendship, togetherness, spirituality, etc. As such, not all popular solutions are feasible in our experiences, as we cannot remove ourselves completely from our experience, which is more or less our permanent and somewhat defining niche.

Though as Tanzanians, for example, we do not talk so much about tribes, we should be aware of the loss of the wealth of ideas from the richness hidden in the undocumented tribal schools of thought as generations evolve. The statistics I mentioned above should raise our eyebrows in this regard.

We have less than 30 per cent of the population who are deeply informed about our various tribal ways of life, wherein lie hidden the cultural philosophies. A systematic effort to harness this richness will go a long way to improve lives, especially as cultural ideas are appropriated at the encounter with new realities.

Shimbo Pastory is an advocate for positive social transformation, and he is a student at the Loyola School of Theology of the Ateneo de Manila University, the Philippines. Website: www.shimbopastory.com