Eworan "Village Headmaster"
Chief Zebrudaya alias 4-30 mba omo re so ro. Ori omo ti wo. O tidi igbagbo Christainity, o so oruko lati Nwafo tide oriibu Afrolin.
Showing posts with label Africa. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Africa. Show all posts
Monday, July 28, 2008
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Akolo Ogbon Ni Wahala Nigeria/Africa.
Low Applied Intelligence Is Cause Of Nigeria/Africa Non-Progress
Posted to NVS
I am voting for LOW APPLIED INTELLIGENCE. I think the IQ is same as the rest of the world, but, as I have had occasions to ask on NVS, "what is the point of intelligence if it is not being used intelligently".. All the other factors mentioned in the questionaire, and more besides,can be resolved by a people who are thinking properly.
[B]The people of the country, and the broader Afrikan community, are in a state of intense spiritual, psychological and/or intellectual shock[/B]. The people are in an infantile and fatalistic neurosis, And everyday, they are told the answers (applied intelligence) is with some "leader", "diaspora", "foreigner", "God", anyone but themselves. It seems to be obvious that the systems in place were designed to [U]not[/U] meet the needs or wants of the community, yet time and time again, the people reach out to deter any changing of the system. It is as if [B]there is addiction to a mental childishness that just does not recognise the need to take responsibility[/B], to stop wistfulness (e go better, God dey, I am going to heaven) and get stuck into organising, making and building things.
Some of [B]this is due to cultural and personality dissonance[/B]. Every African person worldwide lives, today, in societies in which they are commercially and mentally in a dominant and hostile external cultural context yet feel that they are historically and socially of a different culture that has strengths of its own.
Two examples in Nigeria. The president is a Mooslim Hausa/Fulani/Kanuri/"Northerner" who must operate his office in English language, feels compelled to wear (occasionally) European suits (symbolic skin), operate his convert religion in Arabic (the language of the Koran) and maintain his ethnic identity in Hausa with the historical culture of its associate world-view. The CBN governor is a Christain, ibo/igbo/"Easterner" who must operate his office and convert in English language, feels very natural in European suits (symbolic skin), and operates his home in Ibo with the historical culture of its associated worldview. How many personalities are these people projecting at any one time? How many personalities and which one is the person talking or trying to do business with them dealing with? AND both of them are trying to apply solutions that other people developed to benefit other societies to resolve the complexities in Nigeria. This is not a personal attack on either. They are highly intelligent and capable people. [B]They just cannot "help it", it is what they were brought up to do[/B].
To my knowledge, the Nigerian/African socio-cultural space (no system is apparent) does not deal with the deep-seated historical and ongoing scars suffered by the collective African psyche from atrocities like Arab or European slavery; European direct and indirect mass murders to establish and maintain colonial influence, from religions and multimedia that spiritually rape and erase the cultural memory in order to externalise the good and godly, from the insecurity of family poverty and disease.
The Jesuits are accredited with a statement to wit: [I]"Give me the child and I will give you the man."[/I] [b]The education system does not meet the unique needs of the African child or society.[/b] The curriculum does appear to consider child psychology in general, and the specific developmental needs of children growing up to live in mutually-antagonistic (and hence inherently self-destructive) multi-national and multi-religious countries. Nigerians/Africans currently [U]exist[/U] in conditions where their adulthood is programmed into a state of perpetual child-like intellectual dependence. We have not consciously applied our intellect to challenge and manage our own realities. All the other factors impact thereafter.
[B]At this point in history, the spirit is broken[/B]. It is as a slave plantation writ large, Kunta Kinte has been flogged by the boss Nigger to say "Toby" when his enemy asks "what is your name?". In caricature of the historical antebellum slavery, people became so neurotic in their self-abasement that they sent their children into breeding by their enemies. Now all the children are minded to be Toby, in speech, in dress, in belief, in front of the mirror, in public, because their mothers and fathers have imprinted Kunta's scars on their memory and because no one feels bold enough, adult and responsible enough, to talk about how or why the scars got there or what to do about the scars, the floggers and the enemies. [B]Children, however, are born curious.[/B]
Posted to NVS
I am voting for LOW APPLIED INTELLIGENCE. I think the IQ is same as the rest of the world, but, as I have had occasions to ask on NVS, "what is the point of intelligence if it is not being used intelligently".. All the other factors mentioned in the questionaire, and more besides,can be resolved by a people who are thinking properly.
[B]The people of the country, and the broader Afrikan community, are in a state of intense spiritual, psychological and/or intellectual shock[/B]. The people are in an infantile and fatalistic neurosis, And everyday, they are told the answers (applied intelligence) is with some "leader", "diaspora", "foreigner", "God", anyone but themselves. It seems to be obvious that the systems in place were designed to [U]not[/U] meet the needs or wants of the community, yet time and time again, the people reach out to deter any changing of the system. It is as if [B]there is addiction to a mental childishness that just does not recognise the need to take responsibility[/B], to stop wistfulness (e go better, God dey, I am going to heaven) and get stuck into organising, making and building things.
Some of [B]this is due to cultural and personality dissonance[/B]. Every African person worldwide lives, today, in societies in which they are commercially and mentally in a dominant and hostile external cultural context yet feel that they are historically and socially of a different culture that has strengths of its own.
Two examples in Nigeria. The president is a Mooslim Hausa/Fulani/Kanuri/"Northerner" who must operate his office in English language, feels compelled to wear (occasionally) European suits (symbolic skin), operate his convert religion in Arabic (the language of the Koran) and maintain his ethnic identity in Hausa with the historical culture of its associate world-view. The CBN governor is a Christain, ibo/igbo/"Easterner" who must operate his office and convert in English language, feels very natural in European suits (symbolic skin), and operates his home in Ibo with the historical culture of its associated worldview. How many personalities are these people projecting at any one time? How many personalities and which one is the person talking or trying to do business with them dealing with? AND both of them are trying to apply solutions that other people developed to benefit other societies to resolve the complexities in Nigeria. This is not a personal attack on either. They are highly intelligent and capable people. [B]They just cannot "help it", it is what they were brought up to do[/B].
To my knowledge, the Nigerian/African socio-cultural space (no system is apparent) does not deal with the deep-seated historical and ongoing scars suffered by the collective African psyche from atrocities like Arab or European slavery; European direct and indirect mass murders to establish and maintain colonial influence, from religions and multimedia that spiritually rape and erase the cultural memory in order to externalise the good and godly, from the insecurity of family poverty and disease.
The Jesuits are accredited with a statement to wit: [I]"Give me the child and I will give you the man."[/I] [b]The education system does not meet the unique needs of the African child or society.[/b] The curriculum does appear to consider child psychology in general, and the specific developmental needs of children growing up to live in mutually-antagonistic (and hence inherently self-destructive) multi-national and multi-religious countries. Nigerians/Africans currently [U]exist[/U] in conditions where their adulthood is programmed into a state of perpetual child-like intellectual dependence. We have not consciously applied our intellect to challenge and manage our own realities. All the other factors impact thereafter.
[B]At this point in history, the spirit is broken[/B]. It is as a slave plantation writ large, Kunta Kinte has been flogged by the boss Nigger to say "Toby" when his enemy asks "what is your name?". In caricature of the historical antebellum slavery, people became so neurotic in their self-abasement that they sent their children into breeding by their enemies. Now all the children are minded to be Toby, in speech, in dress, in belief, in front of the mirror, in public, because their mothers and fathers have imprinted Kunta's scars on their memory and because no one feels bold enough, adult and responsible enough, to talk about how or why the scars got there or what to do about the scars, the floggers and the enemies. [B]Children, however, are born curious.[/B]
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Deconstructing the Sovereign Plantation (sorry, Protectorate)
first published 9-November-2004
DECONSTRUCTING THE SOVEREIGN PLANTATION (sorry, PROTECTORATE)
Better Life Shadow: Hey, Old Good Fellow ! How's life on your plantation nowadays.
OGF: Fine, fine. We are surviving. Which one be plantation? This na independent place o.
BLS: The plantation you live and work in. Do you not produce vegetable oil, mineral oil and cheap labour for the markets? What else do you make?
OGF: Never thought of it as a plantation before.
BLS; Do you not work all day and all night, for years on end, with very little to show for it?
OGF: Not me! I am the head of the household staff. I crack the whip on the field hands and make sure our production levels are always up.
BLS: Ah, you are the super on this plantation?
OGF: Yes ke. I am the oga patapata. Apart from god above and our investors just beneath him.
BLS: What does god do for you? What do your investors do for you?
OGF: How dare you blaspheme the name of the almighty? Can you not see this plantation is very productive?!
BLS: I see a lot of people toiling relentlessly in the fields. A lot are dying of hunger. But a lot of food is rotting.
OGF: That one is not the fault of god or the investors. The ones dying are too lazy to work. The food is for export to our investor, One Across The Water.
BLS: Chineke! Is OATW your god? What has she invested? Why waste food when people are dying?
OGF: Mind yoursef before I discipline you. OATW brought me god, the almighty who shall never die.
BLS: What capital or labour or anything tangible has OATW invested in this plantation, then?
OGF: Questions, questions. I told you already: god was her only investment here. The people you see provide all the investment we need.
BLS: (in disbelief) These people provide all the investment and they are dying of want?! Can they not use what they have to improve their own lives?
OGF: And make me look bad when next I go into the house to meet OATW? God go punish you.
BLS: (angry) Akotileta!! Who made you oga here? YOU should be careful the people do not mutiny and burn the house down and you with it.
Old good fellow thinks about this. This better life seems to make sense.
OGF: What should I do? The plantation owes OATW a lot of money. If we no pay, OATW will not buy our food and the people will starve even more.
BLS: And so what? The people are already starving. Sell them the food. Anyway, how come the plantation owes OATW a lot of money?
OGF: Even me sef, I no know. All the other plantations around here are in the same position. When OATW arrived here with god, my father's neighbours built the house for them with our own sweat and blood. OATW was very generous to our neighbours, sha.
BLS: Generous to your neighbours? How?
OGF: OATW added our land to that of the neighbours and put them in charge. She told everybody: "I will train your people in how to better manage your land, if you agree to make it a plantation for me. I will buy your everything you make, provided you agree to take my god as your own."
My father did not think this was a good arrangement, and told OATW so. She became very angry and told her soldiers to rape, maim, loot and imprison my father's chiefs in the name of her god. Many died. Many were taken across the waters, never to be seen again (sobs).
When the fighting finished, OATW said we owed her the cost of killing our people and taking our land for her plantation. She told my neighbours to appoint a good house-super and make sure the debt is paid in full.
BLS: Laakuli, otherwise what will happen?
OGF: Otherwise, she will ask the dogs of war to come back.
BLS: So you must forever keep the plantation going in order to pay this bastard debt? Why not train your own dogs of war?
Old good fellow thinks about this. This better life sure asks a lot of sensible questions.
OGF: What should I do? The plantation is very beneficial for our neighbours and very profitable to OATW. They will not allow us to train our own dogs.
BLS: Haba! Without your own dogs, you cannot burn the house or protect the people. You will be attacked by your enemies and forced forever to pay the debts that make the people poor.
OGF: No worries. I have signed agreement with OATW to not attack me. I have agreed with my neighbours to give them bits and pieces of the plantation to add to their own plantations.
We produce a lot of food and oil that OATW wants to buy. As long as the plantation delivers, no wahala.
BLS: What will happen when the soil becomes tired and the well becomes dry and the debt is not yet paid?
OGF: (Happy at his own foresight) That is not my problem anymore!
BLS: Why not? Are you not the house-super, who is responsible for the well-being of the plantation workers?
OGF: The soil is being given free to OATW's people to grow their own food. The well is already owned by OATW. Besides, we need not worry about the people by that time!
BLS: Why not? Are the plantation people not agitating against this massive theft?
OGF: NO, OATW allows those potential trouble-makers who think they have sense to go to OATW's country, where they to work as feudal wage slaves. The trouble-makers who no want go are dealt with. Most of the rest are delibrately undereducated, malnourished and allowed to die of curable diseases.
BLS: You said most of the rest. What happens to the rest of the rest, then?
OGF: They rely on my generous handouts or they believe in OATW's god. Either way, they help to keep the plantation running. We got debts to pay!!
BLS: (mutters curses)
DECONSTRUCTING THE SOVEREIGN PLANTATION (sorry, PROTECTORATE)
Better Life Shadow: Hey, Old Good Fellow ! How's life on your plantation nowadays.
OGF: Fine, fine. We are surviving. Which one be plantation? This na independent place o.
BLS: The plantation you live and work in. Do you not produce vegetable oil, mineral oil and cheap labour for the markets? What else do you make?
OGF: Never thought of it as a plantation before.
BLS; Do you not work all day and all night, for years on end, with very little to show for it?
OGF: Not me! I am the head of the household staff. I crack the whip on the field hands and make sure our production levels are always up.
BLS: Ah, you are the super on this plantation?
OGF: Yes ke. I am the oga patapata. Apart from god above and our investors just beneath him.
BLS: What does god do for you? What do your investors do for you?
OGF: How dare you blaspheme the name of the almighty? Can you not see this plantation is very productive?!
BLS: I see a lot of people toiling relentlessly in the fields. A lot are dying of hunger. But a lot of food is rotting.
OGF: That one is not the fault of god or the investors. The ones dying are too lazy to work. The food is for export to our investor, One Across The Water.
BLS: Chineke! Is OATW your god? What has she invested? Why waste food when people are dying?
OGF: Mind yoursef before I discipline you. OATW brought me god, the almighty who shall never die.
BLS: What capital or labour or anything tangible has OATW invested in this plantation, then?
OGF: Questions, questions. I told you already: god was her only investment here. The people you see provide all the investment we need.
BLS: (in disbelief) These people provide all the investment and they are dying of want?! Can they not use what they have to improve their own lives?
OGF: And make me look bad when next I go into the house to meet OATW? God go punish you.
BLS: (angry) Akotileta!! Who made you oga here? YOU should be careful the people do not mutiny and burn the house down and you with it.
Old good fellow thinks about this. This better life seems to make sense.
OGF: What should I do? The plantation owes OATW a lot of money. If we no pay, OATW will not buy our food and the people will starve even more.
BLS: And so what? The people are already starving. Sell them the food. Anyway, how come the plantation owes OATW a lot of money?
OGF: Even me sef, I no know. All the other plantations around here are in the same position. When OATW arrived here with god, my father's neighbours built the house for them with our own sweat and blood. OATW was very generous to our neighbours, sha.
BLS: Generous to your neighbours? How?
OGF: OATW added our land to that of the neighbours and put them in charge. She told everybody: "I will train your people in how to better manage your land, if you agree to make it a plantation for me. I will buy your everything you make, provided you agree to take my god as your own."
My father did not think this was a good arrangement, and told OATW so. She became very angry and told her soldiers to rape, maim, loot and imprison my father's chiefs in the name of her god. Many died. Many were taken across the waters, never to be seen again (sobs).
When the fighting finished, OATW said we owed her the cost of killing our people and taking our land for her plantation. She told my neighbours to appoint a good house-super and make sure the debt is paid in full.
BLS: Laakuli, otherwise what will happen?
OGF: Otherwise, she will ask the dogs of war to come back.
BLS: So you must forever keep the plantation going in order to pay this bastard debt? Why not train your own dogs of war?
Old good fellow thinks about this. This better life sure asks a lot of sensible questions.
OGF: What should I do? The plantation is very beneficial for our neighbours and very profitable to OATW. They will not allow us to train our own dogs.
BLS: Haba! Without your own dogs, you cannot burn the house or protect the people. You will be attacked by your enemies and forced forever to pay the debts that make the people poor.
OGF: No worries. I have signed agreement with OATW to not attack me. I have agreed with my neighbours to give them bits and pieces of the plantation to add to their own plantations.
We produce a lot of food and oil that OATW wants to buy. As long as the plantation delivers, no wahala.
BLS: What will happen when the soil becomes tired and the well becomes dry and the debt is not yet paid?
OGF: (Happy at his own foresight) That is not my problem anymore!
BLS: Why not? Are you not the house-super, who is responsible for the well-being of the plantation workers?
OGF: The soil is being given free to OATW's people to grow their own food. The well is already owned by OATW. Besides, we need not worry about the people by that time!
BLS: Why not? Are the plantation people not agitating against this massive theft?
OGF: NO, OATW allows those potential trouble-makers who think they have sense to go to OATW's country, where they to work as feudal wage slaves. The trouble-makers who no want go are dealt with. Most of the rest are delibrately undereducated, malnourished and allowed to die of curable diseases.
BLS: You said most of the rest. What happens to the rest of the rest, then?
OGF: They rely on my generous handouts or they believe in OATW's god. Either way, they help to keep the plantation running. We got debts to pay!!
BLS: (mutters curses)
The "strategic" national "interests" in Ivory Coast vs. France
first published 10-November-2004
It was DAFT of the
Like many other colonial-era African states, IC has no meaningful military strength. There are naval, land or airborne special forces to speak of. The citizens are not militarilised. Now the airforce is shot to bits. That leaves the army, which was the reason
The army had been resisting attacks from insurgents against the regime of President Laurent Gbagbo. The insurgents were at arms because they felt marginalised from economic development. Their candidate for president was disqualified from competing in IC elections on grounds that he is not a citizen of IC. Ivoriens had obviously not heard of globalisation, perhaps because the people were so busy being colomentally assimilated into what Franz Fannon referred to as "black skins, white masks", a phenomenom otherwise known as "coconut": brown-black on the outside, off-white on the inside.
Those from the mainly desert north never forgot or forgave the decision by Houphouët-Boigny to allow
Being illegal emigres did not stop French farmers from privatising and controlling cocoa plantations established under HB. From these plantations,
HB reminded his fellow Ivoriens, time and again, "that their closest and best friend was
Those who perceive
African progressives will need to deal with the facts of France controlling post-independence "french" Africa via CFA anchored by Ivory Coast; and with Britain controlling post-independence "english" Africa via the Commonwealth anchored by Nigeria; and with USA trying to unseat the two EU member states as Africa's new "protector of market access and provider of military assistance". The "great games" played by these three G8 members accounts for much of the stalled progress towards actualisation of cross-border trades in the ECOWAS region, and in Africa as a whole.
But those who think that the Ivory Coast fracas is about rival Ivorien factions squabbling about whom to better service French trading interests, should "smell the cocoa". Cocoa, Coffee and Palm (vegetable) oil are the main exports of Ivory Coast. The journey of cocoa, from bean to consumer, especially reveals the true extent to which African commodities underpin global trade, and exposes the various nations that have strategic interests in the outcome of Ivory Coast vs France.
Links:
http://www.newint.org/issue304/farmer.htm = African cocoa farmer visits Cadbury UK
http://www.icco.org = International Cocoa Association
http://www.icco.org/questions/production.htm = the main cocoa producers
http://countrystudies.us/ivory-coast/78.htm = the legacy of Houphouett-Boigny.
The Strategic Interests in Ivory Coast vs France II
The Strategic Interests in Ivory Coast vs France II
First published 18-November-2004
First published 18-November-2004
The journey of cocoa from plantation to consumer reveals the extent to which African commodities underpin global trade. It also exposes the various nations that have strategic interests in the outcome of Ivory Coast vs France.
Cocoa is grown on large plantations. The crops are intensely farmed, in mono-culture formation and with large use of phosporus fertilizer. Most of the planting, cultivation and harvesting must be done by hand. The plantations use large numbers of labour, many of whom are migrants into IC from neighbouring Burkina Faso, Gabon, Ghana and Senegal. The conditions of work are atrocious. Workers are badly beaten, poorly paid, and cast out at first sign of illness.
