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1 | Rediscovering Africa's ‘Forgotten’ History | Afrika : Ny Tantara “Adino” Momba Ilay Kaontinanta |
2 | [All links lead to pages in French, unless otherwise stated] | |
3 | The colonial period in Africa has often been singled out, rightly or wrongly, regarding the numerous troubles affecting the continent. | Matetika voatonontonona ny vanim-potoanan'ny fanjanahantany tao Afrika, na amin'ny tsara na amin'ny ratsy, amin'ireo aretin-tsamihafa mikiky ilay kaontinanta. |
4 | The debate on the real impact of colonization on the development of African countries and their intermittent problems is rarely consensual. | Tsy dia fahita izany adihevitra ahitàna marimaritra iraisana izany mikasika ny tena fiantraikan'ny fanjanahantany teo amin'ny fivoaran'ireo firenena Afrikana sy ny olany miverimberina. |
5 | However, there is one aspect of this period that has caused less controversy: the ignorance of pre-colonial African history. | Kanefa, iray amin'ny fiantraikan'io vanim-potoana io no toa tsy dia mba maha-be resaka : ny tsy fahafantarana ny tantara afrikana talohan'ny fanjanahantany. |
6 | It is not uncommon to find that a significant number of African students from both the colonial and post-colonial periods have a very rudimentary knowledge of Africa's history. | Tsy zoviana intsony ny fahitàna ampahany tsy azo tsinontsinoavina amin'ireo afrikana mpianatra, nandritra ny vanim-potoan'ny fanjanahana sy taoriany, zara raha manana fahalalana ny tantaran'i Afrika. |
7 | These same students often know the history of the colonizing country better than that of their own country, a phenomenon underlined by the expression “Our ancestors the Gauls” [.pdf] used not so long ago in Côte d'Ivoire and Senegal. Women doing their hair- Antananarivo, Madagascar. | Mbola ireny mpianatra ireny ihany matetika no mahafantatra bebe kokoa ny tantaran'ny firenena nanjanaka azy raha mitaha amin'ny an'ny firenena nahaterahany, zavatra iray avandravadran'ilay fomba fiteny hoe “nos ancêtres les Gaulois”, na ireo Gaulois razambentsika ampiasaina any Côte d'Ivoire na any Sénégal. |
8 | Vintage photographic postcard, c. | |
9 | 1907, photograph by Collection M. T., printed by Ateliers de Phototypie Guende, Marseille, France. | Vehivavy mihogo volo -Antananarivo, Madagascar, avy amin'i postalectrice ao amin'ny flickr, CC-license-BY-NC-3. |
10 | Shared by postaletrice on Flickr (CC-BY-NC 3.0) | |
11 | Dangers of neglecting our past | 0 Ny zava-dozan'ny Tantara notsinontsinoavina |
12 | Contrary to what former French President Nicholas Sarkozy said in Dakar, Senegal [en] in 2007, on the place of African men in history [en], the history of the African continent is full of rich civilizations and iconic characters [en]- a story that is too often overlooked or ignored. | Mifanohitra amin'izay nambaran'ny filoha frantsay teo aloha, Sarkozy, momba ny toerana tànan'ny lehilahy afrikana ao anatin'ny tantara tao anatin'ny kabariny tany Dakar, Ny tantaran'ny kaontinanta afrikana dia rakotra sivilizasiona manan-karena sy olona manana ny maha-izy azy. Saingy io tantara io dia mazàna no tsinontsinoavina tafahoatra na tsy fantatra mihitsy. |
13 | It was in response to the famous Dakar speech that Adame Ba Konaré [en], a Malian historian, wrote with the help of fellow historians a collection of essays called ‘Petit précis de remise à niveau sur l'histoire africaine à l'usage du président Sarkozy‘ (A new short synopsis of African history from President Sarkozy's perspective). | Ho setrin'ilay kabary malaza tao Dakar no nanoratan'i Adame Ba Konaré, Maliana mpahay tantara, ny andrana iray, niaraka tamin'ny fanampian'ireo namany mpahay tantara, nomeny anarana hoe “Petit précis de remise à niveau sur l'histoire africaine à l'usage du président Sarkozy, na Fanitsiana kely mikasika ny tantara Afrikana homena ampiasain'ny filoha Sarkozy. |
