1 comment

• Comment Link Sunday, 12 February 2012 12:19 posted by Tegeret

  I always find it interesting that the most strident voices against 'destruction of indigenous African culture and heritage' comes from westerners, yet we never hear such objections to the harmony in old European cultural and historical sites such as the Greek and Roman ruins in Europe. Recently, Italy's neglect of its treasured ruins of ancient Pompeii went without a whimper from the same advocates. One wonders whether there isn't a patronising element to the fossilizing 'preservation' of Africa's Culture at the expense of inevitable and desirable processes of social change, improvement of livelihoods and well-being?
  While tourists want to come and enjoy these idyllic ancient cultures frozen in time, the local people have to live the realities of poor and inadequate social services, lack of integration to the outside world, improved opportunities for education, employment and upward social mobility; not to talk of broader concerns for national and regional development, economic growth and integration to regional and global markets that will pull millions of Africans in the continents hinterland out of poverty.

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