Plantation owners borrow heavily from the international banks based in Abidjan. The loans are collateralised by a promise to deliver the physical crop in the future and to receive cash-flows on delivery. Plantation owners receive some money upfront to use in paying for seed, fertilizer, and other farming inputs. The cocoa farmer gets paid. Not all farms are big plantations. A big planter or a big wholesaler may have supply agreements with owners of small-holdings.
On the basis of these anticipated cashflows, the headquarters of these banks create commodity derivatives such as options, futures, forwards and swaps. Commodity derivatives are financial instruments. They are bought and sold many times over in the commodity exchanges such as CBOT (USA), LIFFE (UK), Marche (France). Commodity derivatives are very, very big business in the international financial markets. Some of the buyers are cocoa processing companies such as Cargill, ADM and Phillip Morris (also a big tobacco processor). Other big buyers are end-users such as the chocolate manufacturers, including Switzerland's Nestle/Rowntree, Lindt and Barry Callebrut; USA's Hershey and Mars; UK's Cadbury, among others.
Buyers usually intend to take delivery of the cocoa. However, nearly 98pc of international trade in commodity derivatives is purely speculative gambling. The speculators buy on expectation of increased prices and sell on expectation of lowered prices. Prices are volatile and change often because the quality and quantity of commodities produced in any one year cannot be predicted in advance. Excess rain during harvesting, excess exposure to sun during drying, crop pests and a thousand other risks may destroy the quality of any year's cocoa crop. Fortunes are made and lost due to the ensuring high price volatility. In order to limit their exposure to potential loss, many speculators and end-users buy insurance instruments or hedge their market positions. Not many international insurance companies and hedge fund investment companies even bother to refer to Ivory Coast in their marketing material. They still earn fortunes off the breaking back of the cocoa farmer.
One such farmer visited Cardbury's processing plants in UK. He learnt that hardly any chocolate sold in the huge UK market for "chocolate" products actually contains cocoa solids. The typical 200g bar contains an average of 0.5g of cocoa solids. There are plans underfoot to replace even that small amount with vegetable fat. The big markets for real cocoa solids are the Swiss-Benelux manufacturers of luxury chocolates. The other big market are the manufacturers of cosmetics such as cocoa butter.
The diminishing market for cocoa solids is a trend that reveals changes in the dymanics of strategic international interests across Africa. Ever since the slave trade, many of the continent's economies have been heavily dependent on exports of commodities. Most of the exports were to then-colonial, later-imperialistic, and now neo-colonial trading partners: countries such as UK/Britain, France, Belgium and USA.
Europe and USA dominate global consumption of goods and services. Their markets are now close to saturation point. Their employees are living from paycheck to paycheck. They have too much of the everyday things they want to buy. They have little spending power left after deductions for bills and credit repayments. As consumption falls, so has competitive advantage in production. USA and many Europe countries can no longer compete with the nascent Asian countries in manufacturing, information technology or agriculture. Even as their incomes fall, they are faced with rising expenditure relating to unemployment support, foreign trade deficits, and domestic social obligations.
The diminishing share of Africa's commodities in world trade is producing less slush funds both for the neo-colonials and for the local akotileta elite who rule the commodity-exporting countries on their behalf. With less slush funds, it is becoming more difficult for the neo-colonials to maintain the heavy military and diplomatic resources needed to provide "assistance" to the ruling akotileta. Scenting the opportunity, previously oppressed people are now rising to challenge years of misrule and corruption.
The disaffection in France is particularly acute. For decades, France sold the concept of "one motherland, many colors". The motherland of course was France. The many colors were not equal. Nonetheless, Africans from Mali to Gabon professed to being "french first before African". Equally, religious brainwashing caused Islam worshippers to think themselves "muslim first before African" and the Christian worshippers to think themselves "christian, full stop". Their combined colomentality continue to waste many initiatives aimed at facilitating a regional market in West Africa.
If nothing else, the recent events in Somalia, Rwanda, Sudan, Nigeria, Congo, Equitorial Guinea and Ivory Coast have helped remove the blight from the eyes of many Africans. By bombing the Ivorien military, France declared war on the country and compromised any "peace-keeping" excuses allowed their deployment by the UN. For its part, the UN has authorised France to use "any means neccessary" to contain the multi-tribal wars raging in IC. There have been six coups attempts herere since 1999. France now fights with its back to the proverbial wall. It is discredited with both government forces and rebel forces.
Just like USA in Iraq, France will almost certainly win a front-end confrontation with IC. However, it may find the cost of administering any subsequent peace exhorbitant. The same costs will apply to any misadventurous neo-colonialists scheming to step into France's soiled boots. The unhappy economics facing Europe and USA is the driving force behind the recent wave of aggressive foreign policy unto countries that fail to protect themselves. France is acting under the auspices of the wretched United Nations. USA and Britain is acting irrespective of the UN.
Eventually, the Africans will win encounters similar to Ivory Coast vs France. Then they still face the challenge of lopsided international markets. They can meet that challenge by building strong regional and continental trade among Africa's 700 million waiting customers.
___________________
Cocoa is grown on large plantations. The crops are intensely farmed, in mono-culture formation and with large use of phosporus fertilizer. Most of the planting, cultivation and harvesting must be done by hand. The plantations use large numbers of labour, many of whom are migrants into IC from neighbouring Burkina Faso, Gabon, Ghana and Senegal. The conditions of work are atrocious. Workers are badly beaten, poorly paid, and cast out at first sign of illness.
Plantation owners borrow heavily from the international banks based in Abidjan. The loans are collateralised by a promise to deliver the physical crop in the future and to receive cash-flows on delivery. Plantation owners receive some money upfront to use in paying for seed, fertilizer, and other farming inputs. The cocoa farmer gets paid. Not all farms are big plantations. A big planter or a big wholesaler may have supply agreements with owners of small-holdings.
On the basis of these anticipated cashflows, the headquarters of these banks create commodity derivatives such as options, futures, forwards and swaps. Commodity derivatives are financial instruments. They are bought and sold many times over in the commodity exchanges such as CBOT (USA), LIFFE (UK), Marche (France). Commodity derivatives are very, very big business in the international financial markets. Some of the buyers are cocoa processing companies such as Cargill, ADM and Phillip Morris (also a big tobacco processor). Other big buyers are end-users such as the chocolate manufacturers, including Switzerland's Nestle/Rowntree, Lindt and Barry Callebrut; USA's Hershey and Mars; UK's Cadbury, among others.
Buyers usually intend to take delivery of the cocoa. However, nearly 98pc of international trade in commodity derivatives is purely speculative gambling. The speculators buy on expectation of increased prices and sell on expectation of lowered prices. Prices are volatile and change often because the quality and quantity of commodities produced in any one year cannot be predicted in advance. Excess rain during harvesting, excess exposure to sun during drying, crop pests and a thousand other risks may destroy the quality of any year's cocoa crop. Fortunes are made and lost due to the ensuring high price volatility. In order to limit their exposure to potential loss, many speculators and end-users buy insurance instruments or hedge their market positions. Not many international insurance companies and hedge fund investment companies even bother to refer to Ivory Coast in their marketing material. They still earn fortunes off the breaking back of the cocoa farmer.
One such farmer visited Cardbury's processing plants in UK. He learnt that hardly any chocolate sold in the huge UK market for "chocolate" products actually contains cocoa solids. The typical 200g bar contains an average of 0.5g of cocoa solids. There are plans underfoot to replace even that small amount with vegetable fat. The big markets for real cocoa solids are the Swiss-Benelux manufacturers of luxury chocolates. The other big market are the manufacturers of cosmetics such as cocoa butter.
The diminishing market for cocoa solids is a trend that reveals changes in the dymanics of strategic international interests across Africa. Ever since the slave trade, many of the continent's economies have been heavily dependent on exports of commodities. Most of the exports were to then-colonial, later-imperialistic, and now neo-colonial trading partners: countries such as UK/Britain, France, Belgium and USA.
Europe and USA dominate global consumption of goods and services. Their markets are now close to saturation point. Their employees are living from paycheck to paycheck. They have too much of the everyday things they want to buy. They have little spending power left after deductions for bills and credit repayments. As consumption falls, so has competitive advantage in production. USA and many Europe countries can no longer compete with the nascent Asian countries in manufacturing, information technology or agriculture. Even as their incomes fall, they are faced with rising expenditure relating to unemployment support, foreign trade deficits, and domestic social obligations.
The diminishing share of Africa's commodities in world trade is producing less slush funds both for the neo-colonials and for the local akotileta elite who rule the commodity-exporting countries on their behalf. With less slush funds, it is becoming more difficult for the neo-colonials to maintain the heavy military and diplomatic resources needed to provide "assistance" to the ruling akotileta. Scenting the opportunity, previously oppressed people are now rising to challenge years of misrule and corruption.
The disaffection in France is particularly acute. For decades, France sold the concept of "one motherland, many colors". The motherland of course was France. The many colors were not equal. Nonetheless, Africans from Mali to Gabon professed to being "french first before African". Equally, religious brainwashing caused Islam worshippers to think themselves "muslim first before African" and the Christian worshippers to think themselves "christian, full stop". Their combined colomentality continue to waste many initiatives aimed at facilitating a regional market in West Africa.
If nothing else, the recent events in Somalia, Rwanda, Sudan, Nigeria, Congo, Equitorial Guinea and Ivory Coast have helped remove the blight from the eyes of many Africans. By bombing the Ivorien military, France declared war on the country and compromised any "peace-keeping" excuses allowed their deployment by the UN. For its part, the UN has authorised France to use "any means neccessary" to contain the multi-tribal wars raging in IC. There have been six coups attempts herere since 1999. France now fights with its back to the proverbial wall. It is discredited with both government forces and rebel forces.
Just like USA in Iraq, France will almost certainly win a front-end confrontation with IC. However, it may find the cost of administering any subsequent peace exhorbitant. The same costs will apply to any misadventurous neo-colonialists scheming to step into France's soiled boots. The unhappy economics facing Europe and USA is the driving force behind the recent wave of aggressive foreign policy unto countries that fail to protect themselves. France is acting under the auspices of the wretched United Nations. USA and Britain is acting irrespective of the UN.
Eventually, the Africans will win encounters similar to Ivory Coast vs France. Then they still face the challenge of lopsided international markets. They can meet that challenge by building strong regional and continental trade among Africa's 700 million waiting customers.
___________________
Links:
http://www.internationalism.org/wr/262_ivory.htm = France shows its real face
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/war/ivory-coast.htm = Analysis of the crisis
http://www.newint.org/issue304/farmer.htm = Cocoa farmer from Ivory Coast learns the economics of chocolate production
http://www.wsws.org/articles/2003/may2003/ivor-m09.shtml = USA blocks intervention in Ivory Coast.
http://www.internationalism.org/wr/262_ivory.htm = France shows its real face
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/war/ivory-coast.htm = Analysis of the crisis
http://www.newint.org/issue304/farmer.htm = Cocoa farmer from Ivory Coast learns the economics of chocolate production
http://www.wsws.org/articles/2003/may2003/ivor-m09.shtml = USA blocks intervention in Ivory Coast.
How Africa NEEDS t'AGOA'bout competing in this NEPAD age.
How Africa NEEDS t'AGOA'bout competing in this NEPAD age.
Introduction:
African businesses must sometimes feel they are being led to slaugther. For many, the firm belief is that the economic policies emanating from our governments have significantly removed both government subsidies and eroded private sector purchasing power. Yet, African businesses can turn the flood of misguided policies into as source of competitive advantage, with a change in market and cultural orientation.
Article:
Are we being led to slaughter? Are those appointed to lead our flock selling us to the butchers? Do the butchers intend to take payment in our flesh and blood? Home-grown analysts of the terms under which African businesses engage in international trade, may wsll answer yes, yes and yes. We have the power. We must have the will. We must also frustrate the actions of those who assign a low-value role to our interests in international trade
Article:
Those who celebrate religions by symbolically cannibalising their orisha need not worry; this article is not about blind faith. Rather it is about misguided and downright treacherous agitations about economic progress.
The National Economic Empowermeent and Development Strategy (NEEDS) programme of the Nigerian government will not deliver either economic prosperity or social stability to the Nigerian people. The marketing is slick but this is stale wine in new packaging.
The programme is wrong because the model it is based on is unreplicable and because it is inimical to the progressive interests of Nigerians.
Let us distinguish the stakeholders in NEEDS. The proclaimed primary beneficiaries are the Nigerian people. This programme will supposedly deliver the people from economic dependence on elected government by privaising all public owned institutions. The operators of NEEDS are the government officials, mainly in the financial sector and multilateral agencies, particularly the IMF, the WB and the Clubs of moneylenders. The sponsors of NEEDS are the international community of international governments and companies who will gain trading benefits from transacting in newly liberalised markets.
NEEDS proclaims: export driven trade, full employment, transparent accountancy, etc. It does not address the cultural, military and social is built on a model with the following premises:
# All countries should industrialise along the European model, so industrial-age technology must be transferred to Nigerians;
# Domestic savings should fund acquisition and application of technology; high interest rates will encourage people to save their funds in the banks;
# The national savings rate is low, so foreign aid and foreign investment must be procured;
# Much industrial-age technology is now obsolete, so foreign technical assistance must be retained to implement technological breakthroughs and assist Nigeria to leap-frog gaps in domestic technical capability;
savings. encouraging people to build savings in order to afford labour-saving machinery, use industrial technologies in creating jobs, manufacturing and exporting goods so that Nigeria and Africa must follow an alternative route to socio-economic improvement than that mapped by the sponsors of NEEDS. The structure of economic opportunity is
State aim of needs. Proposed implementation of needs. Likely impact of implementation. Non-needs alternative
Linkshttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gif
Nigeria needs to succeed
But development isn't just a question of making markets and economic policy work better. We now know that investing in people - in their health and nutrition, and in their education and training - is an indispensable part of good economic policy. - Tony Blair, Britain leader.
Remi-Niyi Alaran writes on enterprise and social capital.
ALARAN DEVELOPMENT ENTERPRISES. Enterprising Communities.
Copyright (c) ALARAN DEVELOPMENT ENTERPRISES, 2003
You may copy, transmit, or otherwise use this document provided the copyright notice is attached.
Introduction:
African businesses must sometimes feel they are being led to slaugther. For many, the firm belief is that the economic policies emanating from our governments have significantly removed both government subsidies and eroded private sector purchasing power. Yet, African businesses can turn the flood of misguided policies into as source of competitive advantage, with a change in market and cultural orientation.
Article:
Are we being led to slaughter? Are those appointed to lead our flock selling us to the butchers? Do the butchers intend to take payment in our flesh and blood? Home-grown analysts of the terms under which African businesses engage in international trade, may wsll answer yes, yes and yes. We have the power. We must have the will. We must also frustrate the actions of those who assign a low-value role to our interests in international trade
Article:
Those who celebrate religions by symbolically cannibalising their orisha need not worry; this article is not about blind faith. Rather it is about misguided and downright treacherous agitations about economic progress.
The National Economic Empowermeent and Development Strategy (NEEDS) programme of the Nigerian government will not deliver either economic prosperity or social stability to the Nigerian people. The marketing is slick but this is stale wine in new packaging.
The programme is wrong because the model it is based on is unreplicable and because it is inimical to the progressive interests of Nigerians.
Let us distinguish the stakeholders in NEEDS. The proclaimed primary beneficiaries are the Nigerian people. This programme will supposedly deliver the people from economic dependence on elected government by privaising all public owned institutions. The operators of NEEDS are the government officials, mainly in the financial sector and multilateral agencies, particularly the IMF, the WB and the Clubs of moneylenders. The sponsors of NEEDS are the international community of international governments and companies who will gain trading benefits from transacting in newly liberalised markets.
NEEDS proclaims: export driven trade, full employment, transparent accountancy, etc. It does not address the cultural, military and social is built on a model with the following premises:
# All countries should industrialise along the European model, so industrial-age technology must be transferred to Nigerians;
# Domestic savings should fund acquisition and application of technology; high interest rates will encourage people to save their funds in the banks;
# The national savings rate is low, so foreign aid and foreign investment must be procured;
# Much industrial-age technology is now obsolete, so foreign technical assistance must be retained to implement technological breakthroughs and assist Nigeria to leap-frog gaps in domestic technical capability;
savings. encouraging people to build savings in order to afford labour-saving machinery, use industrial technologies in creating jobs, manufacturing and exporting goods so that Nigeria and Africa must follow an alternative route to socio-economic improvement than that mapped by the sponsors of NEEDS. The structure of economic opportunity is
State aim of needs. Proposed implementation of needs. Likely impact of implementation. Non-needs alternative
Linkshttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gif
Nigeria needs to succeed
But development isn't just a question of making markets and economic policy work better. We now know that investing in people - in their health and nutrition, and in their education and training - is an indispensable part of good economic policy. - Tony Blair, Britain leader.
Remi-Niyi Alaran writes on enterprise and social capital.
ALARAN DEVELOPMENT ENTERPRISES. Enterprising Communities.
Copyright (c) ALARAN DEVELOPMENT ENTERPRISES, 2003
You may copy, transmit, or otherwise use this document provided the copyright notice is attached.
Egbo Awon Egun Irandiran Wa.
Hear our dying ancestors.
Aiye nyi lo, a nti. The world slips us by.
The last time you called your village, did you hear the groans and moans of our dying ancestors?
What you heard is the dying of a generation of people who hold the oral history of the African tribe: the elders who are now aged in their 80s and 80s (Generation E/elder). The elders hold in their memory much of Africa's oral technology, history, culture, medicine, religion, etc. Only very few of these elders can speak, read or write English/French. Only very very few of them are literate to the point of writing down their knowledge in the ancestral languages. Gen E had the misfortune of birthing a generation in the 1920s to 1940s (Gen D/displaced) who endured the effects of reintensified struggle for Africa.
The business of empire became intensely exploitative in the era of the two European world wars. The need to retrieve mineral and labour resources from African soil as efficiently as possible caused the imposition of direct attacks on indigenous culture. When Europe's young men died enmasse in the wars, the colonisers had to train up locals to administer the colonies. Many of Gen D became the first ever in their villages to go through 'formal' education. They were taught to love the colonial culture and obey the imperial religion taught in the formal schools. Many studied 'overseas' where the colomentality was firmly rooted then returned home to 'develop' the newly independent colonial-era African states.
Gen D learned to internalise rejection, even hatred, of the culture they were born with. It was been difficult for many to reconcile love for the "developed" culture with "backward" traditions represented by their Gen E parents. Many turned their back on the villages and made their way into the city or overseas. Gen D are fully literate in English/French. Gen D is the lost generation who only speak the ancestral languages to their parents because they have to, but are mentally programmed to reject reading, writing or living their ancestry.
In the 1950s and 1960s, Gen D became parents to Gen C/colomental in the era of 'independence'. The people now aged in their 40s and 50s were taught that to be modern and to live in the "new world" means having an European world view. As adults, more than a few of this colomental generation live or would like to live "in the diaspora" where they can have 'normal' ie European lives in which to bring up their households. English/French is the lingua cultura of these households. But on the street, many Gen C still need to communicate with friends in ancestral language, even if only to avoid been labelled 'fake oyinbo'. Some colomentals manage to shed the negative self-image of their generation and return to the villages where they rediscover the knowledge locked in the heads of the elders through conversations. But Gen C tend to lack the intellectual tool-kits to record that knowledge. They were not taught to read or write ancestral languages although they are usually fluent in English/French.
The colomentals are now attaining power and influence across Africa. Yet at home or abroad, they are having children (Gen B/baby) in households that is almost completely ignorant of ancestral norms. Gen B will be too young to interact with Gen E. In a world where culture is the predominant currency, the infants and teenagers are in grave danger of becoming the cultural worthless.