14 | In the introduction to this collection, the authors explain why it is necessary to better understand the history of Africa and how to do it: | Ao amin'ny savaranonandon'io andrana io, ireo mpanoratra azy dia manazava ny antony tena ilàna ny fampahafantarana tsara ny tantaran'i Afrika sy ny fomba hanaovana izany : |
15 | Above all, the history should be spread as widely as possible; the true history of Africa and African people both in and outside Africa. | Ilaina indrindra indrindra ny filofosana hanasaraka ny tantara araka izay tratra, ny tena tantaran'i Afrika sy ny vahoaka Afrikana, ao Afrika sy ivelan'i Afrika. |
16 | African youth are eager to learn. | Mangetaheta fahalalàna ny tanora Afrikana. |
17 | They ask legitimate questions which almost always come back to: how did we get to where we are today? | Ara-drariny ny fametrahan-dry zareo fanontaniana izay saika miverimberina foana amin'ny hoe : fa fomba ahoana no nahatonga antsika amin'izao misy antsika ankehitriny izao ? |
18 | Along with writing, we now have all kinds of technical means to best proceed with this dissemination. | Miara-dàlana amin'izay voasoratra, efa manana karazana fitaovana ara-teknika maro isika mba hirosoana amin'io fanasaratsarahana io. |
19 | YouTube user Dembeto has uploaded a video [fr] of a programme discussing the forgotten history of Africa: | |
20 | http://www.youtube.com/watch? | http://www.youtube.com/watch? |
21 | v=EI-ugayMWTc | v=EI-ugayMWTc |
22 | In Guinea, Papa Attigou Bah warns against the consequences of forgetting history, given the periodic political crises experienced by the continent. | Lahatsarin'ny fandaharana iray niresadresahana ny tantara adino momba an'i Afrika, nataon'i Dembeto Any Guinée, mampitandrina ny amin'izay ho vokatry ny fanadinoana ny tantara i Papa Attigou Bah, manoloana ny krizy politika miverimberina zakain'ny kaontinanta. |
23 | In an article ‘L'Afrique politique, une histoire oubliee?' | Ao anaty lahatsoratra iray “L'AFRIQUE POLITIQUE, UNE HISTOIRE OUBLIEE?” |
24 | (African politics, a history forgotten?), he asks: | Afrika Politika, Tantara Adino? , apetrany ny fanontaniana hoe : |
25 | Could Africa's new generation, those born during and after independence, objectively benefit from the teaching of the history of successive political struggles generated by our ancestors during the postcolonial period known as the time of African independence? | Ny andian-taranaka vaovao afrikana, ireo izay teraka nandritra sy taorian'ny fahaleovantena, ve afaka ny hahita tombony tsy mitanila amin'ny fianarana ny tantaran'ireo tolona politika nifanesisesy nataon'ireo razantsika nandritra ny vanim-potoana talohan'ny fanjanahana antsoina hoe vanim-potoanan'ny fahaleovantena afrikana? |
26 | Also, what assessment does Africa take today from its painful decades of political and democratic struggles managed this time by the same generation who fought for African independence? | Ary koa, tombana toy ny ahoana moa no azon'i Afrika tsoahana ankehitriny avy amin'ireo taompolo maro nangirifiry nanaovany tolona politika sy demaokratika, izay tamin'ity indray mitoraka ity dia io andian-taranaka izay niady ho an'ny fahaleovanten'i Afrika io ihany no mitantana azy ? [..] |
27 | […] Africa can and must be the continent of the future in this third millennium, provided that the new African generation take full responsibility for history. | Afaka ny ho kaontinantan'ny ampitso ary tsy maintsy ho izany i Afrika ao anatin'ity taonarivo faha-3 ity, raha toa ny andian-taranaka vaovao ka mandray ny andraikitra rehetra tokony hotànany manoloana ny tantara. |
