Economic with the truth

One friend recently told me, "The only people who will tell you the truth are your enemies, (when they are upset and reveal what they really think about you!) or your close friends (who speak boldly about your faults and not just your strengths). That got me thinking.

We tend to be economical with the truth. How many times have you let that guy is his brand new polka-dot jeans and striped shirt go by; Even when he asks "How do I look?" and you simply give a thumbs up, restraining the laughter.

But then again, you can't always blame us. After all, we don't seem very good at digesting the truth! It is always easier to shift the blame and make excuses. That "log in the eye" tendency is universal. It is not limited to culture or location! We are quick to shoot the messenger.

A recent article in the Post Newspaper defended banks, saying they are not the reason that small businesses cannot access funding. He pointed to another common label - that Zambians do not pay back loans. And so even on economic and political issues, the finger pointing continues...

So we want the truth, but we want it sugar coated and in manageable bite-sized bits. What the heck, throw in the whole sugar bowl!

The problem is, this can lead to a lot of problems. On the large scale, justice is perverted. Enough sugar and even poison will taste sweet. This is lies we sell to the world. On the other hand, there are lies we sell to ourselves, like an addict who says "I can stop any time". Yer, right!

So want the truth, but only so much, or not yet, or on some topics but not others. We want honest leaders and sincere salesmen, but when the question comes home, the standard is altered somewhat. "Don't get caught" seems to be the standard.

Why do we have this love hate relationship with the truth? Simply because some truth is easier to swallow than others. The problem is, when everyone chooses which truth to hear, we end up with ... the world we live in! Perhaps that's why someone sang about the man in the mirror. Whether he managed to live up to that advice is another story altogether. The solution starts when we stop judging the truth, the truth should judge us.

Zambia @ 50 - Andrew Sardanis reveals the untold history

Why we need this book

A clear view of the past will give us light for future decisions. This book is factual and honest, highlighting the good and the bad in our history. For too long we have lived in denial of certain events, preferring to dream up a glossy “golden age” version of history. This account brings out the humanity of our leaders, showing their courage, prudence, resilience and moments of weakness. I found it most valuable for its information on Zambia’s early years, history which is hard to find in a single volume, until now.

He begins by responding to the assertion that we gained independence too soon. The colonizing authority was not preparing us to rule ourselves. This is clear from the woeful neglect of education. “In 1945, out of a total of 1,112 schools in the country 1,062 were run by missionaries, 28 by government and 23 by native authorities.” If there were no missionaries, think how much worse the education scenario would have been before independence! The colonial authorities had every intention of ruling Zambia forever.

Education was the number one priority with the independent government. The improvements made in those few early years were phenomenal. “By 1968, primary school enrollment was twice as high as that of 1964, while the secondary school enrollment was three times as high. And in 1966 the University of Zambia (UNZA) opened its Ridgeway Campus followed by the opening of the Great East Road Campus in March 1968.” We were making strides in the right direction. Other challenges would prove to be more difficult.

Economic freedom?

Issues of business and economics proved to be more complex, if not more difficult. The economic activity largely remained in the hands of the same companies and individuals as before independence. Because so few Zambians had been educated, many employees in the civil service were also from outside Zambia. Farming was also a challenge, as there were hardly any local commercial farmers, so there was another learning curve, encouraging local farmers to grow on a scale that would help feed the nation. Meanwhile, many of those holding the economic power were skeptical, if not outright malicious, when it came to the efforts of the new government to empower the nation.

The Mulungushi reforms were an attempt to get local Zambians involved in the economic activities of the nation. Government intervention in economic activity is not entirely unknown in other countries, even in the West, and ownership restrictions (such as requiring partnership with local entrepreneurs) is not as unreasonable as some claim. The author boldly refutes the claims in an article by Hugh Macmillan in the book “One Zambia many histories”, that the Mulungushi reforms were entirely negative. He raises serious questions about Macmillan’s perspective and sources.

Regional struggles and the railway line

When Ian Smith’s government unilaterally declared independence from Britain, Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) fell under sanctions which had a heavy toll on Zambia’s economy. Zambia desperately needed new supply routes and strategies for basic commodities and fuel. When Kenneth Kaunda wrote to the British prime minister asking for assistance building a pipeline and railway line, the prime minister replied “the pipeline would cost £45 million and take three years to build. The railway would cost many hundreds of millions and the survey alone would take three years.” These projections would be proven wrong. “We built a pipeline in 16 months at a cost of £16 million and the Chinese built for us a first class railway within three years”. It took courage and imagination to tackle those early problems.