What is dying every night is connection to what is truly African tradition. All tradition and history is oral until it is written down. The dying elders know our history but cannot read or write it. The displaced Gen D should be the bridge but is too intellectually traumatised to reconcile with tradition. The author Wole Soyinka was only half correct when he described this generation as the "lost generation". It is not only lost, it is also the loser, the wastrel, and the akotileta generation. Gen D is becoming old and infirm. The colomental Gen C has mostly inherited the world view of its parents. Rather than reconnect to the elders, this generation has increased its ignorance of African tradition and folklore. The baby Gen B is yet young but may never age in the wisdom of our tribe. It faces the danger of presenting a blank slate on which any historian who bothers to WRITE will write the new interpretation of African history for Gen A.
Our experience disagrees with those who say 'the beautiful ones are not yet born'. The oncoming Gen A in Africa is very likely to be as culturally rootless and emotionally vulnerable as any descendant of slavery into the 'New World'
Africa faces a danger so deep, so grave, so final that it eclipses all the troubles we have known so far. Our collective memory is unrecorded and its keepers are dying. Once the elders are gone, that is it for African tradition and history. The next time you visit your village, please take along a recorder and some paper, Talk to the elders and write down all you hear. You will be the historian that we seek
Remi-Niyi Alaran writes on enterprise and social capital.
Aiye nyi lo, a nti. The world slips us by.
The last time you called your village, did you hear the groans and moans of our dying ancestors?
What you heard is the dying of a generation of people who hold the oral history of the African tribe: the elders who are now aged in their 80s and 80s (Generation E/elder). The elders hold in their memory much of Africa's oral technology, history, culture, medicine, religion, etc. Only very few of these elders can speak, read or write English/French. Only very very few of them are literate to the point of writing down their knowledge in the ancestral languages. Gen E had the misfortune of birthing a generation in the 1920s to 1940s (Gen D/displaced) who endured the effects of reintensified struggle for Africa.
The business of empire became intensely exploitative in the era of the two European world wars. The need to retrieve mineral and labour resources from African soil as efficiently as possible caused the imposition of direct attacks on indigenous culture. When Europe's young men died enmasse in the wars, the colonisers had to train up locals to administer the colonies. Many of Gen D became the first ever in their villages to go through 'formal' education. They were taught to love the colonial culture and obey the imperial religion taught in the formal schools. Many studied 'overseas' where the colomentality was firmly rooted then returned home to 'develop' the newly independent colonial-era African states.
Gen D learned to internalise rejection, even hatred, of the culture they were born with. It was been difficult for many to reconcile love for the "developed" culture with "backward" traditions represented by their Gen E parents. Many turned their back on the villages and made their way into the city or overseas. Gen D are fully literate in English/French. Gen D is the lost generation who only speak the ancestral languages to their parents because they have to, but are mentally programmed to reject reading, writing or living their ancestry.
In the 1950s and 1960s, Gen D became parents to Gen C/colomental in the era of 'independence'. The people now aged in their 40s and 50s were taught that to be modern and to live in the "new world" means having an European world view. As adults, more than a few of this colomental generation live or would like to live "in the diaspora" where they can have 'normal' ie European lives in which to bring up their households. English/French is the lingua cultura of these households. But on the street, many Gen C still need to communicate with friends in ancestral language, even if only to avoid been labelled 'fake oyinbo'. Some colomentals manage to shed the negative self-image of their generation and return to the villages where they rediscover the knowledge locked in the heads of the elders through conversations. But Gen C tend to lack the intellectual tool-kits to record that knowledge. They were not taught to read or write ancestral languages although they are usually fluent in English/French.
The colomentals are now attaining power and influence across Africa. Yet at home or abroad, they are having children (Gen B/baby) in households that is almost completely ignorant of ancestral norms. Gen B will be too young to interact with Gen E. In a world where culture is the predominant currency, the infants and teenagers are in grave danger of becoming the cultural worthless.
What is dying every night is connection to what is truly African tradition. All tradition and history is oral until it is written down. The dying elders know our history but cannot read or write it. The displaced Gen D should be the bridge but is too intellectually traumatised to reconcile with tradition. The author Wole Soyinka was only half correct when he described this generation as the "lost generation". It is not only lost, it is also the loser, the wastrel, and the akotileta generation. Gen D is becoming old and infirm. The colomental Gen C has mostly inherited the world view of its parents. Rather than reconnect to the elders, this generation has increased its ignorance of African tradition and folklore. The baby Gen B is yet young but may never age in the wisdom of our tribe. It faces the danger of presenting a blank slate on which any historian who bothers to WRITE will write the new interpretation of African history for Gen A.
Our experience disagrees with those who say 'the beautiful ones are not yet born'. The oncoming Gen A in Africa is very likely to be as culturally rootless and emotionally vulnerable as any descendant of slavery into the 'New World'
Africa faces a danger so deep, so grave, so final that it eclipses all the troubles we have known so far. Our collective memory is unrecorded and its keepers are dying. Once the elders are gone, that is it for African tradition and history. The next time you visit your village, please take along a recorder and some paper, Talk to the elders and write down all you hear. You will be the historian that we seek
Remi-Niyi Alaran writes on enterprise and social capital.
Ajodun Yoruba 2005
Yoruba Religion: Year 2005 Schedule* of Festivals
--------------------------------------------------------------
Yoruba religion (Irunmole) is a monotheistic religion with one almighty god. It is based on reverence of African ancestors who are celebrated as a heirarchy of about 401 chief and minor dieties. OLORUN or OLODUMARE, the only Supreme Diety, is not worshipped directly. Irunmole is an instrumental set of rituals by which critical individuals may resolve existential dilemnas in consultation with a distant God. It does not define a specific moralising code or have any sacred texts. Individuals can converse directly with their orisha and can effect changes in their own destiny. Irunmole is not concerned about a compiled and interpreted system of beliefs for group worship of an omnipresent God, as are other world religions such as Islam, Christianity or Buddhism.
February 26 – 27
OLOKUN festival: Orisha of the deep sea [Nature] and protector of the African soul
March 21
ODUDUWA festival. Celebrations of the Orisha of the Earth. Onset of the Yoruba NEW YEAR (2005 is the 10,047th year of Yoruba culture?)
March 26 – 27
OSHOSI festival. Veneration of the Orisha of Adventure, patron of hunters
Also annual rites of passage for men
April 4
OGUN festival. Veneration of the Orisha of War, patron of metal crafts [Engineering / Military]
Last Saturday of April, for 5 days (April 30 – May 4)
OSHUN festival. Celebrations of the Orisha of love [Biology]. Onset of Spring and the wet season.
Last Saturday of May, for seven days (May 28 – June 4)
EGUNGUN festivals. Celebrations of the Ancestral Spirits (Life forces), including royal sacrifices
June 21
SHOPONA and OSANHIN festivals. Veneration of the Orishas of Disease and Medicine respecitvely.
June 25 – 26
YEMOJA festival. Celebrations and fertility paegents of the Matron Orisha of the Yorubas
Also annual rites of passage for woman.
July 2 – 3
ORUNMILA / IFA festival. Celebrations and recitations of the Orisha of Destiny / Divination [Science]. Also mass gathering of the Yorubas
First weekend in July, for three weeks (July 4 – 24)
OKO and ELEGBA / ESHU festivals. Celeberations of the Orisha of Farming [Agriculture] and Sex [Power / Communications], respecitvely. Also feasting on new harvests of the Yam tuber crop.
July 24 – 25
SHANGO festival. Veneration and celebrations of the 8th century Alaafin of ancient Oyo nation, who became diefied as the Orisha of Thunder and Lightening [Energy]
August 27 – 28
OBATALA festival. Celebrations of the Orisha of Heaven [Creation / Culture]
October 22 – 23
OYA festival. Celebrations of the Orisha of the Wind. Patron of flooding of the Oya river and guardian of the gateway between life and death. Onset of Autumn and the dry season.
October 31
SHIGIDI festival. Veneration of the Orisha of Nightmares and the unknown dead of the AFRICAN people. Solemn parade by candlelight for unsettled spirits and ghosts. World Slavery Day?
December 17
OBALUAIYE festival. Celebrations of the Orisha of Work [Business] and of the winter solstice.
Information adapted from various sources including: www.sacred-texts.com/afr/yor and www.oyotunjivillage.net . A current discourse of Yoruba perspectives on religions may be found at http://lucy.ukc.ac.uk/YorubaT/yt6.html .
*This information is subject to change. Actual dates of celebrations may differ from indicated in accordance with religious practises in location and family.
Remi-Niyi Alaran writes on enterprise and social capital.
Copyright (c) ALARAN DEVELOPMENT ENTERPRISES, 2005
You may copy, transmit, or otherwise use this document provided the copyright notice is attached
--------------------------------------------------------------
Yoruba religion (Irunmole) is a monotheistic religion with one almighty god. It is based on reverence of African ancestors who are celebrated as a heirarchy of about 401 chief and minor dieties. OLORUN or OLODUMARE, the only Supreme Diety, is not worshipped directly. Irunmole is an instrumental set of rituals by which critical individuals may resolve existential dilemnas in consultation with a distant God. It does not define a specific moralising code or have any sacred texts. Individuals can converse directly with their orisha and can effect changes in their own destiny. Irunmole is not concerned about a compiled and interpreted system of beliefs for group worship of an omnipresent God, as are other world religions such as Islam, Christianity or Buddhism.
February 26 – 27
OLOKUN festival: Orisha of the deep sea [Nature] and protector of the African soul
March 21
ODUDUWA festival. Celebrations of the Orisha of the Earth. Onset of the Yoruba NEW YEAR (2005 is the 10,047th year of Yoruba culture?)
March 26 – 27
OSHOSI festival. Veneration of the Orisha of Adventure, patron of hunters
Also annual rites of passage for men
April 4
OGUN festival. Veneration of the Orisha of War, patron of metal crafts [Engineering / Military]
Last Saturday of April, for 5 days (April 30 – May 4)
OSHUN festival. Celebrations of the Orisha of love [Biology]. Onset of Spring and the wet season.
Last Saturday of May, for seven days (May 28 – June 4)
EGUNGUN festivals. Celebrations of the Ancestral Spirits (Life forces), including royal sacrifices
June 21
SHOPONA and OSANHIN festivals. Veneration of the Orishas of Disease and Medicine respecitvely.
June 25 – 26
YEMOJA festival. Celebrations and fertility paegents of the Matron Orisha of the Yorubas
Also annual rites of passage for woman.
July 2 – 3
ORUNMILA / IFA festival. Celebrations and recitations of the Orisha of Destiny / Divination [Science]. Also mass gathering of the Yorubas
First weekend in July, for three weeks (July 4 – 24)
OKO and ELEGBA / ESHU festivals. Celeberations of the Orisha of Farming [Agriculture] and Sex [Power / Communications], respecitvely. Also feasting on new harvests of the Yam tuber crop.
July 24 – 25
SHANGO festival. Veneration and celebrations of the 8th century Alaafin of ancient Oyo nation, who became diefied as the Orisha of Thunder and Lightening [Energy]
August 27 – 28
OBATALA festival. Celebrations of the Orisha of Heaven [Creation / Culture]
October 22 – 23
OYA festival. Celebrations of the Orisha of the Wind. Patron of flooding of the Oya river and guardian of the gateway between life and death. Onset of Autumn and the dry season.
October 31
SHIGIDI festival. Veneration of the Orisha of Nightmares and the unknown dead of the AFRICAN people. Solemn parade by candlelight for unsettled spirits and ghosts. World Slavery Day?
December 17
OBALUAIYE festival. Celebrations of the Orisha of Work [Business] and of the winter solstice.
Information adapted from various sources including: www.sacred-texts.com/afr/yor and www.oyotunjivillage.net . A current discourse of Yoruba perspectives on religions may be found at http://lucy.ukc.ac.uk/YorubaT/yt6.html .
*This information is subject to change. Actual dates of celebrations may differ from indicated in accordance with religious practises in location and family.
Remi-Niyi Alaran writes on enterprise and social capital.
Copyright (c) ALARAN DEVELOPMENT ENTERPRISES, 2005
You may copy, transmit, or otherwise use this document provided the copyright notice is attached
O Ye Ki Afi Ilu-Pipin Sile Lati Wa Oja Fun Ra Won.
Free the states and the people to compete.
Let us decentralise security, revenues and expenditure.
Why not encourage the various states to compete among themselves for industry? Right now, they seem all to be competing ONLY for allocation of primary commodity revenues, principally crude oil, which are then consumed leaving nil for investment and economic growth.
May be the arrangement of public affairs should be changed such that the federal owns all the land in the country while each state owns the physical resources within its borders. Anambra can sell its coal/ores to metallurgists in China or in Ondo state. Lagos can sell its financial services / access to ports at commercially viable rates. The Niger Delta states can own their crude oil and trade with whoever they want. Kaduna investors can refurbish the refinery and petrochemical plant then sell refinates to Sokoto or Oyo states at market prices. If surrounding states impose toll gates (tariffs) on all roads, sea and air lanes leading to/fro Anambra, Lagos, ND or Kaduna, so be it. Hurray for private enterprise. As for Abuja FCT, it will probably develop a (commercially viable) lobbying industry as states, investors and market makers joustle to attract wealth benefits for their respective operations from federal regulators. All is well as long as such benefits improve general living standards and our competitiveness as a people. And the states that do not presently have mineral resources? Look to Lagos, Japan, Switzerland, Isreal or Somalia (without the war-mongering) for your economic models: Invest in enabling knowledge industries, assume neutrality, and you will (very likely) do well in the services sectors: discretion, logistics, leisure and communications.
The federal retains overall authority / power to enforce security, taxation or environmental controls but devolves responsibility / exercise to each state. What the federal loses in monopoly e.g on coersion by violent force, we will all gain in mutual self-interest e.g the making of each state more resistant to disgruntled elements within or without the body politic. Any state that thinks too insularly will face the consideration of its many neighbours, rather than the one federal. Same with the external aggressors who watch our current turpor, and wait.
Revenues should increase all round: [1] To the federal because all economic activity must necessarily occur through, around, over or under (federal) land. [2] To the states, who must compete to attract skilled and industrious workers as well as tax-paying and job-creating businesses, who in turn fuel their economic activity by organising private finance. [3] To the technically competent, who harvest the fossil fuel energy resources or harness the solar, wind or water energy resources so abundant in the country. [4] To the many currently listless unemployed or underemployed, who now find businesses competing for skills and knowledge, with resulting increases in living standards, choice of goods and services, and greater mobility of ideas, labour and capital. [5] To private investors, who now have an incentive to spend their gains on productive activities within the country rather indulge the 'we can always import it' economic empowerment and development strategists. The acquisitve-but-lazy cannot end up buying all the land in the country as the federal (i.e all of us) own it all. Some rent-seeking and horse-trading will occur, that's fine and fine-able.
Federal citizens can invest, work, reside or move freely across state boundaries and no state may expel any federal citizen from that state. Will the mineral-producing states export all their production across the Atlantic and import foreign manufactured produce in return? Producers can certainly grow rich, but it is not likely that they will commit economic secession. [1] For starters, the states with higher living standards will attract hordes of opportunity seekers. The federal taxes the exports, tariffs the imports, and pays close attention to minimum standards in matters of housing, wages, health, and environment. [2] Secondly, neighbouring states will try to develop processing and manufacturing facilities in order to improve their comparative advantages in regard to the producers. As quality of local manufactures improve to match or exceed import standards and new markets are created, so will demand grow. Comparative advantage is not viable in the 'classic' economic sense of "lowest cost producer". Rather, comparative advantage is in yield of highest marginal benefits (high profits, low costs, security of supply or markets, etc) to the producer. [3] Thirdly, neighbouring states will export their unemployed and disgruntled inhabitants across the porous boundaries into uncooperative rich states, who will soon realise their incentive to share the wealth.
All state and federal transactions should be denominated and conducted in the federal currency. That includes all external and internal borrowing, technical assistance, joint ventures, foreign direct investment, "monetised" foreign aid etc. The existing foreign-currency denominated external debt should remain federal responsibility. Tax-paying investors can register businesses (including banks) at state level. The businesses may operate across the nation. They pay federal taxes and pay business rates in the state of registration. Each bank can operate in at least three states (regional) or in all states (national), with appropriate levels of capitalisation. Banks pay federal taxes and pay business rates in each states of operations. So, states may compete to attract bank operations.
Land occupancy should be levied on a per sqm basis, and fallow land levied at higher rate than land that is registered as in economic use. Registered land may only be used for its registered purpose and that purpose should start within specified time frame. Registered land reverts to the state pool if it does not record investment returns within the time frames. No state may prevent squatters from occupying fallow land in that state. Squatters of five years residency should be eligible to claim occupany rights provided they can evidence economic use of such land.
All these measures may well distribute land into the control of persons with incentive to profit from its economic use. Our aim is not wealth redistribution or income growth, but rather to build on the industriousness of people willing to improve their lives. Our policies should catalyse, release and sustain the spirit of competitive enterprise and the performance-based work ethic in our people. Suitabley encouraged, they will incorporate the efficiencies of scientific thought and technological tools into their enterprises - if only they know how. If Africans are to survive the global competition we face from others, we will need to embrace, to master, and to improve on the ways of intelligent enquiry, application of knowledge, on timeliness, and on due attention to detail. There are also bad habits to lose. It is unintelligent to submit uncritically to any authority, whether celestial or temporal. It is equally unproductive to expect others to sweat, bleed or toil for our leisure. The engineer who braves the high seas or the scientist who dares breathe noxious fumes. The investor who buys our deliquent bonds or the farmer who wakes at dawn and rests after dusk. These are people taking risks so that they may earn rewards for themselves. Sharing such rewards with lazy, wasteful and high-living rent-seekers does not appeal to their sense of fair trade. Neither will our appeals to tradition, forgetfulness, observance of fatuous religions, or tardiness when the time comes to pay for their cunning, capital, goods and services. Imported technologies cannot help our understanding unless we dismantle, reassemble and improve on what we get. Likewise, to depend on foreign technicians or capital is to court permanent economic damage. Anybody will be deemed mad who helps a supine market to gain economic sovereignty.
Accordingly, the education curriculum should be restructured to emphasise general competency in the vocational application of knowledge sciences and technologies at secondary school level. This recognises the fact that many people do not proceed in formal education beyond the secondary school certification. The institutions of higher learning may exercise minds further with academics, abstractions and research aimed at acquiring, and adapting to local industry, the world's knowledge in every field of endeavour, irrespective of the ingenuity, origin, patent, or might of protector: all knowledge belongs to the world. In time, we too will contribute our innovations to the world to improve upon.
The current structure of economic opportunities is flawed. It induces paralysis in enterprise. It destroys personal initiative. It rewards corruptive behaviour. It is damaging our competiveness with other peoples of the world. We need to carefully consider the lessons African history offers from such a flawed structure. Slavery of African people continues in the world today in all aspects of our lives. It will not stop until we can compete in all aspects and then ensure it is unprofitable to continue. The proposal is to have a flexible yet robust superstructure that can extend to accomodate more or fewer states; merger or devolution of state or federal authorities; expansion or collapse of business enterprises. Competition is risky.
These unrefined words are just a few thoughts on getting African land and people back to work.
Refinements welcome. Send email to: iyaalata@netscape.net or post your comments below
Remi-Niyi Alaran writes on enterprise and social capital.