28 | In Madagascar, books written by Malagasy people on their own history are not plentiful. | Ao Madagasikara, tsy mahazo laka ireo boky momba ny tantaran'i Madagasikara nosoratanà Malagasy. |
29 | This can be explained by the fact that French is the dominant language in what is theoretically a bilingual setting. | Io dia azo hazavaina amin'ny hoe ny teny frantsay no mbola mitoetra ho teny mibahan-toerana amin'ny fampianarana ao anatin'ny sehatra izay raha ny tena marina ampiasàna teny roa. |
30 | Rakotoarisoa Victor James explains: | Rakotoarisoa Victor James manazava fa : |
31 | Bilingualism works effectively in favour of French. | Misy ny fampiasàna teny roa, izay ahazoan'ny frantsay vàhana. |
32 | Of the eight main official subjects in the final year of school, only Malagasy and two other subjects (Philosophy and History/Geography) are taught in Malagasy, for which the teacher (when giving the course) and students (when they take their examinations) have a choice. | Amin'ireo taranja ofisialy valo any amin'ny kilasy Famaranana, ny Malagasy ihany no atao amin'ny teny Malagasy ary roa hafa (ny Filôzôfy sy ny Tantara-Jeografy) izay ananan'ny mpampianatra safidy (rehefa manao ny fampianarany), sy ny mpianatra (rehefa miatrika ny laza adina izy ireo). |
33 | This situation shows that, as part of teaching and learning, Malagasy is slightly less important than French. | Io fanazavana io dia mampiseho amintsika fa ao anatin'ny faritry ny seha-panabeazana, latsa-danja kokoa ny teny Malagasy miohatra amin'ny Frantsay. |
34 | Relearning history | Miverina Mianatra Tantara |
35 | Several initiatives promote a reappropriation of African history by its citizens. | Marobe ny fandraisana andraikitra ho fampiroboroboana ny hifikiran'ny vahoaka afrikana indray amin'ny tantarany. |
36 | UNESCO launched a project [en] in 1964 to develop the ‘General History of Africa' which aims to: | Ny UNESCO dia nanomboka tetikasa iray tamin'ny 1964, fanomanana ny famerenana indray ny Tantara Ankapoben'i Afrika izay ikendrena ny : . |
37 | …remedy the widespread ignorance about Africa's past. | .hitsaboana ny tsy fahalalàna faobe momba ny lasan'i Afrika. |
38 | To face up to this challenge of reconstructing the history of an Africa free of racial prejudice inherited from the slave trade and colonization and to promote an African perspective, UNESCO has called upon the greatest African and international scholars of our time. | Mba hiatrehana io fanamby io izay mifototra amin'ny famerenana manangana indray tantara irain'i Afrka afaka amin'ireo fihevitreverana fahatany ara-poko nolovaina tamin'ny fifanakalozana mainty hoditra ho andevo sy ny fanjanahana, ary fandrisihana vina afrikana, ny UNESCO dia niantso ireo afrikana manampahaizana manokana sy ireo avy amin'izao tontolo izao tamin'izany fotoana. [..] |
39 | […] The development of eight volumes [en] of the General History of Africa, overseen by an International Scientific Committee of which two thirds were African, has called upon more than 230 historians and other specialists for over 35 years. | Ambany fanaraha-mason'ny Komity siantifika iraisam-pirenena iray izay ny roa ampahatelony dia afrikana avokoa, ny fandrafetana ireo bokibe valo amin'ny Tantara Ankapoben'i Afrika dia nilàna fanetsehana mpahay tantara niisa 230 sy manampahaizana manokana nandritra ny 35 taona. |
40 | The Facebook group Mémoires d'Afrique (Memories of Africa) aims to start: | Ao amin'ny facebook, ny vondrona “Mémoire d'Afriques” dia mametraka ho tanjona ny hanainga : |
41 | […] a debate around a figure in the history of Africa or black people. | adihevitra iray manodidina ny olo-malaza iray teo amin'ny tantara afrikana na ny vahoaka mainty. |