The role of Kenneth Kaunda in the independence struggles in the region cannot go without mention. Even though some decisions may be criticized, the overall result is undeniable. “Without his taking such a firm and unequivocal stand, without offering shelter to the independence movements of Zimbabwe, Namibia and South Africa and their guerrilla forces the complete liberation of Africa before the end of the twentieth century would not have been achieved.”

Trouble brewing

Wrangles within UNIP would prove to be first step in the wrong direction. When Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe opted to break away from UNIP and form his own party, UPP, he had, at best, a regional following, much like ANC in southern province. Dr Kaunda over reacted to this challenge, having opponents locked up, when he could have simply allowed the protest to run its course and be vindicated by his policies and efforts. 

In the name of maintaining national unity, a “one party participatory democracy” was introduced. At the signing of the “Choma declaration” in 1973, the opposition party ANC was absorbed into UNIP. Harry Mwangala Nkumbula, the former ANC leader, withdrew from public life. This was the beginning of an era of more autocratic rule, in which technocrats were side-lined for political expedience. Many financial decisions were made that should have been first analysed by the financial experts. One thing led to another, and the economy suffered.

Coups attempts – two wrongs

The author agonizes over some of his friends who decided to take part in an ill-fated coup attempt. The desperate act would lead to much pain for those involved, who viewed themselves as martyrs for a good cause. But as the author notes, “there is nothing heroic about a coup. It is evil and usually leads to greater suffering than the one it is supposed to alleviate, often for decades to come. We have had many examples of coups in Africa and elsewhere and I cannot recollect one that can be described as beneficial; its consequences were never greater democracy and better governance but harsher dictatorship and chaos.” When he tried to discern the motive behind their actions, he could only conclude it was a moment of weakness. 

In the mean time, decisions which required technical skill were increasingly made by political figures within UNIP. The mechanics of an economy were ignored, at great cost to the average Zambian.

Democracy revisited

When people cried out for a return to multi-party democracy and for change, it is to Kaunda’s credit that he graciously made plans for elections. The author doesn't give the late president Chiluba any credit for this feat. “That credit must go to the people of Zambia… and they achieved it is in an amazingly peaceful fashion”. However, he credits Chiluba with opening up the economy, but also with killing small industries and suffocating agricultural sector.

On the other hand, he credits the Mwanawasa government with improving agriculture and attaining the HIPC benchmarks. Beyond that he feels the “sainthood” of Mwanawasa was exaggerated. He provides an insight into the strengths and weakness of each administration.  He has much to say on the mines, the windfall tax and the Barotse agreement that is insightful, and he has in depth criticism of decisions on both fronts. He wraps up with comments on the current head of state.

Full circle to education

Towards the end of the book, he comments on the education, which is still our greatest need. Access has greatly improved over the years (when you consider where we started from), but there is still room for improvement in terms of quantity and quality. He quotes the 2011 Educational Statistical Bulletin: “Enrollment in grades 1-9 totaled 3, 478, 898 while enrollment in grades 10-12 totaled 251,632, in other words only 1 in 14 children make it to secondary schools and of those only 9,031 obtained a certificate, i.e., only 1 in 39 children enrolled in grades 1-9 are likely to get a grade 12 certificate.”

The statistics look frightening, but the author is also optimistic. If we are ready to learn lessons from the past, we can forge a better future. We should learn to take criticism as part  and parcel of our daily journey, so that we can correct wrong turns much sooner. There is nothing to be gained from trying to win every argument. But there is much to be gained if we are ready to use our collective skill and knowledge to make a better Zambia. I highly recommend you add this book to your collection.

Sorting out the church scandals - Wrong reactions that make it worse

The newspaper headlines the last few months have not been flattering for the church. They certainly haven't helped the church invite those outside the fold to join it's ranks. 

It's not that there have never been church scandals before. Conflict, compromise and con men and not new. What is new is the scale of the problem - Some may end up fearing to enter any church at all! We seem to be sowing the seeds of a skeptical next generation. We were told to expect wolves in sheep's clothing, but we now seem to have more wolves than sheep. You expect to elbow the sheep next to you and find the canines a bit longer than they supposed to be. What are some wrong attitudes?