Copyright (c) ALARAN DEVELOPMENT ENTERPRISES, 2005
You may copy, transmit, or otherwise use this document provided the copyright notice is attached
Why not encourage the various states to compete among themselves for industry? Right now, they seem all to be competing ONLY for allocation of primary commodity revenues, principally crude oil, which are then consumed leaving nil for investment and economic growth.
May be the arrangement of public affairs should be changed such that the federal owns all the land in the country while each state owns the physical resources within its borders. Anambra can sell its coal/ores to metallurgists in China or in Ondo state. Lagos can sell its financial services / access to ports at commercially viable rates. The Niger Delta states can own their crude oil and trade with whoever they want. Kaduna investors can refurbish the refinery and petrochemical plant then sell refinates to Sokoto or Oyo states at market prices. If surrounding states impose toll gates (tariffs) on all roads, sea and air lanes leading to/fro Anambra, Lagos, ND or Kaduna, so be it. Hurray for private enterprise. As for Abuja FCT, it will probably develop a (commercially viable) lobbying industry as states, investors and market makers joustle to attract wealth benefits for their respective operations from federal regulators. All is well as long as such benefits improve general living standards and our competitiveness as a people. And the states that do not presently have mineral resources? Look to Lagos, Japan, Switzerland, Isreal or Somalia (without the war-mongering) for your economic models: Invest in enabling knowledge industries, assume neutrality, and you will (very likely) do well in the services sectors: discretion, logistics, leisure and communications.
The federal retains overall authority / power to enforce security, taxation or environmental controls but devolves responsibility / exercise to each state. What the federal loses in monopoly e.g on coersion by violent force, we will all gain in mutual self-interest e.g the making of each state more resistant to disgruntled elements within or without the body politic. Any state that thinks too insularly will face the consideration of its many neighbours, rather than the one federal. Same with the external aggressors who watch our current turpor, and wait.
Revenues should increase all round: [1] To the federal because all economic activity must necessarily occur through, around, over or under (federal) land. [2] To the states, who must compete to attract skilled and industrious workers as well as tax-paying and job-creating businesses, who in turn fuel their economic activity by organising private finance. [3] To the technically competent, who harvest the fossil fuel energy resources or harness the solar, wind or water energy resources so abundant in the country. [4] To the many currently listless unemployed or underemployed, who now find businesses competing for skills and knowledge, with resulting increases in living standards, choice of goods and services, and greater mobility of ideas, labour and capital. [5] To private investors, who now have an incentive to spend their gains on productive activities within the country rather indulge the 'we can always import it' economic empowerment and development strategists. The acquisitve-but-lazy cannot end up buying all the land in the country as the federal (i.e all of us) own it all. Some rent-seeking and horse-trading will occur, that's fine and fine-able.
Federal citizens can invest, work, reside or move freely across state boundaries and no state may expel any federal citizen from that state. Will the mineral-producing states export all their production across the Atlantic and import foreign manufactured produce in return? Producers can certainly grow rich, but it is not likely that they will commit economic secession. [1] For starters, the states with higher living standards will attract hordes of opportunity seekers. The federal taxes the exports, tariffs the imports, and pays close attention to minimum standards in matters of housing, wages, health, and environment. [2] Secondly, neighbouring states will try to develop processing and manufacturing facilities in order to improve their comparative advantages in regard to the producers. As quality of local manufactures improve to match or exceed import standards and new markets are created, so will demand grow. Comparative advantage is not viable in the 'classic' economic sense of "lowest cost producer". Rather, comparative advantage is in yield of highest marginal benefits (high profits, low costs, security of supply or markets, etc) to the producer. [3] Thirdly, neighbouring states will export their unemployed and disgruntled inhabitants across the porous boundaries into uncooperative rich states, who will soon realise their incentive to share the wealth.
All state and federal transactions should be denominated and conducted in the federal currency. That includes all external and internal borrowing, technical assistance, joint ventures, foreign direct investment, "monetised" foreign aid etc. The existing foreign-currency denominated external debt should remain federal responsibility. Tax-paying investors can register businesses (including banks) at state level. The businesses may operate across the nation. They pay federal taxes and pay business rates in the state of registration. Each bank can operate in at least three states (regional) or in all states (national), with appropriate levels of capitalisation. Banks pay federal taxes and pay business rates in each states of operations. So, states may compete to attract bank operations.
Land occupancy should be levied on a per sqm basis, and fallow land levied at higher rate than land that is registered as in economic use. Registered land may only be used for its registered purpose and that purpose should start within specified time frame. Registered land reverts to the state pool if it does not record investment returns within the time frames. No state may prevent squatters from occupying fallow land in that state. Squatters of five years residency should be eligible to claim occupany rights provided they can evidence economic use of such land.
All these measures may well distribute land into the control of persons with incentive to profit from its economic use. Our aim is not wealth redistribution or income growth, but rather to build on the industriousness of people willing to improve their lives. Our policies should catalyse, release and sustain the spirit of competitive enterprise and the performance-based work ethic in our people. Suitabley encouraged, they will incorporate the efficiencies of scientific thought and technological tools into their enterprises - if only they know how. If Africans are to survive the global competition we face from others, we will need to embrace, to master, and to improve on the ways of intelligent enquiry, application of knowledge, on timeliness, and on due attention to detail. There are also bad habits to lose. It is unintelligent to submit uncritically to any authority, whether celestial or temporal. It is equally unproductive to expect others to sweat, bleed or toil for our leisure. The engineer who braves the high seas or the scientist who dares breathe noxious fumes. The investor who buys our deliquent bonds or the farmer who wakes at dawn and rests after dusk. These are people taking risks so that they may earn rewards for themselves. Sharing such rewards with lazy, wasteful and high-living rent-seekers does not appeal to their sense of fair trade. Neither will our appeals to tradition, forgetfulness, observance of fatuous religions, or tardiness when the time comes to pay for their cunning, capital, goods and services. Imported technologies cannot help our understanding unless we dismantle, reassemble and improve on what we get. Likewise, to depend on foreign technicians or capital is to court permanent economic damage. Anybody will be deemed mad who helps a supine market to gain economic sovereignty.
Accordingly, the education curriculum should be restructured to emphasise general competency in the vocational application of knowledge sciences and technologies at secondary school level. This recognises the fact that many people do not proceed in formal education beyond the secondary school certification. The institutions of higher learning may exercise minds further with academics, abstractions and research aimed at acquiring, and adapting to local industry, the world's knowledge in every field of endeavour, irrespective of the ingenuity, origin, patent, or might of protector: all knowledge belongs to the world. In time, we too will contribute our innovations to the world to improve upon.
The current structure of economic opportunities is flawed. It induces paralysis in enterprise. It destroys personal initiative. It rewards corruptive behaviour. It is damaging our competiveness with other peoples of the world. We need to carefully consider the lessons African history offers from such a flawed structure. Slavery of African people continues in the world today in all aspects of our lives. It will not stop until we can compete in all aspects and then ensure it is unprofitable to continue. The proposal is to have a flexible yet robust superstructure that can extend to accomodate more or fewer states; merger or devolution of state or federal authorities; expansion or collapse of business enterprises. Competition is risky.
These unrefined words are just a few thoughts on getting African land and people back to work.
Refinements welcome. Send email to: iyaalata@netscape.net or post your comments below
Remi-Niyi Alaran writes on enterprise and social capital.
Copyright (c) ALARAN DEVELOPMENT ENTERPRISES, 2005
You may copy, transmit, or otherwise use this document provided the copyright notice is attached
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Up Mefi
Mayflower School
Up Mefi! May 31st soon come.
1956 - 2008.
Knowledge is Light. And so the sages say,
together we'll be the light, to guide humanity...
We re lo ja! Snap, it broke away quietly!
Okun ko ran. The rope was not strong enough.
Eran sa re wo igbo. Our meat has escaped into the bush.
Mayflower ho!
Igbo dona. The bush has now become the highway.
Eje ka wa malu. Let us go and look for our cattle.
Lai lai, egba wa. For ever and ever, save us (from meat-less-ness)!
Lai lai, egba wa a a a a, lai lai.
Malu wa lo sa lo!. Our cattle was what ran away!!
Taiwo Solarin, Sun re o. Ase
(the founder of Mayflower school, proprietor of Molusi College, and one of Afrika's foremost teachers of humanitarianism, self-sufficiency, and critical thinking, May you forever rest in peace)
*dries eyes*
Till today, I still dey love to chop meat, ride meat, and put meat into meat.
Up Mefi! May 31st soon come.
1956 - 2008.
Knowledge is Light. And so the sages say,
together we'll be the light, to guide humanity...
We re lo ja! Snap, it broke away quietly!
Okun ko ran. The rope was not strong enough.
Eran sa re wo igbo. Our meat has escaped into the bush.
Mayflower ho!
Igbo dona. The bush has now become the highway.
Eje ka wa malu. Let us go and look for our cattle.
Lai lai, egba wa. For ever and ever, save us (from meat-less-ness)!
Lai lai, egba wa a a a a, lai lai.
Malu wa lo sa lo!. Our cattle was what ran away!!
Taiwo Solarin, Sun re o. Ase
(the founder of Mayflower school, proprietor of Molusi College, and one of Afrika's foremost teachers of humanitarianism, self-sufficiency, and critical thinking, May you forever rest in peace)
*dries eyes*
Till today, I still dey love to chop meat, ride meat, and put meat into meat.
Tani O Nse Omo Yoruba
Tani O Nse Omo Yoruba
Ethnic Mutability and Yoruba Identity
Idi oro 'Yoruba'
Bi emi she mo to, oro 'Yoruba' wa lati siso "Yo ru bo" itunmo ni wi pe eni ti o ma ru ebo'. O le je pe ipap awon elesin Ifa/Orisha ni o fa a ki awon eni to won ngbe ni arin-otun Africa bere si nni lo ede kanna ati oluku kanna (eyi ko iti di ilu ti e). Awon eni Hausa bere si npe ni 'Yariba', oro ti o fi we npe ara won ko bale si eto irubo ti awon oniesin Islam ni na kuro ni ara won.
Origin of the word 'Yoruba'
As far I can research it, the word "Yoruba" was derived from the phrase "Yo ru bo" meaning 'will make sacrifices'. It may have been the commonality of Ifa/Orisha spiritual belief that caused the diverse inhabitants of the mid-west African continent to share the same core language and ethnic nationality (as yet manifest in a controlling country). The Hausa people call this word 'Yariba' which implies that their discomfort with form or content of the sacrificial rituals they had been forced to forgo under the influence of Islam.
Tani Yoruba?
Eni ti abi si oko ofurufu kii ndi aralu ile eni ti oni oko na!
Nkan meji ni o nso eni di Yoruba. Ikini ni esin 'Orisha'. Ikeji ni amulewa lati idile Orisha. Eni Yoruba ni eni ti mu idile ni esin Yoruba, ko le jabo nitori ibi ti a bi si abi esin ti ebi re bo si.
Who is Yoruba?
One who is born on an aeroplane is not a citizen of the airline's nationality!
A Yoruba person is so because of a confluence of spiritual heritage in Ifa/Orisha belief and parental-genetic heritage from a believer. One is born as Yoruba who is descendant from a Yoruba, irrespective of the place of birth or the religion of either parent.
Eniyan le wa ni idile Yoruba. Kakabe, o le farasi idile imi bi Nigeria, Togo abi Jamaica, bbl [be be lo]. Be e ni, o le wani esin Yoruba. Kakabe, o le forisi esin imi bi Hinduism, Rastafarian abi Judaism, bbl. Pelu pe eniyan farasi abi forisi ibomi, awon ati awon omo-omo won a shi je Yoruba ni idile ati idiesin, won a shi le she aralu Yoruba (nigbati ilu ba de)
In time, the person may remain within Yoruba nationality. Alternatively, the parson may register and become a citizen of another nationality such as Nigeria, Togo, or Jamaica etc. Similarly, they may remain Yoruba in spirituality or may convert to another faith such as Hindu, Rastafarian or Judaism etc. Even if they convert their nationality or faith, they and any of their descendants will be Yoruba in spiritual and genetic heritage, and so entitled to Yoruba nationality (if and when manifest).
Iparo idi-omo
Eniti 'Yo Ru Bo' ni eni Yoruba. Igbakamu ni wi pe ori eni le di orisha. Igbagbo ni ati ilahun wi pe enikeni ni o le di ori sha. Igbagbo ti o pe fun ishora ori ati afi ara sho ni. Ni ojotokoja, awon elesin Yoruba nikan ni a le pe ni Yoruba. Sugbon ni ojoisiyin, enikeni oni idile Yoruba ni a npe ni Yoruba, paapa wi pe won ti mu esin abi abule araita. Ayekan Yoruba (nigbati o de) ma pesiwaju eni elesin Yoruba.
Ethnic mutability
To be Yoruba is to 'Yo Ru Bo'. It is an acknowledgement of spiritual potential to be part of Olodumare (or God in pagan belief). A faith and assertion that by their deeds the person - any person - can become "ori sha", meaning 'of chosen spirit'. It is a faith that calls for spiritual vigilance and mortal defence. In the old days, only people of active Yoruba spirituality were deemed Yoruba. In current times, persons of Yoruba genetic heritage are called Yoruba even when they are converts to foreign religions or nationality. The active spiritual adherents are termed aborisha or Yorubo or irunmole etc to designate them separate from non-practising Yoruba. The Yoruba nation (when manifest) will likely extend preferential citizenship to persons of Yoruba spirituality.
Maafa
Nkan pataki ni omo Maafa (oja eru ni eniyan Afrika). Ogede won ni ebi ti ye kuro ni Africa. Pupo ni aimoye ebi won ti po pelu omo aralu imiran. Pupo ni aimoye ebi won ti pelu esin imiran. Won shi le di Yoruba ti won ba she 'Yo Ru Bo'. Ayekan Yoruba (nigbati o de) ma pedandan eni omo Maafa ti onshe esin Yoruba.
The Maafa.
Of importance are the Maafa (African slave trade) descendants, Most are now several generations removed from direct parentage in Africa. Many now have genetic exchange with other ethnic nationalities. Many have been through several generations of indoctrination in other faiths. They can be Yoruba if they are 'Yo Ru Bo'. The Yoruba nation (when manifest) will extend automatic citizenship to Maafa descendants who are of Yoruba spirituality
Ni ojoisiyin, she Yoruba je ki kosheishe ki eni nse esin imi?
Question: today, does being Yoruba mean it is impossible to be Christian/Muslim/agnostic/atheist?
Ijuwon yi she yewo ni ona meta
The contention may arise from distinctions in 3 dimensions:
1) between Yoruba Orisha spirituality vs another religion/non-religion.
Spirituality is primary in determining Yoruba heritage and it is inviolable. However, one can choose whether to be active as Yoruba Orisha or not. To not be "Yo Ru B[U]o[/U]" is to be of suspended spiritual state in which one is not consciously trying to evolve towards Olodumare. Yoruba who are christians/muslims/atheists/agnostics abbl are by definition not "Yo Ru B[U]o[/U]".
2) between Yoruba genetic heritage (ethnicity) vs Arabic/European ethnicity.
a) Any non-genetic Yoruba person including an Ibo, Efik, Chinese, German or Sunni Arab, abbl, may convert to Yoruba Orisha spirituality. If they initiate their children also into Orisha spirituality, then the descendants of the child have established Yoruba spiritual heritage. Even if a Yoruba marries someone of another ethnicity or baptises their child into whatever foreign religion, they, their child, and its children remain Yoruba in spirit.
b) Genetic heritage is one vehicle for transmitting the Yoruba spiritual heritage. It is considered that any person born of a Yoruba is born into Yoruba Orisha by default, even if the parents are many generation practising Christians or Confucians, abbl. The Yoruba child is born to actualise as Orisha.
Of course, it is possible to be of multiple ethnicity. In fact, this seems to be the new path to socio-economic globalisation of European culture and to world peace. Even the NVS board actively encourages it with its Afro introductions banner adverts.
3) between Yoruba/Scottish/African-American (not manifest) vs Egypt/Nigeria/France/UK/ nationality/citizenship.
Nationality or citizenship are matters subject to geo-politics. It is for the countries concerned whether there is "either" or "or" in what nationality / citizenship a person may be subject to.
Ethnic Mutability and Yoruba Identity
Idi oro 'Yoruba'
Bi emi she mo to, oro 'Yoruba' wa lati siso "Yo ru bo" itunmo ni wi pe eni ti o ma ru ebo'. O le je pe ipap awon elesin Ifa/Orisha ni o fa a ki awon eni to won ngbe ni arin-otun Africa bere si nni lo ede kanna ati oluku kanna (eyi ko iti di ilu ti e). Awon eni Hausa bere si npe ni 'Yariba', oro ti o fi we npe ara won ko bale si eto irubo ti awon oniesin Islam ni na kuro ni ara won.
Origin of the word 'Yoruba'
As far I can research it, the word "Yoruba" was derived from the phrase "Yo ru bo" meaning 'will make sacrifices'. It may have been the commonality of Ifa/Orisha spiritual belief that caused the diverse inhabitants of the mid-west African continent to share the same core language and ethnic nationality (as yet manifest in a controlling country). The Hausa people call this word 'Yariba' which implies that their discomfort with form or content of the sacrificial rituals they had been forced to forgo under the influence of Islam.
Tani Yoruba?
Eni ti abi si oko ofurufu kii ndi aralu ile eni ti oni oko na!
Nkan meji ni o nso eni di Yoruba. Ikini ni esin 'Orisha'. Ikeji ni amulewa lati idile Orisha. Eni Yoruba ni eni ti mu idile ni esin Yoruba, ko le jabo nitori ibi ti a bi si abi esin ti ebi re bo si.
Who is Yoruba?
One who is born on an aeroplane is not a citizen of the airline's nationality!
A Yoruba person is so because of a confluence of spiritual heritage in Ifa/Orisha belief and parental-genetic heritage from a believer. One is born as Yoruba who is descendant from a Yoruba, irrespective of the place of birth or the religion of either parent.
Eniyan le wa ni idile Yoruba. Kakabe, o le farasi idile imi bi Nigeria, Togo abi Jamaica, bbl [be be lo]. Be e ni, o le wani esin Yoruba. Kakabe, o le forisi esin imi bi Hinduism, Rastafarian abi Judaism, bbl. Pelu pe eniyan farasi abi forisi ibomi, awon ati awon omo-omo won a shi je Yoruba ni idile ati idiesin, won a shi le she aralu Yoruba (nigbati ilu ba de)
In time, the person may remain within Yoruba nationality. Alternatively, the parson may register and become a citizen of another nationality such as Nigeria, Togo, or Jamaica etc. Similarly, they may remain Yoruba in spirituality or may convert to another faith such as Hindu, Rastafarian or Judaism etc. Even if they convert their nationality or faith, they and any of their descendants will be Yoruba in spiritual and genetic heritage, and so entitled to Yoruba nationality (if and when manifest).
Iparo idi-omo
Eniti 'Yo Ru Bo' ni eni Yoruba. Igbakamu ni wi pe ori eni le di orisha. Igbagbo ni ati ilahun wi pe enikeni ni o le di ori sha. Igbagbo ti o pe fun ishora ori ati afi ara sho ni. Ni ojotokoja, awon elesin Yoruba nikan ni a le pe ni Yoruba. Sugbon ni ojoisiyin, enikeni oni idile Yoruba ni a npe ni Yoruba, paapa wi pe won ti mu esin abi abule araita. Ayekan Yoruba (nigbati o de) ma pesiwaju eni elesin Yoruba.
