Good Afternoon! What a beautiful audience is presented in front of me. I am delighted to be here today as I believe that it is my duty to open your eyes to the original and pure tradition, beliefs and culture of the Igbo people.
We as colonisers, we do not see the full story of tribes. We only see one story and it is usually not wrong however it is incomplete. Furthermore as colonisers although we think that by colonising countries, cities and tribes we might be contributing towards the people's benefits by introducing them to modern ways of living and traditions, we might be killing something that they believe to be pure and loved.
Do you know how many languages have been extinct due to colonisation? Do you know how much connecting with ancestors is important to the Igbo tribe? Are you aware that the Igbo people form one of the largest ethnic groups in Africa?
After my expedition to the “savage lands” I was blown away. We have been wrong this entire time. After arriving in Nigeria with a closed mindset, I had finally realised how a book should not be judged by its cover. Although they are not so likeable towards the white skinned people, they were polite. The Igbo people are full of interesting traditions which they believe in with all their soul, however we name that as sorcery and nonsense.
The way I see things, respect should go both ways. Don’t sell me a dog and pretend that colonising brings out the best of those “savage” tribes. What it does it that it kills their pureness and forces them to live a lie, live within beliefs they don't believe and live within an unwanted superior force.
What if the Igbo tribe was your tribe, your people, your culture? Would you be okay with people you don't even know, simply invading it because they feel as hey are superior and changing everything around you, tradition and culture, important concepts for the tribe to survive?
Colonising should be applied, do not twist my words. However there should be a limit to the extent of that application. In my honest opinion, new modern ways concerning behaviour, culture and tradition should be presented towards the Igbo community in a persuasive way. Those that are interested in it can take part and become modern people and those who want to stick with their origins and purity should be able to do so.
Let’s not send our mutton shunters into Africa with explicit orders to take over every land they find. Instead we can tell them to harmonise with the Igbo people and not take any violent acts towards them. Respect should go both ways.
Taking the egg over the Igbo people is not victory. Victory is to harmonise with them in a peaceful manner and share culture both ways. We all can learn from them as they can learn from us.
In the name of Britain, we shall not be violent, we shall be civil. In the name of Britain we shall not disregard human rights, we shall re-enforce it. In the name of Britain, let’s consider what they have to offer and make our offer persuasive enough that they will have interest in it.
Thank You!
Hello Luiza,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed your blogpost as you were able to effectively express your purpose and drive its value through the speech. Something that truly stood out to me while reading this blogpost is when you say: The Igbo people are full of interesting traditions which they believe in with all their soul, however we name that as sorcery and nonsense." I think this stood out to me because you were able to effectively express the treatment of Africans and how it should be changed. Something else you could improve is your linguistic style. By writing more formal, it will sound like a more applicable speech during the late victorian era. Overall, this was really enjoyable as I also took a similar approach! Keep up the good work and great analysis.
Hi Luiza,
ReplyDeleteYour blogpost was a very enjoyable read. It's admirable how you used some very effective structural conventions of a speech to attain the purpose of successfully conveying your argument to avert the British ideas of colonization. You also capitalized on our most recent learning objective by emphatically weaving in proverbs like "Don’t sell me a dog " and "Taking the egg over," which highlights your deep understanding of the concept of proverbs. With all that said, like Hala I do believe that your speech could be adapted in a more formal register to enhances its applicability to the Late Victorian Era.
Well done, Luiza!!