42 | The objective is to allow speech about issues that are often taboo, to dust off the black pantheon […] our modest goal is simply to allow our children, our great Pan-African family and its diaspora, to discover, to stimulate debate, and perhaps passion. | Ny antony dia ho famahàna ny lela amin'ireo resaka izay mazàna ambara ho fady, mba hanesorana ny vovoka mandrakotra ny fasan'ireo mahery fo mainty hoditra [..] ny tanjona tsotra napetrakay dia ny hanao izay hahitan'ny zanakay, ny fianakaviambe panafrikana sy ny zanany am-pielezana, ny hanaitra adihevitra ary angamba fahalinana ihany koa. [..] |
43 | […] You can speak on a topic you are passionate about that enters the field of interest here. | Azonao atao ny maneho ny hevitrao mikasika lohahevitra iray izay mahaliana anao ary tafiditra ao anatin'ny faritry ny zavatra mahaliana anay eto. |
44 | Without ever falling into controversy, insult or intolerance […] we hope that our passion for the history of our continent will continue to unite us. | Nefa tsy mikisaka mankany amin'ny resabe tsy mahasoa, ny faniratsiràna na tsy fifandeferana [..] isika tsy maintsy manantena hoe ny fahalinantsika amin'ny tantaran'ny kaontinantantsika dia hitohy hampiray antsika. |
45 | A rich history, it is too large to detail representatively so selected pieces are discussed, for example the history of Togbè Agokoli, King of the Ewes, founder of the Kingdom of Notsé [en] in Togo: | Tantara iray manan-karena, matevina loatra ka tsy ho àry ho voatanisa etoana amin'ny tena maha-izy azy. Noho izany dia ampahany nofantenana no resahana, ohatra, ny tantaran'i Togbè Agokoli, mpanjakan'ny Ewés, nanangana ny Fanjakana Notsé tao Togo [lahatsary]: |
46 | In Accra, Ghana, a Black History Month [en] was organised last March to celebrate Pan-African history. | Vahinin'ny tantara 040612 ” Ny Mpanjaka Togbui… natolotry ny telesud Ao Accra, Ghana, nasiana ny “iray volan'ny tantara mainty”[en] tamin'ny volana Martsa lasa teo mba hankalazàna ny tantara panafrikana. |
47 | Many Internet users appreciate this desire to make African history more widely known. | Marobe ireo mpiondana aterineto nankasitraka ity zotom-po hampahafantatra bebe kokoa ny tantara Afrikana ity. |
48 | After viewing the video above, netizen Boris Amouzou said on Facebook: | Taorian'ny nijereny ny lahatsary tetsy ambony, Boris Amouzou dia manamafy hoe : |
49 | What I like about this programme is that it allows us to relive the part of Togo's history that we missed… | Ny tiako tao anatin'ilay fandaharana, dia izy nahafahantsika namerina niaina iny ampahan-tantaran'i Togo verintsika iny.. |
50 | But to relearn the history of the continent is a long process. | Saingy ny fiverenana mianatra ny tantaran'ny kaontinanta dia asa maharitra. |
51 | Jacques Binet reminds us that African leaders also bear some of the blame for this forgotten history: | Mampahatsiahy antsika i Jacques Binet fa ireo tomponandraikitra afrikana dia mizaka ihany koa ny ampahany amin'ny fanakianana momba io tantara adino io : |
52 | We should remember that public opinion and African parliamentarians wanted a school and programmes that conformed exactly to those in France. | Ilaina averina noho izany fa ny daholobe sy ireo parlemantera afrikana dia naniry sekoly iray sy fandaharanasa mifanaraka tsara amin'ireo misy any Frantsa. |
53 | Malassem, however, thinks that ignorance of African history is no longer a problem of lack of resources but of will: | Malassem anefa mihevitra fa ny tsy fahalalàna ny tantara afrikana dia tsy olan'ny tsy fahampiana mikasika ny hoenti-mana intsony fa resaka zotom-po : |
54 | Africa, my Africa. | Ry Afrika, ry Afrika-ko. |
55 | Africa of the proud warriors. | Afrikan'ireo mpiady nanana ny hambony. |
56 | History always has a trail. | Misy dindo hatrany ny tantara. |
57 | It's just a shame for those who want to stay in the dark forever. | Fahavoazana ho an'izay te-hitohy hitoetra ao anatin'ny tsy fahalalàna mandrakizay. |