Ethnic mutability
To be Yoruba is to 'Yo Ru Bo'. It is an acknowledgement of spiritual potential to be part of Olodumare (or God in pagan belief). A faith and assertion that by their deeds the person - any person - can become "ori sha", meaning 'of chosen spirit'. It is a faith that calls for spiritual vigilance and mortal defence. In the old days, only people of active Yoruba spirituality were deemed Yoruba. In current times, persons of Yoruba genetic heritage are called Yoruba even when they are converts to foreign religions or nationality. The active spiritual adherents are termed aborisha or Yorubo or irunmole etc to designate them separate from non-practising Yoruba. The Yoruba nation (when manifest) will likely extend preferential citizenship to persons of Yoruba spirituality.
Maafa
Nkan pataki ni omo Maafa (oja eru ni eniyan Afrika). Ogede won ni ebi ti ye kuro ni Africa. Pupo ni aimoye ebi won ti po pelu omo aralu imiran. Pupo ni aimoye ebi won ti pelu esin imiran. Won shi le di Yoruba ti won ba she 'Yo Ru Bo'. Ayekan Yoruba (nigbati o de) ma pedandan eni omo Maafa ti onshe esin Yoruba.
The Maafa.
Of importance are the Maafa (African slave trade) descendants, Most are now several generations removed from direct parentage in Africa. Many now have genetic exchange with other ethnic nationalities. Many have been through several generations of indoctrination in other faiths. They can be Yoruba if they are 'Yo Ru Bo'. The Yoruba nation (when manifest) will extend automatic citizenship to Maafa descendants who are of Yoruba spirituality
Ni ojoisiyin, she Yoruba je ki kosheishe ki eni nse esin imi?
Question: today, does being Yoruba mean it is impossible to be Christian/Muslim/agnostic/atheist?
Ijuwon yi she yewo ni ona meta
The contention may arise from distinctions in 3 dimensions:
1) between Yoruba Orisha spirituality vs another religion/non-religion.
Spirituality is primary in determining Yoruba heritage and it is inviolable. However, one can choose whether to be active as Yoruba Orisha or not. To not be "Yo Ru B[U]o[/U]" is to be of suspended spiritual state in which one is not consciously trying to evolve towards Olodumare. Yoruba who are christians/muslims/atheists/agnostics abbl are by definition not "Yo Ru B[U]o[/U]".
2) between Yoruba genetic heritage (ethnicity) vs Arabic/European ethnicity.
a) Any non-genetic Yoruba person including an Ibo, Efik, Chinese, German or Sunni Arab, abbl, may convert to Yoruba Orisha spirituality. If they initiate their children also into Orisha spirituality, then the descendants of the child have established Yoruba spiritual heritage. Even if a Yoruba marries someone of another ethnicity or baptises their child into whatever foreign religion, they, their child, and its children remain Yoruba in spirit.
b) Genetic heritage is one vehicle for transmitting the Yoruba spiritual heritage. It is considered that any person born of a Yoruba is born into Yoruba Orisha by default, even if the parents are many generation practising Christians or Confucians, abbl. The Yoruba child is born to actualise as Orisha.
Of course, it is possible to be of multiple ethnicity. In fact, this seems to be the new path to socio-economic globalisation of European culture and to world peace. Even the NVS board actively encourages it with its Afro introductions banner adverts.
3) between Yoruba/Scottish/African-American (not manifest) vs Egypt/Nigeria/France/UK/ nationality/citizenship.
Nationality or citizenship are matters subject to geo-politics. It is for the countries concerned whether there is "either" or "or" in what nationality / citizenship a person may be subject to.
Igbimo Ayekan Afrika
Idahun
Mo nse alagbawi igbimo Yoruba losi | I am advocating an agenda of efforts towards:
1) Isepilese Ayekan Yoruba si ilu ti o ndaduro. | Actualising the Yoruba country as a self-determining jurisdiction (country) and
2) Isepilese Ayekan Africa (parapo awon ilu Africa) | Actualising Ayekan Afrika (the commonwealth of African nationalities) and
3) Kojusi ikaiye ede Yoruba ati esin Ifa/Orisha, pelu abule eto ni Ijebu, ki eyi je ona isepilese 1 ati 2 | Focussing on inter-tribal-ising (internationalising or globalising) the Yoruba language and the Ifa/Orisha spiritual heritage, with administrative centre at Ijebu, as a means of attaining 1 and 2.
4) Nitori awon Yoruba ni ibalopo ni ede ati esin pelu awon eniyan niita ayika ilu-kolo. | Because the Yoruba have connections through language and active spiritual heritage with people beyond the borders of the colonial country.
The Yoruba diaspora includes a worldwide Afrikan diaspora whose spiritual heritage is rooted in Ifa/Orisha and we have a duty to protect that heritage and provide a home for its adherents. Unlike many other ethnic nationalities in Africa, Yoruba [populations or landmass (thanks SOD), language and spirituality] extends beyond any one colonial country. Yoruba is a global 'tribe' without a 'controlling' country,
I also suggest that achieving the Ayekan Afrika is a greater good than fragmentation of Yoruba Nigeria into ever smaller states within the existing country. As part of Nigeria, no Yoruba state can issue passports or visas, or implement a policy of muscular intervention in the Sudan, or support the dispossessed of hurricane Katrina, or call the UK or USA to order for disproportionate imprisonment of people of African heritage. We should be wary of crippled political 'independences' that cannot deliver socio-economic wealth.
The creation of 'Ijebu State' is to be considered in view of the above. Whether it is created or not, its people and the other current Yoruba states should also be aware of their greater connections and responsibilities towards Afrikans beyond the current Nigeria.
Mo nse alagbawi igbimo Yoruba losi | I am advocating an agenda of efforts towards:
1) Isepilese Ayekan Yoruba si ilu ti o ndaduro. | Actualising the Yoruba country as a self-determining jurisdiction (country) and
2) Isepilese Ayekan Africa (parapo awon ilu Africa) | Actualising Ayekan Afrika (the commonwealth of African nationalities) and
3) Kojusi ikaiye ede Yoruba ati esin Ifa/Orisha, pelu abule eto ni Ijebu, ki eyi je ona isepilese 1 ati 2 | Focussing on inter-tribal-ising (internationalising or globalising) the Yoruba language and the Ifa/Orisha spiritual heritage, with administrative centre at Ijebu, as a means of attaining 1 and 2.
4) Nitori awon Yoruba ni ibalopo ni ede ati esin pelu awon eniyan niita ayika ilu-kolo. | Because the Yoruba have connections through language and active spiritual heritage with people beyond the borders of the colonial country.
The Yoruba diaspora includes a worldwide Afrikan diaspora whose spiritual heritage is rooted in Ifa/Orisha and we have a duty to protect that heritage and provide a home for its adherents. Unlike many other ethnic nationalities in Africa, Yoruba [populations or landmass (thanks SOD), language and spirituality] extends beyond any one colonial country. Yoruba is a global 'tribe' without a 'controlling' country,
I also suggest that achieving the Ayekan Afrika is a greater good than fragmentation of Yoruba Nigeria into ever smaller states within the existing country. As part of Nigeria, no Yoruba state can issue passports or visas, or implement a policy of muscular intervention in the Sudan, or support the dispossessed of hurricane Katrina, or call the UK or USA to order for disproportionate imprisonment of people of African heritage. We should be wary of crippled political 'independences' that cannot deliver socio-economic wealth.
The creation of 'Ijebu State' is to be considered in view of the above. Whether it is created or not, its people and the other current Yoruba states should also be aware of their greater connections and responsibilities towards Afrikans beyond the current Nigeria.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Toyin Agbetu: jagun labi
E wo arakunrin Toyin Agbetu! Awon ni oga ni aparapo ilosiwaju egbe Afika www.ligali.org.
E wo bi won nshe igbega gbogbo eniyan Afrika to shalaisi ni Maafa!! Won so fun awon Yurugu Elisabeth 1 ti Windsor, iyaafin England, ati Anthony Blair, oga UK pelu awon ara won nipa iwaburuku ti won ti she sile.
Kosi gbagbe. Kosi foriji.
eworan
E wo bi won nshe igbega gbogbo eniyan Afrika to shalaisi ni Maafa!! Won so fun awon Yurugu Elisabeth 1 ti Windsor, iyaafin England, ati Anthony Blair, oga UK pelu awon ara won nipa iwaburuku ti won ti she sile.
Kosi gbagbe. Kosi foriji.
eworan
Friday, April 18, 2008
African Trading Company
A proposal is made to gather USD50 per month for 24 months per 100,000 Africans living in the USA, and using the funds to start an investment group.
An interesting comment:
I will also suggest that it be structured not as an investment group or bank or other fiduciary institution, but as a trading company along the lines of the Sogo of Japan or Chaebol of Korea or even conglomerates of USA. This organisational strategy can help avoids some trade barriers such as undue or excessive regulation. It requires commitment to world standards in financial and logistics management. The mindset must be gradual domination of processing, marketing and distribution in a core set of technologies and in the associated products. Actual production should be co-ordinated with domestic suppliers and research in collaboration with domestic universities and colleges across Africa.
By sponsoring an apprenticeship system, it can ensue a steady stream of innovative human capital with hands-on knowledge come through the education system. Some will stay with the company. Others will set up on their own and may well become suppliers or marketers for the trading company. If and when it ventures abroad outside the African nation, it should ensure Africans are posted to manage the overseas business unit so that we can learn the intricacies of international trade. Within Africa, at least 10% of net revenues in each business unit should be provisioned for development of local community infrastructure or social services.
There are a number of commodities and associated technologies we can focus on:
1. Foods and beverages, waste management combined with electricity production, internet infrastructure, and education (see above) to secure the home front;
2. Essential minerals such as gold, crude oil, tantalum, iron ore, and so on to secure a sustainable foot-hold in international markets.
As it consolidates its presence in key product lines, governments and multinationals in many African and foreign countries may come to fear it and will then act to undermine it. For this reason, it may be better to focus initially on building/defending the African marketplace. The only sure way of doing this is to make Africans wealthy by encouraging a scheme of equity ownership. If you are concerned that some 'shareholders' will pervert your ideal of local enrichment, then start the trading company as a membership society, with members sharing net revenues in proportion to their trading activity.
This is the business model for my own company. It is early days for us, so I am glad to share it with you. I wish you well, yet, bear in mind: Africa's solutions are problems for the 'international community'.
An interesting comment:
I will also suggest that it be structured not as an investment group or bank or other fiduciary institution, but as a trading company along the lines of the Sogo of Japan or Chaebol of Korea or even conglomerates of USA. This organisational strategy can help avoids some trade barriers such as undue or excessive regulation. It requires commitment to world standards in financial and logistics management. The mindset must be gradual domination of processing, marketing and distribution in a core set of technologies and in the associated products. Actual production should be co-ordinated with domestic suppliers and research in collaboration with domestic universities and colleges across Africa.
By sponsoring an apprenticeship system, it can ensue a steady stream of innovative human capital with hands-on knowledge come through the education system. Some will stay with the company. Others will set up on their own and may well become suppliers or marketers for the trading company. If and when it ventures abroad outside the African nation, it should ensure Africans are posted to manage the overseas business unit so that we can learn the intricacies of international trade. Within Africa, at least 10% of net revenues in each business unit should be provisioned for development of local community infrastructure or social services.
There are a number of commodities and associated technologies we can focus on:
1. Foods and beverages, waste management combined with electricity production, internet infrastructure, and education (see above) to secure the home front;
2. Essential minerals such as gold, crude oil, tantalum, iron ore, and so on to secure a sustainable foot-hold in international markets.
As it consolidates its presence in key product lines, governments and multinationals in many African and foreign countries may come to fear it and will then act to undermine it. For this reason, it may be better to focus initially on building/defending the African marketplace. The only sure way of doing this is to make Africans wealthy by encouraging a scheme of equity ownership. If you are concerned that some 'shareholders' will pervert your ideal of local enrichment, then start the trading company as a membership society, with members sharing net revenues in proportion to their trading activity.
This is the business model for my own company. It is early days for us, so I am glad to share it with you. I wish you well, yet, bear in mind: Africa's solutions are problems for the 'international community'.
Monday, January 21, 2008
When Sheep Call Rabid Dogs To Tend The Flock
He who the gods first make mad...
I am just about to finish reading "tHE SHOCK DOCTRINE" by Naomi Klein. Which highlights that for some 205 or so years from 1893 to now, the USA (and Europe) have expanded their markets by progressively 'shocking' domestic consumers or foreign countries. First by economic shock of destabilising the socio-econimy through free markets that loosens capital controls and democracy that ensures only compliant elites get to rule. If the markets are reluctant, then the shock of war as bombs rain down terror to free the markets. For those who further resist want to keep their land to themselves by all means or just to set an example, there is the body shock of torture and disappeared 'terrorists' .
For years now, we have been raising alarm that Africa is in a war of attrition. All the things that other people do by themselves, our people call on foreigners to come and do for them. Still we have people calling for foreign investment, foreign technical support, foreign aid, foreign tourists, etc. Perhaps they did not notice that all these foreign entities rarely travel without 'escorts' and 'field operatives'. They rarely lend without interest, never give without a trade agreement secured by collateral.
Let me guess why the 'eagle is now landing' while the 'vultures gather around'.
Privatisation and deregulation programmes in Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Angola and South Africa are about to reach a higher level. Now that all the small-small governmert assets have been sold at gbanjo prices, it is the turn of the core assets: NEPA/SONANGOL may be sold to GE, NNPC may be sold to the anglo-american energy companies, and the water, telco and utilities companies may be sold to the other european multinationals. The Broederbond Afrikaners retain 80% control of SA economy and 70% of the land, as they do in Zimbabwe. Our people are fed up with squalor and suffering and dying for nothing. Previous governments have softened us up economically by allowing combination of acute fuel price hikes, inflation, unconstrained capital flight, and total-importation-among-total-unemployment to cripple local productivity. They have set examples of willingness to military violence and police brutality. Meanwhile, nothing is done to prevent people sliding off the dead-end of fundamentalist religions that call on the hopeless to beg from those who damn them the most.
When local people got too tired of the lawlessness and formed vigilante groups, some people called on the same disingenuous governments (whose complicity, incompetence or insincerity caused these crises in the first case) to deal with the 'terrorists' (academics, cultists and tribalists). The turkeys voted for christmas and youth leaders 'disappeared', were dealt with, or somehow died. Now the sheep are calling for the rabid dogs to come and tend the flock. The actors in the former mis-governments are now on the other side and are working with the multinationals and multilateral agencies of countries that open our markets while they close their borders. They want to get paid from privatising the assets that so many people gave up so much to accumulate. They expect peoples' resistance to boil over. So they have asked for (foreign) military support, to reinforce their raping and killing of us. Now, while they move the seats of government onto fortified mini-cities it is the time for you to go prepare your village, and learn the ways of the blacksmith and the bush. t is not accidental that travel into the cities and foreign countries is so problematic. Nigeria, like Iraq, may now finally unite and for all the same reasons.
I am just about to finish reading "tHE SHOCK DOCTRINE" by Naomi Klein. Which highlights that for some 205 or so years from 1893 to now, the USA (and Europe) have expanded their markets by progressively 'shocking' domestic consumers or foreign countries. First by economic shock of destabilising the socio-econimy through free markets that loosens capital controls and democracy that ensures only compliant elites get to rule. If the markets are reluctant, then the shock of war as bombs rain down terror to free the markets. For those who further resist want to keep their land to themselves by all means or just to set an example, there is the body shock of torture and disappeared 'terrorists' .
For years now, we have been raising alarm that Africa is in a war of attrition. All the things that other people do by themselves, our people call on foreigners to come and do for them. Still we have people calling for foreign investment, foreign technical support, foreign aid, foreign tourists, etc. Perhaps they did not notice that all these foreign entities rarely travel without 'escorts' and 'field operatives'. They rarely lend without interest, never give without a trade agreement secured by collateral.
Let me guess why the 'eagle is now landing' while the 'vultures gather around'.
Privatisation and deregulation programmes in Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Angola and South Africa are about to reach a higher level. Now that all the small-small governmert assets have been sold at gbanjo prices, it is the turn of the core assets: NEPA/SONANGOL may be sold to GE, NNPC may be sold to the anglo-american energy companies, and the water, telco and utilities companies may be sold to the other european multinationals. The Broederbond Afrikaners retain 80% control of SA economy and 70% of the land, as they do in Zimbabwe. Our people are fed up with squalor and suffering and dying for nothing. Previous governments have softened us up economically by allowing combination of acute fuel price hikes, inflation, unconstrained capital flight, and total-importation-among-total-unemployment to cripple local productivity. They have set examples of willingness to military violence and police brutality. Meanwhile, nothing is done to prevent people sliding off the dead-end of fundamentalist religions that call on the hopeless to beg from those who damn them the most.
When local people got too tired of the lawlessness and formed vigilante groups, some people called on the same disingenuous governments (whose complicity, incompetence or insincerity caused these crises in the first case) to deal with the 'terrorists' (academics, cultists and tribalists). The turkeys voted for christmas and youth leaders 'disappeared', were dealt with, or somehow died. Now the sheep are calling for the rabid dogs to come and tend the flock. The actors in the former mis-governments are now on the other side and are working with the multinationals and multilateral agencies of countries that open our markets while they close their borders. They want to get paid from privatising the assets that so many people gave up so much to accumulate. They expect peoples' resistance to boil over. So they have asked for (foreign) military support, to reinforce their raping and killing of us. Now, while they move the seats of government onto fortified mini-cities it is the time for you to go prepare your village, and learn the ways of the blacksmith and the bush. t is not accidental that travel into the cities and foreign countries is so problematic. Nigeria, like Iraq, may now finally unite and for all the same reasons.
Tuesday, November 06, 2007
Relocating to Ile Yoruba and other Africa 3: Top 10 Tips
Relocation Tips
1.Culture – Try to find a cultural society for the area that you are considering relocation to. Regular attendance at meetings and events should give you a flavour of foods, fashions, etc. Read widely from the local and national newspapers. Be prepared to be treated as a 'foreigner'. You are advised to keep negative opinions on culture, religion, or language to yourself.
2.Accommodation – You should visit the country for a stay of at least six months in order to explore the community and experience potential property in reas of interest. In short visits, stay in self – contained rental property in order to assess the dynamics of the property markets.
3.Property – Generally, buying may be better than renting. Property markets are dynamic and many transactions are settled in cash, although mortgages are becoming more available. Estate agents will be able to advise on local markets, schools, amenities and business opportunities. Have a lawyer secure and register your certificate of ownership (equivalent to UK freehold) or review rental agreemenrs. Expect to pay 1 year rental deposit and 1 year rent in advance. Negotiate payments in local currency, so as to reduce your foreign exchange risk.
4.Transport – You should plan for a budget car, preferably of Asian make as they tend to be more durable and less expensive to run in spare parts and servicing costs than European models. American models do not generally do well. 4x4 vehicles suffer very heavy consumption of fuel and spare parts on Africa's uneven roads. Diesel fuel may be scarcer than petrol, but can be used with your diesel generator. Some markets, e.g Nigeria, ban importation of cars that are older than 10 years. It may be less troublesome to buy imported cars locally. Original spare parts are often available from authorised dealers at European price levels.
5.Utilities – You should plan for a small diesel generator, unless you are technically able to install renewable energy sources (a strong business opportunity). Plan to install electric water pump and storage tanks. It is safer and less obstrusive to install tanks underground. You will need electric surge stabilisers and uninterruptible power supply units on your electronic equipment.
6.Freight – Try to avoid freight costs on shipping heavy, disposable or fragile personal effects halfway across the world. Rental properties will usually be unfurnished, but it may be worthwhile to patiently visit local craft shops to source for original items in furniture, crockery, toiletries, and art. Do bring your books, medication supplies, computers and and audio-visual equipment. Retail shops stock the usual global brand products, at European price levels. For warranties, buy from authorised dealers.
