Like a stream, modernity is a set of ideas that is ever flowing and evolving which is reason it has been difficult for it and tradition to co-exist. What gives legitimacy to Tradition is its origin, the past, for they are passed on from a generation to the other.
In African Traditional Society, Modernity was highly driven by religion and advanced by neo-colonialism which emerged as a new structure of power flowing from western countries.
Today, the western influence has been pared in a shift to the East(China & India) in struggles for political power, economic superiority and intelligence.To counter this relentless quest, the west through international organizations have to drive the theory of thought that traditional systems and way of life is wrong.
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As I watched the Minister for Gender and Culture Ms Mutuzo Peace last week rabbish traditional beliefs like “pulling” calling them barberic and outdated an act that has been practiced by many tribes especially Bantu for generations, I smiled alone lightly.I believe she drew a sword against FGM but she unknowingly is fighting tradition and it’s beliefs supported by western-modernity and its interests.
Traditions like labia stretching has a history and are known scientifically to having no health implications instead advantages like protecting women from being raped among others which has made these cultural practices very difficult to do away with.
As the world turns to a global village with different power sources there will always be a conflict between tradition and Modernity. I pray we focus on positive attributes, it’s only in such a joint effort that salvation of Africa lies. Rather than conflicting We have enough space for Co-existence.
By Kennedy Muhindi
Writer is a Pan African@kennym_ug.
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