7.Bureaucracy – You will need to register for taxation and residency. You may need to register car ownership or to vote, procure insurance or medical cover. Local residents are generally helpful to 'foreigners', although you may have to pay price premiums for your elevated status.
8.Employment – When you relocate to Africa, we expect you to create jobs and investments. Recruitment agencies may have employment positions with multinationals and big local firms. There are opportunities to create businesses in almost every economic or social sector. You will generate strong goodwill from efforts to train and support suppliers, customers and employees. When fairly rewarded, Africans generally have a strong work ethic. They are also sensitive to historical injusticies and contemporary trade inequalities.
9.Family – Africans have retained strong family values. Much leisure time is spent visiting with friends and family. Urban residents may travel long distances over weekends and holidays. Informal netwoeks and extended family provide much of the 'safety net' benefits that have been institutionalied and privately capitalised in other countries.
10.Prepare yourself and your family well in advance. In particular, make arrangements for private education, medical care, and independent essential services (transport, water and electricity). Once these are expensed by your private (and hopefully, profitable) business, you may enjoy well, well.
1.Culture – Try to find a cultural society for the area that you are considering relocation to. Regular attendance at meetings and events should give you a flavour of foods, fashions, etc. Read widely from the local and national newspapers. Be prepared to be treated as a 'foreigner'. You are advised to keep negative opinions on culture, religion, or language to yourself.
2.Accommodation – You should visit the country for a stay of at least six months in order to explore the community and experience potential property in reas of interest. In short visits, stay in self – contained rental property in order to assess the dynamics of the property markets.
3.Property – Generally, buying may be better than renting. Property markets are dynamic and many transactions are settled in cash, although mortgages are becoming more available. Estate agents will be able to advise on local markets, schools, amenities and business opportunities. Have a lawyer secure and register your certificate of ownership (equivalent to UK freehold) or review rental agreemenrs. Expect to pay 1 year rental deposit and 1 year rent in advance. Negotiate payments in local currency, so as to reduce your foreign exchange risk.
4.Transport – You should plan for a budget car, preferably of Asian make as they tend to be more durable and less expensive to run in spare parts and servicing costs than European models. American models do not generally do well. 4x4 vehicles suffer very heavy consumption of fuel and spare parts on Africa's uneven roads. Diesel fuel may be scarcer than petrol, but can be used with your diesel generator. Some markets, e.g Nigeria, ban importation of cars that are older than 10 years. It may be less troublesome to buy imported cars locally. Original spare parts are often available from authorised dealers at European price levels.
5.Utilities – You should plan for a small diesel generator, unless you are technically able to install renewable energy sources (a strong business opportunity). Plan to install electric water pump and storage tanks. It is safer and less obstrusive to install tanks underground. You will need electric surge stabilisers and uninterruptible power supply units on your electronic equipment.
6.Freight – Try to avoid freight costs on shipping heavy, disposable or fragile personal effects halfway across the world. Rental properties will usually be unfurnished, but it may be worthwhile to patiently visit local craft shops to source for original items in furniture, crockery, toiletries, and art. Do bring your books, medication supplies, computers and and audio-visual equipment. Retail shops stock the usual global brand products, at European price levels. For warranties, buy from authorised dealers.
7.Bureaucracy – You will need to register for taxation and residency. You may need to register car ownership or to vote, procure insurance or medical cover. Local residents are generally helpful to 'foreigners', although you may have to pay price premiums for your elevated status.
8.Employment – When you relocate to Africa, we expect you to create jobs and investments. Recruitment agencies may have employment positions with multinationals and big local firms. There are opportunities to create businesses in almost every economic or social sector. You will generate strong goodwill from efforts to train and support suppliers, customers and employees. When fairly rewarded, Africans generally have a strong work ethic. They are also sensitive to historical injusticies and contemporary trade inequalities.
9.Family – Africans have retained strong family values. Much leisure time is spent visiting with friends and family. Urban residents may travel long distances over weekends and holidays. Informal netwoeks and extended family provide much of the 'safety net' benefits that have been institutionalied and privately capitalised in other countries.
10.Prepare yourself and your family well in advance. In particular, make arrangements for private education, medical care, and independent essential services (transport, water and electricity). Once these are expensed by your private (and hopefully, profitable) business, you may enjoy well, well.
Relocating to Ile Yoruba and other Africa 2
This is part of efforts to help people who want to remigrate to African countries. It is essential to arrange property financing and management support.
Property Investment: UK
We plan to offer a UK property investment service, whereby you sell ownership in UK property to a private single-property investment company in which you and us hold equity shares. You may have the option to rent back the property at market rates from the investment company.
The property is either let and managed to provide income or sold to release remaining capital. The net proceeds are shared as per equity holding.
This service is planned to help reduce uncertainty on your source of resettlement income, and cut dependence on foreign mortgages which tend to be attract higher interest rates than UK.
Property Investment: African country
We plan to offer African country property investment service, whereby you purchase equity share in a private single-property investment company. With your agreement, the company invests in purchase of an owner – occupied residential property. You may have the option to rent the property at market rates from the company.
The company may also let and manage the property so as to provide income. When the property is sold, the net capital proceeds are shared as per equity holding.
This service is planned to assist you in obtaining property for accommodation or investment in the country of destination. The company ensures that the property is built and fitted to standards, and is amenable to sufficient potential of rental income or capital gain. The company will also expense the cost of paying your income or capital into your account.
Property Investment: UK
We plan to offer a UK property investment service, whereby you sell ownership in UK property to a private single-property investment company in which you and us hold equity shares. You may have the option to rent back the property at market rates from the investment company.
The property is either let and managed to provide income or sold to release remaining capital. The net proceeds are shared as per equity holding.
This service is planned to help reduce uncertainty on your source of resettlement income, and cut dependence on foreign mortgages which tend to be attract higher interest rates than UK.
Property Investment: African country
We plan to offer African country property investment service, whereby you purchase equity share in a private single-property investment company. With your agreement, the company invests in purchase of an owner – occupied residential property. You may have the option to rent the property at market rates from the company.
The company may also let and manage the property so as to provide income. When the property is sold, the net capital proceeds are shared as per equity holding.
This service is planned to assist you in obtaining property for accommodation or investment in the country of destination. The company ensures that the property is built and fitted to standards, and is amenable to sufficient potential of rental income or capital gain. The company will also expense the cost of paying your income or capital into your account.
Remigrating to Ile-Yoruba, and other Africa
Relocation, Repatriation, Remigration...
Once you have decided to relocate, you will need all the help you can get with the physical logistics of establishing your new homeland. I am thinking to offer a comprehensive Tokunbo (the foreign traveller returns) Relocation package from UKP 250. Here are the services.
Before you go, we will
Provide you a printed checklist of things that need doing
Introduce you to a Tokunbo Relocation contact in whose state of origin you have chosen to relocate to within the country. State of origin is of strong cultural importance in African countries.
Help with opening an African country bank account, and advice on funds transfer.
Help to book your flight
Help to arrange temporary storage, freight & forwarding of your personal effects.
Help to find a rental or purchase property in the African country, and negotiate with the owner
Help to find a car to purchase, and negotiate with the seller.
Help with health and safety actions for travellers to your country of destination
When you arrive, we will
Arrange a pick-up car and personal guide to meet at the port and take you to hotel accommodation.
Provide a welcome pack, including light refreshment, bottled water, a SIM card (ensure you unlock and bring a mobile phone), telephone top-up for calling family and friends back in the UK about your safe arrival, and a welcome message from your Tokunbo Relocation contact person.
Your Tokunbo contact may help you with:
Transfer from hotel to your next residence
Information or guided tour on local essential services (schools, places of worship, food and fuel, police, fire, hospitals, banks and commercial offices, markets, and internet / post offices).
Help with transport of your personal effects to your own self – contained residence.
After you have settled in your new home, we and yiur Tokunbo contact will
Maintain contact with you to answer questions and help you resettle in your new home.
Help with obtaining your national tax registration.
(Optional) Arrange visits and meetings with other Tokunbo resettlers.
(Optional) Personal introductions to local traditional rulers; schools; bank account opening; medical, fire and police support; and membership of social associations.
(Optional) Help with supply of water and cooking fuel, electricity and internet to your home.
(Optional) Help with obtaining your property registration, tax and insurance.
(Optional) Help with obtaining your driving licence; car registration, licence, insurance, and tax.
(Optional) Help with replenishments of essential medication.
The Tokunbo Relocation Service aims to assist with the physical aspects of moving to your new home. You may also appreciate support with financial, property, employment or bereavement aspects.
Once you have decided to relocate, you will need all the help you can get with the physical logistics of establishing your new homeland. I am thinking to offer a comprehensive Tokunbo (the foreign traveller returns) Relocation package from UKP 250. Here are the services.
Before you go, we will
Provide you a printed checklist of things that need doing
Introduce you to a Tokunbo Relocation contact in whose state of origin you have chosen to relocate to within the country. State of origin is of strong cultural importance in African countries.
Help with opening an African country bank account, and advice on funds transfer.
Help to book your flight
Help to arrange temporary storage, freight & forwarding of your personal effects.
Help to find a rental or purchase property in the African country, and negotiate with the owner
Help to find a car to purchase, and negotiate with the seller.
Help with health and safety actions for travellers to your country of destination
When you arrive, we will
Arrange a pick-up car and personal guide to meet at the port and take you to hotel accommodation.
Provide a welcome pack, including light refreshment, bottled water, a SIM card (ensure you unlock and bring a mobile phone), telephone top-up for calling family and friends back in the UK about your safe arrival, and a welcome message from your Tokunbo Relocation contact person.
Your Tokunbo contact may help you with:
Transfer from hotel to your next residence
Information or guided tour on local essential services (schools, places of worship, food and fuel, police, fire, hospitals, banks and commercial offices, markets, and internet / post offices).
Help with transport of your personal effects to your own self – contained residence.
After you have settled in your new home, we and yiur Tokunbo contact will
Maintain contact with you to answer questions and help you resettle in your new home.
Help with obtaining your national tax registration.
(Optional) Arrange visits and meetings with other Tokunbo resettlers.
(Optional) Personal introductions to local traditional rulers; schools; bank account opening; medical, fire and police support; and membership of social associations.
(Optional) Help with supply of water and cooking fuel, electricity and internet to your home.
(Optional) Help with obtaining your property registration, tax and insurance.
(Optional) Help with obtaining your driving licence; car registration, licence, insurance, and tax.
(Optional) Help with replenishments of essential medication.
The Tokunbo Relocation Service aims to assist with the physical aspects of moving to your new home. You may also appreciate support with financial, property, employment or bereavement aspects.
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Yoruba people on wikipedia
This article is a dump of revisions made to the Yoruba page on Wikipedia 25-Sept-2007.
{{Cleanup|date=December 2006}}
{{ethnic group
|group=Yoruba
|image=[[Image:Olusegun Obasanjo (Brasilia 6 September 2005).jpg|80px]] [[Image:KingSunnyAde.jpg|118px]] [[Image:Akinola2.jpg|42px]]
|poptime=Upwards of 30 million (CIA Estimate, 2005 )
|popplace= [[Nigeria]], [[Benin]], [[Ghana]], [[Togo]],[[Brazil]],[[The Caribean]],[[UK]]
|rels= [[Orisha]], [[Christianity]], [[Islam]]
|langs= [[Yoruba language|Yoruba]]
|related= Nago, [[Itsekiri]], [[Igala]], [[Nupe]]
}}
The '''Yoruba''' (''Yorùbá'' in Yoruba orthography) are a large ethno-linguistic group or ethnic nation in Africa; the majority of them speak the [[Yoruba language]] (èdèe Yorùbá; èdè = language). The Yoruba constitute approximately 21 percent of [[Nigeria]]'s total population,[https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ni.html CIA World Factbook] and around 30 million individuals throughout the region of [[West Africa]].Joshua Project,. (2007) They share borders with the [[Borgu]] (variously called Bariba and Borgawa) in the northwest, the [[Nupe]] and [[Ebira]] in the north, the [[Ẹsan]] [[Afemai ]] and [[Edo State|Edo]] to the southeast, the [[Igala]] and other related groups to the northeast, and the [[Egun]], [[Fon]], and other [[Gbe languages|Gbe]]-speaking peoples in the southwest. While the majority of the Yoruba live in western Nigeria, there are also substantial indigenous Yoruba communities in [[Benin]], [[Ghana]] and [[Togo]].
The Yoruba are the main ethnic group in the states of [[Ekiti State, Nigeria|Ekiti]], [[Lagos State, Nigeria|Lagos]], [[Ogun State, Nigeria|Ogun]], [[Ondo State, Nigeria|Ondo]], [[Osun State, Nigeria|Osun]], and [[Oyo State, Nigeria|Oyo]], which are subdivisions of Nigeria; they also constitute a sizable proportion of [[Kwara]] and [[Kogi]] states as well as of the [[Benin]].
A significant percentage of Africans enslaved during the Trans Atlantic [[Slave Trade]] in the Americas managed to maintain the Yoruba spiritual religion known as Aborisha. Indeed, the initiation and practise of Aborisha spiritual religion offers a route to all people of African descent, who were victims of slave trade in the Americas or the Carribean, to make claim to Yoruba heritage.
==History==
===General history===
The African peoples who lived in Yorubaland, at least by the 4th Century BCE, were not initially known as the Yoruba, although they shared a common ethnicity and language group. Both archeology and traditional Yoruba oral historians confirm the existence of people in this region for several millennia.
Yoruba spiritual heritage maintain that the Yoruba ethnic groups are a unique people who were originally created at Ile-Ife. Legend holds that the creation was delegated by the supreme spiritual force, Olodumare. The task was to orisha-nla Obatala, may have actually been conducted by orisha Oduduwa, who was assisted by orisha Eshu, the divine messenger. The name "Yoruba" is most likely an adaptation of 'Yo ru ebo', meaning "will venerate (make offerings to the) [[Orisha|Orisha]]". This refers to the Aborisha spiritual religion of the Yoruba prior to invasion and indoctrination by Islamic and Christian influences. Yoruba civilization remains one of the most technologically and artistically advanced people in West Africa to this time.
Some contemporary historians contend that some Yoruba are not indigenous to Yorubaland, but are descendants of immigrants to the region. This version of history contends that Oduduwa was a mortal king, probably from northeast Africa, under whose leadership the Oyo region of Yorubaland was conquered sometime in the 11th century CE and the kingdom of Ife was established. Oduduwa's relatives established kingdoms in the rest of Yorubaland. One of Oduduwa's sons, Oranmiyan, took the throne of Benin and expanded the Oduduwa Dynasty east-wards. Further expansion led to the establishment of the Yoruba in what are now Southwest Nigeria, [[Benin]], and [[Togo]], with Yoruba city-states acknowledging the spiritual heritage primacy of the ancient city of Ile Ife. The southeastern [[Benin Empire]], ruled by a dynasty that traced its ancestry to Ifẹ and Oduduwa but largely populated by the Edo and other related ethnicities, also held considerable sway in the election of nobles and kings in eastern Yorubaland.
Between [[1100]] CE and [[1700]] CE, the Yoruba Kingdom of Ife experienced a [[golden age]]. It was then surpassed by [[the kingdom of Oyo]] as the dominant Yoruba military and political power between [[1700]] CE and [[1900]] CE, The nearby splinter Yoruba kingdom of Benin was also a powerful force between 1300 and 1850 CE. Yoruba civilization also has strong historical exchanges with Nok civilization, which may date to 900 BCE, as with other neighbouring African settlements. The exchanges have been both genetic and cultural.
Most of the city states were controlled by ''[[Oba]]s'' (elected monarchs) and councils made up of Oloye, [[guild]] of noble leaders or chiefs, and [[merchant]]s. Different states saw differing ratios of power between the kingship and the chiefs' council. Some such as Oyo had powerful, autocratic monarchs with almost total control, while in others such as the Ijebu city-states, the senatorial councils were supreme and the ''Ọba'' served as a figurehead.
In all cases, Yoruba monarchs were subject to the continuing approval of their constituents, and could be easily compelled to abdicate for demonstrating dictatorial tendencies or incompetence. The order to vacate the throne was usually communicated through a symbolic message or ''aroko'', of [[parrot]]s' eggs delivered by the senators.
The Yoruba eventually established a federation of city-states under the political ascendancy of the city state of Oyo located on the Northern fringes of [[Yorubaland]] in the [[savanna]] plains between the forests of present Southwest Nigeria and the [[Niger]] River. Following a [[Jihad]] led by [[Uthman Dan Fodio]] and a rapid consolidation of the Hausa city states of present northern Nigeria, the [[Fulani]] [[Sokoto Caliphate]] annexed the buffer [[Nupe]] Kingdom and began to press southwards towards the [[Oyo Empire]]. Shortly after, they overran the Yoruba city of [[Ilorin]] and then sacked [[Ọyọ-Ile]], the capital city of the Ọyọ Empire.
Following this, Ọyọ-Ile was abandoned and the Ọyọ retreated south to the present city of Oyo (Oyo Atiba) in a forested region where the calvary of the [[Sokoto Caliphate]] was less effective. Further attempts by the [[Sokoto Caliphate]] to expand southwards were checked by the Yoruba who had rallied to resist under the military leadership of the City State of [[Ibadan]] which rose from the old Oyo empire, and of the Ijebu city-states.
However, the Oyo hegemony had been dealt a mortal blow. The other Yoruba city-states broke free of Oyo dominance, and subsequently became embroiled in a series of internecine wars, from which prisoners feed the slave trade conducted by Arab and European traders. These wars weakened the Yoruba in their opposition to British colonial and military invasions. Military defeat at [[Imagbon]] of Ijebu forces by the British ensured a tentative European settlement in [[Eko||Lagos]] which was gradually expanded by protectorate treaties. Defeat of Yoruba forces at the Battle of Imagbon, by the British military and the protectorate of Lagos, proved decisive in eventual annexation of the rest of Yorubaland and eventually of southern Nigeria and the Cameroons. In 1960, greater Yorubaland became subsumed into the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
===Different names===
Aside from "Yoruba" and its variant "Yariba", this ethnic group was in different times and places known by a variety of other names, including "Yorubo", "Akú", "Okun", "Nago", "Anago" and "Ana" and "Lucumi".
Before the abolition of the slave trade, some Yoruba groups were known among Europeans as ''[[Akú]]'', a name derived from the first words of Yoruba greetings such as ''Ẹ kú àárọ?'' ‘good morning’ and ''Ẹ kú alẹ?'' ‘good evening.’ A variant of this group is also known as the "[[Okun]]", Okun being also a form of "A ku". These are Yorubas found in parts of the states of [[Kogi]] - the "[[Yagba]]", [[Ekiti]] and [[Kabba]].
The terms "[[Nago]]", "[[Anago]]" and "[[Ana]]" derived from the name of a coastal Yoruba sub-group in the present-day Republic of Benin, were also widely used in Spanish and Portuguese documents to describe all speakers of the language. Yoruba in Francophone West Africa are still sometimes known by this ethnonym today.
In [[Cuba]] and Spanish-speaking America, the Yoruba were called "[[Lucumi]]" after the phrase "O luku mi", meaning "my friend" in some dialects. This term is at present used mainly to refer to an Afro-Caribbean religion derived from the traditional [[Yoruba religion]], more often known as [[Santería]]. During the 19th century, the term ''[[Yariba]]'' or ''Yoruba '' came into wider use, first confined to the Ọyọ. The term is often believed to be derived from a [[Hausa]] ethnonym for the populous people to their south, but this has not been substantiated by historians.
As an ethnic description, the word first appeared in a treatise written by the [[Songhai]] scholar [[Ahmed Baba]] (1500s) and is likely to derive from the indigenous ethnonyms [[Oyo|Ọyọ (Oyo)]] or Yagba, two Yoruba-speaking groups along the northern borders of their terrority. However, it is likely that the ethnonym was popularized by [[Hausa]] usage and ethnography written in [[Arabic]] and [[Ajami]]. Under the influence of Bishop [[Samuel Ajayi Crowther]], a Yoruba clergyman, subsequent missionaries extended the term to include all speakers of related dialects.
===Yoruba origin mythology===
The mythology of the origin of the Yoruba, who refer to themselves as "Omo O'odua" (Children of [[Oduduwa]]), revolves around the mythical figure of [[Oduduwa]] or [[Odudua]] . The meaning of the name may be translated as "the spiritual one ("O/Ohun") who created the knowledge ("odu") of character ("iwa")."
There are two variants of the myth of how [[Oduduwa]] became the legendary progenitor of the Yoruba.
====Cosmogonic Origin Mythology====
"Orisa'nla" (The Great Divinity) also known as [[Obatala|Ọbatala]] was the arch-divinity chosen by [[Olodumare]], the supreme deity, to create solid land out of the primordial water that constituted the earth and populating the land with human beings. [[Obatala|Ọbatala]] descended from heaven on a chain, carrying a small snail shell full of earth, palm kernels and a five-toed chicken. He was to empty the content of the snail shell on the water after placing some pieces of iron on it, and then to place the chicken on the earth to spread it over the primordial water.
According to the first variant of the cosmogonist myth, [[Obatala|Ọbatala]] completed this task to the satisfaction of Olodumare and he was then given the task of making the physical body of human beings after which [[Olodumare]] would give them the breath of life. He also completed this task and this is why he has the title of "Obarisa" (King of all Deities).
The other variant of the cosmogonic myth does not credit [[Obatala|Ọbatala]] with the completion of the task. While it concedes he was given the task, it claims that he got drunk before he got to the earth and was thus unable to do the job. [[Olodumare]] got worried when he did not return on time and sent [[Oduduwa]] to investigate. When [[Oduduwa]] found [[Obatala|Ọbatala]] in a drunken state, he took over the task and completed it.
The spot on which he landed and which he redeemed from water to become land is called [[Ile-Ife|Ilė-Ifę]] and is considered the sacred and spiritual home of the Yoruba. [[Olodumare]] later forgave [[Obatala|Ọbatala]] and gave him the responsibility of molding the physical bodies of human beings.
According to [[Idowu]], 1962, the making of land is a symbolic reference to the founding
of the Yoruba kingdoms and this is why Oduduwa is credited with that achievement.
Recently, there have been revisions to the uniqueness of the Yoruba as a divine people in the image of Olodumare, by historians tied to the Islamic and Christian faiths. They detract from the unique creation of Yoruba peoples by the Orisha, and argue that there was a pre-existing civilization at [[Ile-Ife|Ilė-Ifę]] which was invaded by a group from the east. They attribute this invasion to militant immigrants led by [[Oduduwa]]. [[Oduduwa]] and his group had been persecuted on the basis of religious differences and forced out of their homeland. They came to Ilė-Ifę where they subjugated the pre-existing Igbo inhabitants (unrelated to the present [[Igbo]] of Eastern Nigeria) led by Oreluere ([[Obatala|Ọbatala]]).
====After Oduduwa====
Upon the death of Oduduwa, there was a dispersal of his children from [[Ile-Ife|Ilė-Ifę]] to found other kingdoms (Owu, Ketu, Benin, Ila, Sabe, Popo, and Oyo). Each making a mark in the subsequent urbanization and consolidation of Yoruba confederacy of kingdoms, with each kingdom tracing its origin to Ile-Ife.
==Precolonial social organization==
See also [[Oyo Empire#Political structures]]
Though monarchies were fairly common throughout the Yoruba-speaking region, they were not the only approach to government and social organization. The numerous [[Ijebu|Ijebu]] city-states to the west of Oyo and the [[Egba|Ẹgba]] communities, found in the forests below Ọyọ's savannah region, were a notable example. These independent polities often elected an ''Ọba'', though real political, legislative, and judicial powers resided with the ''[[Ogboni]]'', a council of notable elders.
During the internecine wars of the 19th century, the Ijebu forced citizens of more than 150 Ẹgba and Owu communities to migrate to the fortified city of [[Abeokuta]], where each quarter retained its own ''Ogboni'' council of civilian leaders, along with an ''Olorogun'', or council of military leaders, and in some cases its own elected ''Obas'' or ''Baales''. These independent councils then elected their most capable members to join a federal civilian and military council that represented the city as a whole.
Commander [[Frederick Forbes]], a representative of the British Crown writing an account of his visit to the city in an [[1853]] edition of the ''[[Church Military Intelligencer]]'', described Abẹokuta as having "four presidents", and the system of government as having "840 principal rulers or 'House of Lords,' 2800 secondary chiefs or 'House of Commons,' 140 principal military ones and 280 secondary ones." He described Abẹokuta and its system of government as "the most extraordinary [[republic]] in the world."
Gerontocratic leadership councils that guarded against the monopolization of power by a monarch were a proverbial trait of the Ẹgba, according to the eminent Ọyọ historian Reverend [[Samuel Johnson]], but such councils were also well-developed among the northern Okun groups, the eastern [[Ekiti]], and other groups falling under the Yoruba ethnic umbrella.
Even in Ọyọ, the most centralized of the precolonial kingdoms, the ''Alaafin'' consulted on all political decisions with a prime minister (the ''Basọrun'') and the council of leading nobles known as the ''Ọyọ Mesi''.
[[Ibadan]], a city-state and proto-empire founded in the 18th century by a polyglot group of refugees, soldiers, and itinerant traders from Ọyọ and the other Yoruba sub-groups, largely dispensed with the concept of monarchism, preferring to elect both military and civil councils from a pool of eminent citizens. The city became a military republic, with distinguished soldiers wielding political powers through their election by popular acclaim and the respect of their peers. Similar practices were adopted by the [[Ijẹsa]] and other groups, which saw a corresponding rise in the social influence of military adventurers and successful entrepreneurs.
Occupational guilds, social clubs, secret or initiatory societies, and religious units, commonly known as Ẹgbẹ in Yoruba, included the ''[[Parakoyi]]'' (or league of traders) and ''Ẹgbẹ Ọdẹ'' (hunter's guild), and maintained an important role in commerce, social control, and vocational education in Yoruba polities.
There are also examples of other peer organizations in the region. When the Ẹgba resisted the imperial domination of the [[Ọyọ Empire]], a figure named Lisabi is credited with either creating or reviving a covert traditional organization named ''Ẹgbẹ Aro''. This group, originally a farmers' union, was converted to a network of secret militias throughout the Ẹgba forests, and each lodge plotted to overthrow Ọyọ's ''Ajeles'' (appointed administrators) in the late 1700s.
Similarly, covert military resistance leagues like the ''Ekiti Parapọ'' and the ''Ogidi'' alliance were organized during the 19th century wars by often-decentralized communities of the Ekiti, Ijẹṣa, Ìgbómìnà and Okun Yoruba in order to resist various imperial expansionist plans of Ibadan, Nupe, and the Sokoto Caliphate.
The monarchy of any city state was usually limited to a number of royal lineages. A family could be excluded from [[monarch|king]]ship and chieftancy if any family member, servant, or slave belonging to the family committed a crime such as theft, fraud, murder or rape.
In other city-states, the monarchy was open to the election of any free-born male citizen. There are also, in Ileṣa, Ondo, and other Yoruba communities, several traditions of female ''Ọbas'', though these were comparatively rare.
The kings were almost always [[Polygamy|polygamous]] and many had as many as 20 wives and often married royal family members from other towns/city states.
==Yoruba religion and mythology==
[[Image:Eshu-statue.jpg|thumb|100px|right|A statue of the orisha Eshu, Nigeria, c1920.]]
{{main|Yoruba mythology}}
Yoruba religion and mythology is a major influence in [[West Africa]], chiefly in [[Nigeria]], and it has given origin to several [[New World]] religions such as [[Santería]] in [[Cuba]], [[Puerto Rico]] and [[Candomblé]] in [[Brazil]].
[[Itan]] is the term for the sum total of all [[Yoruba mythology|Yoruba myths]], [[song]]s, histories, and other [[Culture|cultural]] components.
After the [[Oyo empire|Ọyọ empire]] collapsed and the region plunged into [[Yoruba Civil War|civil war]]), ethnic Yoruba were among the African people who were enslaved and taken by Jewish/European traders to [[Haiti]],[[Cuba]], [[Puerto Rico]], [[Brazil]], [[Trinidad]] and the rest of the New World (chiefly in the [[19th century]]. The slaves carried their [[Orisha|Orisha]] [[religion|religious beliefs]] with them. These concepts were combined with preexisting [[African]]-based religions, [[Christianity]], [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|Native American]] mythology, and [[Kardecist Spiritism]] into various New World lineages:
*[[Santería]] ([[Cuba]]) ([[Puerto Rico]])
*[[Oyotunji]] ([[USA]])
*[[Idigene]] ([[Nigeria]])
*Anago ([[Nigeria]])
*[[Candomblé]] ([[Brazil]])
*[[Umbanda]] ([[Brazil]])
*[[Batuque (religion)|Batuque]] ([[Brazil]])
The popularly known [[Vodun]] religion of [[Haiti]] combines the religious beliefs of the many different African ethnic nationalities taken to the island with the structure and liturgy from the Fon-Ewe of present-day [[Benin]] and the Congo-Angolan culture area, but Yoruba-derived religious ideology and deities also play an important role.
Yoruba deities include "[[Oya|Ọya]]" ([[Goddess|wind goddess]]), "[[Ifá]]" ([[divination]] or [[destiny|fate]]), "[[Eleda|Ẹlẹda]]" ([[destiny]]), "[[Ibeji]]" ([[twins]]), "[[Osanyin|Ọsanyin]]" ([[medicine]]s and [[healing]]) and "[[Osun|Ọsun]]" ([[Mother goddess|goddess of fertility]], protector of [[children]] and [[mother]]s), [[Shango|Ṣango]] (God of thunder)
Human beings and other sentient creatures are also assumed to have their own individual deity of destiny, called "[[Ori (Yoruba)|Ori]]", who is venerated through a sculpture symbolically decorated with cowrie shells. Traditionally, dead parents and other ancestors are also believed to possess powers of protection over their descendants. This belief is expressed in worship and sacrifice on the grave or symbol of the ancestor, or as a community in the observance of the Egungun festival where the ancestors are represented as colorfully masquerade of costumed and masked men who represent the ancestral spirits. Dead parents and ancestors are also commonly venerated by pouring libations to the earth and the breaking of kolanuts in their honor at special occasions.
Today, many contemporary Yoruba proclaim to be active [[Christian]]s and [[Muslim]]s, yet retain many of the moral and cultural concepts of the Aborisha.
==Yoruba towns==
The chief Yoruba cities are [[Ibadan]], [[Lagos]], [[Ijebu Ode]] (Ijẹbu Ode), [[Abeokuta]] (Abẹokuta), [[Akure]] (Akurẹ), [[Ilorin]] (Ilọrin), [[Ijebu-Igbo]] (Ijẹbu-Igbo), [[Ogbomoso]] (Ogbomọṣọ), [[Ondo City|Ondo]], [[Ota, Nigeria|Ota]] (Ọta),Ìlá Ọràngún, [[Ado-Ekiti]], [[Shagamu]] (Sagamu), [[Ikenne]] (Ikẹnnẹ), [[Osogbo]] (Osogbo), [[Ilesa]] (Ilesa), [[Oyo]] (Ọyọ), [[Ife]] (Ilé-Ifẹ), Saki,and [[Ago-Iwoye]]
Traditionally the Yoruba organized themselves into networks of related villages, towns, and kingdoms, with most of them headed by an ''Ọba'' [King] or ''Baale'' [a nobleman or mayor]. Kingship is not determined by simple primogeniture, as in most monarchic systems of government. An electoral college of lineage heads is usually charged with selecting a member of one of the royal families, and the selection is usually confirmed by an Ifa divination request. The Ọbas live in palaces usually in the center of the town. Opposite to the king's palace is the ''Ọja Ọba'', the king's market. These markets form an inherent part of Yoruba life. Traditionally the market traders are well organized, have various guilds, and an elected speaker.
==Yoruba Diaspora==
{{see also|Nigerian American}}
There are large Yoruba communities around the world including [[Nigerian American|the United States]]. Of such Diasporic communities include the "[[Egbe Omo Yoruba]]" society. [http://www.yorubanation.org/ "Egbe Omo Yoruba, National Association Of Yoruba descendants in North America"], ''yorubanation.org'', [[19 May]] [[2007]].
==See also==
* [[Yoruba language]]
* [[Yoruba mythology]]
* [[Oyo Empire]]
* [[Samuel Johnson (Nigerian historian)]]
* Dr. [[Obadiah Johnson]]
* Bishop [[Samuel Ajayi Crowther]]
* [[Egba]]
==References==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
* [http://yoruba.org Egbe Isokan Yoruba] - promotes the cultural, social, economic and political welfare of Yoruba.
* [http://abeokuta.org Radio Abeokuta] - promoting the Yoruba culture of Togo, Republic of Benin, and Nigeria, West Africa
* [http://omoyorubany.org Egbe Omo Yoruba, Greater New York] - Egbe Omo Yoruba Association of Yoruba Descendants, Greater New York Chapter
* [http://www.uiowa.edu/~africart/toc/people/Yoruba.html Yoruba Information] - includes brief summary of language, religion, history, and art
* [http://server1.fandm.edu/departments/Anthropology/Bastian/ANT269/yoru.html World of the Yoruba] - ritual and performance in Yorubaland
* [http://www.africaaction.org/bp/ethall.htm Talking About "Tribe"] - looks at Yoruba identity
* [http://www.postcolonialweb.org/nigeria/yorubaov.html Yoruba Overview] - includes information on colonialism, religion, and myth
* [http://www.molli.org.uk/yoruba/welcome.html Yoruba: Exploring an African Culture] - interactive exhibit about the art and culture of the Yoruba
* [http://oho.org Oduduwa Heritage Organization]- preserve and promote Yoruba culture among the Yorubas who live in the San Francisco/Oakland Bay Area.
* [http://oroede.sourceforge.net/ Oro ede Yorùbá] - a searchable English to Yorùbá dictionary
[[Category:Yoruba|People]]
[[Category:Ethnic groups in Nigeria]]
[[Category:Ethnic groups in Benin]]
[[Category:Ethnic groups in Togo]]
[[Category:Yoruba people| ]]
[[ar:يوروبا]]
[[de:Yoruba (Volk)]]
[[es:Yoruba]]
[[fa:یوروبا]]
[[ig:Ndi Yoruba]]
[[it:Yoruba (popolo)]]
[[nl:Yoruba (volk)]]
[[pl:Jorubowie]]
[[pt:Iorubás]]
[[ru:Йоруба (народ)]]
[[sr:Јоруба]]
[[fi:Jorubat]]
[[sv:Yoruba (folk)]]
[[tr:Yoruba]]
{{Cleanup|date=December 2006}}
{{ethnic group
|group=Yoruba
|image=[[Image:Olusegun Obasanjo (Brasilia 6 September 2005).jpg|80px]] [[Image:KingSunnyAde.jpg|118px]] [[Image:Akinola2.jpg|42px]]
|poptime=Upwards of 30 million (CIA Estimate, 2005 )
|popplace= [[Nigeria]], [[Benin]], [[Ghana]], [[Togo]],[[Brazil]],[[The Caribean]],[[UK]]
|rels= [[Orisha]], [[Christianity]], [[Islam]]
|langs= [[Yoruba language|Yoruba]]
|related= Nago, [[Itsekiri]], [[Igala]], [[Nupe]]
}}
The '''Yoruba''' (''Yorùbá'' in Yoruba orthography) are a large ethno-linguistic group or ethnic nation in Africa; the majority of them speak the [[Yoruba language]] (èdèe Yorùbá; èdè = language). The Yoruba constitute approximately 21 percent of [[Nigeria]]'s total population,[https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ni.html CIA World Factbook] and around 30 million individuals throughout the region of [[West Africa]].Joshua Project,. (2007) They share borders with the [[Borgu]] (variously called Bariba and Borgawa) in the northwest, the [[Nupe]] and [[Ebira]] in the north, the [[Ẹsan]] [[Afemai ]] and [[Edo State|Edo]] to the southeast, the [[Igala]] and other related groups to the northeast, and the [[Egun]], [[Fon]], and other [[Gbe languages|Gbe]]-speaking peoples in the southwest. While the majority of the Yoruba live in western Nigeria, there are also substantial indigenous Yoruba communities in [[Benin]], [[Ghana]] and [[Togo]].
The Yoruba are the main ethnic group in the states of [[Ekiti State, Nigeria|Ekiti]], [[Lagos State, Nigeria|Lagos]], [[Ogun State, Nigeria|Ogun]], [[Ondo State, Nigeria|Ondo]], [[Osun State, Nigeria|Osun]], and [[Oyo State, Nigeria|Oyo]], which are subdivisions of Nigeria; they also constitute a sizable proportion of [[Kwara]] and [[Kogi]] states as well as of the [[Benin]].
A significant percentage of Africans enslaved during the Trans Atlantic [[Slave Trade]] in the Americas managed to maintain the Yoruba spiritual religion known as Aborisha. Indeed, the initiation and practise of Aborisha spiritual religion offers a route to all people of African descent, who were victims of slave trade in the Americas or the Carribean, to make claim to Yoruba heritage.
==History==
===General history===
The African peoples who lived in Yorubaland, at least by the 4th Century BCE, were not initially known as the Yoruba, although they shared a common ethnicity and language group. Both archeology and traditional Yoruba oral historians confirm the existence of people in this region for several millennia.
Yoruba spiritual heritage maintain that the Yoruba ethnic groups are a unique people who were originally created at Ile-Ife. Legend holds that the creation was delegated by the supreme spiritual force, Olodumare. The task was to orisha-nla Obatala, may have actually been conducted by orisha Oduduwa, who was assisted by orisha Eshu, the divine messenger. The name "Yoruba" is most likely an adaptation of 'Yo ru ebo', meaning "will venerate (make offerings to the) [[Orisha|Orisha]]". This refers to the Aborisha spiritual religion of the Yoruba prior to invasion and indoctrination by Islamic and Christian influences. Yoruba civilization remains one of the most technologically and artistically advanced people in West Africa to this time.
Some contemporary historians contend that some Yoruba are not indigenous to Yorubaland, but are descendants of immigrants to the region. This version of history contends that Oduduwa was a mortal king, probably from northeast Africa, under whose leadership the Oyo region of Yorubaland was conquered sometime in the 11th century CE and the kingdom of Ife was established. Oduduwa's relatives established kingdoms in the rest of Yorubaland. One of Oduduwa's sons, Oranmiyan, took the throne of Benin and expanded the Oduduwa Dynasty east-wards. Further expansion led to the establishment of the Yoruba in what are now Southwest Nigeria, [[Benin]], and [[Togo]], with Yoruba city-states acknowledging the spiritual heritage primacy of the ancient city of Ile Ife. The southeastern [[Benin Empire]], ruled by a dynasty that traced its ancestry to Ifẹ and Oduduwa but largely populated by the Edo and other related ethnicities, also held considerable sway in the election of nobles and kings in eastern Yorubaland.
Between [[1100]] CE and [[1700]] CE, the Yoruba Kingdom of Ife experienced a [[golden age]]. It was then surpassed by [[the kingdom of Oyo]] as the dominant Yoruba military and political power between [[1700]] CE and [[1900]] CE, The nearby splinter Yoruba kingdom of Benin was also a powerful force between 1300 and 1850 CE. Yoruba civilization also has strong historical exchanges with Nok civilization, which may date to 900 BCE, as with other neighbouring African settlements. The exchanges have been both genetic and cultural.
Most of the city states were controlled by ''[[Oba]]s'' (elected monarchs) and councils made up of Oloye, [[guild]] of noble leaders or chiefs, and [[merchant]]s. Different states saw differing ratios of power between the kingship and the chiefs' council. Some such as Oyo had powerful, autocratic monarchs with almost total control, while in others such as the Ijebu city-states, the senatorial councils were supreme and the ''Ọba'' served as a figurehead.
In all cases, Yoruba monarchs were subject to the continuing approval of their constituents, and could be easily compelled to abdicate for demonstrating dictatorial tendencies or incompetence. The order to vacate the throne was usually communicated through a symbolic message or ''aroko'', of [[parrot]]s' eggs delivered by the senators.
The Yoruba eventually established a federation of city-states under the political ascendancy of the city state of Oyo located on the Northern fringes of [[Yorubaland]] in the [[savanna]] plains between the forests of present Southwest Nigeria and the [[Niger]] River. Following a [[Jihad]] led by [[Uthman Dan Fodio]] and a rapid consolidation of the Hausa city states of present northern Nigeria, the [[Fulani]] [[Sokoto Caliphate]] annexed the buffer [[Nupe]] Kingdom and began to press southwards towards the [[Oyo Empire]]. Shortly after, they overran the Yoruba city of [[Ilorin]] and then sacked [[Ọyọ-Ile]], the capital city of the Ọyọ Empire.
Following this, Ọyọ-Ile was abandoned and the Ọyọ retreated south to the present city of Oyo (Oyo Atiba) in a forested region where the calvary of the [[Sokoto Caliphate]] was less effective. Further attempts by the [[Sokoto Caliphate]] to expand southwards were checked by the Yoruba who had rallied to resist under the military leadership of the City State of [[Ibadan]] which rose from the old Oyo empire, and of the Ijebu city-states.
However, the Oyo hegemony had been dealt a mortal blow. The other Yoruba city-states broke free of Oyo dominance, and subsequently became embroiled in a series of internecine wars, from which prisoners feed the slave trade conducted by Arab and European traders. These wars weakened the Yoruba in their opposition to British colonial and military invasions. Military defeat at [[Imagbon]] of Ijebu forces by the British ensured a tentative European settlement in [[Eko||Lagos]] which was gradually expanded by protectorate treaties. Defeat of Yoruba forces at the Battle of Imagbon, by the British military and the protectorate of Lagos, proved decisive in eventual annexation of the rest of Yorubaland and eventually of southern Nigeria and the Cameroons. In 1960, greater Yorubaland became subsumed into the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
===Different names===
Aside from "Yoruba" and its variant "Yariba", this ethnic group was in different times and places known by a variety of other names, including "Yorubo", "Akú", "Okun", "Nago", "Anago" and "Ana" and "Lucumi".
Before the abolition of the slave trade, some Yoruba groups were known among Europeans as ''[[Akú]]'', a name derived from the first words of Yoruba greetings such as ''Ẹ kú àárọ?'' ‘good morning’ and ''Ẹ kú alẹ?'' ‘good evening.’ A variant of this group is also known as the "[[Okun]]", Okun being also a form of "A ku". These are Yorubas found in parts of the states of [[Kogi]] - the "[[Yagba]]", [[Ekiti]] and [[Kabba]].
The terms "[[Nago]]", "[[Anago]]" and "[[Ana]]" derived from the name of a coastal Yoruba sub-group in the present-day Republic of Benin, were also widely used in Spanish and Portuguese documents to describe all speakers of the language. Yoruba in Francophone West Africa are still sometimes known by this ethnonym today.
In [[Cuba]] and Spanish-speaking America, the Yoruba were called "[[Lucumi]]" after the phrase "O luku mi", meaning "my friend" in some dialects. This term is at present used mainly to refer to an Afro-Caribbean religion derived from the traditional [[Yoruba religion]], more often known as [[Santería]]. During the 19th century, the term ''[[Yariba]]'' or ''Yoruba '' came into wider use, first confined to the Ọyọ. The term is often believed to be derived from a [[Hausa]] ethnonym for the populous people to their south, but this has not been substantiated by historians.
As an ethnic description, the word first appeared in a treatise written by the [[Songhai]] scholar [[Ahmed Baba]] (1500s) and is likely to derive from the indigenous ethnonyms [[Oyo|Ọyọ (Oyo)]] or Yagba, two Yoruba-speaking groups along the northern borders of their terrority. However, it is likely that the ethnonym was popularized by [[Hausa]] usage and ethnography written in [[Arabic]] and [[Ajami]]. Under the influence of Bishop [[Samuel Ajayi Crowther]], a Yoruba clergyman, subsequent missionaries extended the term to include all speakers of related dialects.
===Yoruba origin mythology===
The mythology of the origin of the Yoruba, who refer to themselves as "Omo O'odua" (Children of [[Oduduwa]]), revolves around the mythical figure of [[Oduduwa]] or [[Odudua]] . The meaning of the name may be translated as "the spiritual one ("O/Ohun") who created the knowledge ("odu") of character ("iwa")."
There are two variants of the myth of how [[Oduduwa]] became the legendary progenitor of the Yoruba.
====Cosmogonic Origin Mythology====
"Orisa'nla" (The Great Divinity) also known as [[Obatala|Ọbatala]] was the arch-divinity chosen by [[Olodumare]], the supreme deity, to create solid land out of the primordial water that constituted the earth and populating the land with human beings. [[Obatala|Ọbatala]] descended from heaven on a chain, carrying a small snail shell full of earth, palm kernels and a five-toed chicken. He was to empty the content of the snail shell on the water after placing some pieces of iron on it, and then to place the chicken on the earth to spread it over the primordial water.
According to the first variant of the cosmogonist myth, [[Obatala|Ọbatala]] completed this task to the satisfaction of Olodumare and he was then given the task of making the physical body of human beings after which [[Olodumare]] would give them the breath of life. He also completed this task and this is why he has the title of "Obarisa" (King of all Deities).
The other variant of the cosmogonic myth does not credit [[Obatala|Ọbatala]] with the completion of the task. While it concedes he was given the task, it claims that he got drunk before he got to the earth and was thus unable to do the job. [[Olodumare]] got worried when he did not return on time and sent [[Oduduwa]] to investigate. When [[Oduduwa]] found [[Obatala|Ọbatala]] in a drunken state, he took over the task and completed it.
The spot on which he landed and which he redeemed from water to become land is called [[Ile-Ife|Ilė-Ifę]] and is considered the sacred and spiritual home of the Yoruba. [[Olodumare]] later forgave [[Obatala|Ọbatala]] and gave him the responsibility of molding the physical bodies of human beings.
According to [[Idowu]], 1962, the making of land is a symbolic reference to the founding
of the Yoruba kingdoms and this is why Oduduwa is credited with that achievement.
Recently, there have been revisions to the uniqueness of the Yoruba as a divine people in the image of Olodumare, by historians tied to the Islamic and Christian faiths. They detract from the unique creation of Yoruba peoples by the Orisha, and argue that there was a pre-existing civilization at [[Ile-Ife|Ilė-Ifę]] which was invaded by a group from the east. They attribute this invasion to militant immigrants led by [[Oduduwa]]. [[Oduduwa]] and his group had been persecuted on the basis of religious differences and forced out of their homeland. They came to Ilė-Ifę where they subjugated the pre-existing Igbo inhabitants (unrelated to the present [[Igbo]] of Eastern Nigeria) led by Oreluere ([[Obatala|Ọbatala]]).
====After Oduduwa====
Upon the death of Oduduwa, there was a dispersal of his children from [[Ile-Ife|Ilė-Ifę]] to found other kingdoms (Owu, Ketu, Benin, Ila, Sabe, Popo, and Oyo). Each making a mark in the subsequent urbanization and consolidation of Yoruba confederacy of kingdoms, with each kingdom tracing its origin to Ile-Ife.
==Precolonial social organization==
See also [[Oyo Empire#Political structures]]
Though monarchies were fairly common throughout the Yoruba-speaking region, they were not the only approach to government and social organization. The numerous [[Ijebu|Ijebu]] city-states to the west of Oyo and the [[Egba|Ẹgba]] communities, found in the forests below Ọyọ's savannah region, were a notable example. These independent polities often elected an ''Ọba'', though real political, legislative, and judicial powers resided with the ''[[Ogboni]]'', a council of notable elders.
During the internecine wars of the 19th century, the Ijebu forced citizens of more than 150 Ẹgba and Owu communities to migrate to the fortified city of [[Abeokuta]], where each quarter retained its own ''Ogboni'' council of civilian leaders, along with an ''Olorogun'', or council of military leaders, and in some cases its own elected ''Obas'' or ''Baales''. These independent councils then elected their most capable members to join a federal civilian and military council that represented the city as a whole.
Commander [[Frederick Forbes]], a representative of the British Crown writing an account of his visit to the city in an [[1853]] edition of the ''[[Church Military Intelligencer]]'', described Abẹokuta as having "four presidents", and the system of government as having "840 principal rulers or 'House of Lords,' 2800 secondary chiefs or 'House of Commons,' 140 principal military ones and 280 secondary ones." He described Abẹokuta and its system of government as "the most extraordinary [[republic]] in the world."
Gerontocratic leadership councils that guarded against the monopolization of power by a monarch were a proverbial trait of the Ẹgba, according to the eminent Ọyọ historian Reverend [[Samuel Johnson]], but such councils were also well-developed among the northern Okun groups, the eastern [[Ekiti]], and other groups falling under the Yoruba ethnic umbrella.
Even in Ọyọ, the most centralized of the precolonial kingdoms, the ''Alaafin'' consulted on all political decisions with a prime minister (the ''Basọrun'') and the council of leading nobles known as the ''Ọyọ Mesi''.
[[Ibadan]], a city-state and proto-empire founded in the 18th century by a polyglot group of refugees, soldiers, and itinerant traders from Ọyọ and the other Yoruba sub-groups, largely dispensed with the concept of monarchism, preferring to elect both military and civil councils from a pool of eminent citizens. The city became a military republic, with distinguished soldiers wielding political powers through their election by popular acclaim and the respect of their peers. Similar practices were adopted by the [[Ijẹsa]] and other groups, which saw a corresponding rise in the social influence of military adventurers and successful entrepreneurs.
Occupational guilds, social clubs, secret or initiatory societies, and religious units, commonly known as Ẹgbẹ in Yoruba, included the ''[[Parakoyi]]'' (or league of traders) and ''Ẹgbẹ Ọdẹ'' (hunter's guild), and maintained an important role in commerce, social control, and vocational education in Yoruba polities.
There are also examples of other peer organizations in the region. When the Ẹgba resisted the imperial domination of the [[Ọyọ Empire]], a figure named Lisabi is credited with either creating or reviving a covert traditional organization named ''Ẹgbẹ Aro''. This group, originally a farmers' union, was converted to a network of secret militias throughout the Ẹgba forests, and each lodge plotted to overthrow Ọyọ's ''Ajeles'' (appointed administrators) in the late 1700s.
Similarly, covert military resistance leagues like the ''Ekiti Parapọ'' and the ''Ogidi'' alliance were organized during the 19th century wars by often-decentralized communities of the Ekiti, Ijẹṣa, Ìgbómìnà and Okun Yoruba in order to resist various imperial expansionist plans of Ibadan, Nupe, and the Sokoto Caliphate.
The monarchy of any city state was usually limited to a number of royal lineages. A family could be excluded from [[monarch|king]]ship and chieftancy if any family member, servant, or slave belonging to the family committed a crime such as theft, fraud, murder or rape.
In other city-states, the monarchy was open to the election of any free-born male citizen. There are also, in Ileṣa, Ondo, and other Yoruba communities, several traditions of female ''Ọbas'', though these were comparatively rare.
The kings were almost always [[Polygamy|polygamous]] and many had as many as 20 wives and often married royal family members from other towns/city states.
==Yoruba religion and mythology==
[[Image:Eshu-statue.jpg|thumb|100px|right|A statue of the orisha Eshu, Nigeria, c1920.]]
{{main|Yoruba mythology}}
Yoruba religion and mythology is a major influence in [[West Africa]], chiefly in [[Nigeria]], and it has given origin to several [[New World]] religions such as [[Santería]] in [[Cuba]], [[Puerto Rico]] and [[Candomblé]] in [[Brazil]].
[[Itan]] is the term for the sum total of all [[Yoruba mythology|Yoruba myths]], [[song]]s, histories, and other [[Culture|cultural]] components.
After the [[Oyo empire|Ọyọ empire]] collapsed and the region plunged into [[Yoruba Civil War|civil war]]), ethnic Yoruba were among the African people who were enslaved and taken by Jewish/European traders to [[Haiti]],[[Cuba]], [[Puerto Rico]], [[Brazil]], [[Trinidad]] and the rest of the New World (chiefly in the [[19th century]]. The slaves carried their [[Orisha|Orisha]] [[religion|religious beliefs]] with them. These concepts were combined with preexisting [[African]]-based religions, [[Christianity]], [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|Native American]] mythology, and [[Kardecist Spiritism]] into various New World lineages:
*[[Santería]] ([[Cuba]]) ([[Puerto Rico]])
*[[Oyotunji]] ([[USA]])
*[[Idigene]] ([[Nigeria]])
*Anago ([[Nigeria]])
*[[Candomblé]] ([[Brazil]])
*[[Umbanda]] ([[Brazil]])
*[[Batuque (religion)|Batuque]] ([[Brazil]])
The popularly known [[Vodun]] religion of [[Haiti]] combines the religious beliefs of the many different African ethnic nationalities taken to the island with the structure and liturgy from the Fon-Ewe of present-day [[Benin]] and the Congo-Angolan culture area, but Yoruba-derived religious ideology and deities also play an important role.
Yoruba deities include "[[Oya|Ọya]]" ([[Goddess|wind goddess]]), "[[Ifá]]" ([[divination]] or [[destiny|fate]]), "[[Eleda|Ẹlẹda]]" ([[destiny]]), "[[Ibeji]]" ([[twins]]), "[[Osanyin|Ọsanyin]]" ([[medicine]]s and [[healing]]) and "[[Osun|Ọsun]]" ([[Mother goddess|goddess of fertility]], protector of [[children]] and [[mother]]s), [[Shango|Ṣango]] (God of thunder)
Human beings and other sentient creatures are also assumed to have their own individual deity of destiny, called "[[Ori (Yoruba)|Ori]]", who is venerated through a sculpture symbolically decorated with cowrie shells. Traditionally, dead parents and other ancestors are also believed to possess powers of protection over their descendants. This belief is expressed in worship and sacrifice on the grave or symbol of the ancestor, or as a community in the observance of the Egungun festival where the ancestors are represented as colorfully masquerade of costumed and masked men who represent the ancestral spirits. Dead parents and ancestors are also commonly venerated by pouring libations to the earth and the breaking of kolanuts in their honor at special occasions.
Today, many contemporary Yoruba proclaim to be active [[Christian]]s and [[Muslim]]s, yet retain many of the moral and cultural concepts of the Aborisha.
==Yoruba towns==
The chief Yoruba cities are [[Ibadan]], [[Lagos]], [[Ijebu Ode]] (Ijẹbu Ode), [[Abeokuta]] (Abẹokuta), [[Akure]] (Akurẹ), [[Ilorin]] (Ilọrin), [[Ijebu-Igbo]] (Ijẹbu-Igbo), [[Ogbomoso]] (Ogbomọṣọ), [[Ondo City|Ondo]], [[Ota, Nigeria|Ota]] (Ọta),Ìlá Ọràngún, [[Ado-Ekiti]], [[Shagamu]] (Sagamu), [[Ikenne]] (Ikẹnnẹ), [[Osogbo]] (Osogbo), [[Ilesa]] (Ilesa), [[Oyo]] (Ọyọ), [[Ife]] (Ilé-Ifẹ), Saki,and [[Ago-Iwoye]]
Traditionally the Yoruba organized themselves into networks of related villages, towns, and kingdoms, with most of them headed by an ''Ọba'' [King] or ''Baale'' [a nobleman or mayor]. Kingship is not determined by simple primogeniture, as in most monarchic systems of government. An electoral college of lineage heads is usually charged with selecting a member of one of the royal families, and the selection is usually confirmed by an Ifa divination request. The Ọbas live in palaces usually in the center of the town. Opposite to the king's palace is the ''Ọja Ọba'', the king's market. These markets form an inherent part of Yoruba life. Traditionally the market traders are well organized, have various guilds, and an elected speaker.
==Yoruba Diaspora==
{{see also|Nigerian American}}
There are large Yoruba communities around the world including [[Nigerian American|the United States]]. Of such Diasporic communities include the "[[Egbe Omo Yoruba]]" society. [http://www.yorubanation.org/ "Egbe Omo Yoruba, National Association Of Yoruba descendants in North America"], ''yorubanation.org'', [[19 May]] [[2007]].
==See also==
* [[Yoruba language]]
* [[Yoruba mythology]]
* [[Oyo Empire]]
* [[Samuel Johnson (Nigerian historian)]]
* Dr. [[Obadiah Johnson]]
* Bishop [[Samuel Ajayi Crowther]]
* [[Egba]]
==References==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
* [http://yoruba.org Egbe Isokan Yoruba] - promotes the cultural, social, economic and political welfare of Yoruba.
* [http://abeokuta.org Radio Abeokuta] - promoting the Yoruba culture of Togo, Republic of Benin, and Nigeria, West Africa
* [http://omoyorubany.org Egbe Omo Yoruba, Greater New York] - Egbe Omo Yoruba Association of Yoruba Descendants, Greater New York Chapter
* [http://www.uiowa.edu/~africart/toc/people/Yoruba.html Yoruba Information] - includes brief summary of language, religion, history, and art
* [http://server1.fandm.edu/departments/Anthropology/Bastian/ANT269/yoru.html World of the Yoruba] - ritual and performance in Yorubaland
* [http://www.africaaction.org/bp/ethall.htm Talking About "Tribe"] - looks at Yoruba identity
* [http://www.postcolonialweb.org/nigeria/yorubaov.html Yoruba Overview] - includes information on colonialism, religion, and myth
* [http://www.molli.org.uk/yoruba/welcome.html Yoruba: Exploring an African Culture] - interactive exhibit about the art and culture of the Yoruba
* [http://oho.org Oduduwa Heritage Organization]- preserve and promote Yoruba culture among the Yorubas who live in the San Francisco/Oakland Bay Area.
* [http://oroede.sourceforge.net/ Oro ede Yorùbá] - a searchable English to Yorùbá dictionary
[[Category:Yoruba|People]]
[[Category:Ethnic groups in Nigeria]]
[[Category:Ethnic groups in Benin]]
[[Category:Ethnic groups in Togo]]
[[Category:Yoruba people| ]]
[[ar:يوروبا]]
[[de:Yoruba (Volk)]]
[[es:Yoruba]]
[[fa:یوروبا]]
[[ig:Ndi Yoruba]]
[[it:Yoruba (popolo)]]
[[nl:Yoruba (volk)]]
[[pl:Jorubowie]]
[[pt:Iorubás]]
[[ru:Йоруба (народ)]]
[[sr:Јоруба]]
[[fi:Jorubat]]
[[sv:Yoruba (folk)]]
[[tr:Yoruba]]
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