1) Keep quiet and everyone will forget: This is not the best approach. We need to look at the issue head on and ask, why is there so much mess? If we ignore it, it will just keep repeating itself. The problem will not go away.

2) It's in another denomination, so it doesn't concern me: Remember, people don't see denominations, they see Christians. What is bad in one group affects how others view you. It is your concern, as an ambassador of Christ, that His name is not dragged through the mud. We must all be concerned!

3) Explain it as a result of temptation: Yes, sometimes there is temptation. But temptation is the allure to divert from the right path. Some seem to have lived the wrong lifestyle for a long time before police catch us with their criminal activity. It is not temptation if someone has lived that way all along! The real question is, why didn't we notice?

4) We must not judge: The Bible also says 'test the spirits' (1 John 4:1). The Bible also says 'watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers' (Acts 20:28). If our 'sheep' are feasted on by the wolves, we may not be doing all that we should. We are busy 'not judging' while others are being swindled and abused. There is a right way to judge and a wrong way.

^"Or do you not know that the Lord’s people will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases? Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life!" 
(1 Corinthians 6:2, 3)

There must be a better approach than the four mentioned above! In my next installment I will look at the root cause of this poison in the church, and what we are all responsible to do about it.

New book out soon - Zambia @ 50

This book has been long overdue. The attempt to piece together Zambia's history from various biographies and books on other topics has been difficult. This work presents an attempt to chronicle Zambia's history is a systematic fashion, and give landmark events their rightful place.

Written in a friendly style, the author doesn't pull any punches. The best and worst of the prominent figures in our history (including founding father Kenneth Kaunda) are all revealed, presenting us with real 3-dimensional people, and not the idolised or demonised myths we are told. If we cannot be honest about the good and bad in our history, how can we be truthful and practical in the present?

This is a frank historical work, where the writer is not afraid to present the best and worst. Anything else would not be a true account of history. For that I applaud the writer. Worth adding to your collection!

7 Steps how to read a book: #6 Put your thoughts on the shooting range

If we are to improve our reading skills, we can't end by reading and shelving a book. You need to find a friend or a forum to discuss what you read. Put your thoughts on the table, and let others agree, disagree or otherwise questions your new discoveries. Even at the risk of your ideas being mercilessly cut down! As you discuss a book, putting it under the microscope, so to speak, your ability to digest and draw conclusions will improve greatly.

We already do this with TV shows, discussing why Herman and Angelina didn't realise that Miguel was replaced by his evil twin, and if the true Miguel would escape from the Island. (I am not a soapie, at least not since 'No one but you'!) See how, in our enjoyment, we are not satisfied to simply watch. We find a way to reflect (and so continue enjoying) what we have read!~It shouldn't be any different with books. Read interesting lines or scenes from the book, challenge attitudes and behaviour, bring up what you like, what you hate or what confuses you in a book. Explore it the way people 'explore' a TV series.

This may sound strange to some people, especially that most are taught bad reading habits in school. In Zambia we have many dedicated teachers a lecturers who are passionate about what they do. But a secondary school (high school?) teacher with a class of sixty-five pupils has a tough time giving individual attention to pupils. Education turns into rote learning, where there is no interaction, the crowd must simply memorise and reproduce the notes in an exam. This way, someone may pass with flying colours, but never understand the real life use of that information. Reading is often treated as something done for the exam and not for personal development. Thinking and skill development may be off the radar.

In a thought provoking article, Geoffrey Botkins explains what he learnt at Cambridge, the British University that has been producing leaders for literally centuries. He found that they use a mentoring teaching system. One on one discussions with lecturers are compulsory, while lectures are optional! The ability to explain and defend one's work in an assignement is treated as more value that simply memorising data. This ability to digest, analyse, decide and defend a viewpoint, is essential to moulding a world class leader. This approach to reading, with an "awake mind", would totally transform a society!

Find someone who will listen for a few minutes, and share favourite quotes from a book. Ask if those are true of real life, true of some people or all people, and how you might have expressed the same idea. That way, we will sharpen each others skills.

How to analyse culture

Geoffrey Botkin wrote about the danger of being blind to the forces that shape culture, and being carreid along with every wind of change. He wrote, "People who are mentally unconscious cannot perceive what’s happening in the world around them. This cultural blindness causes men to stumble into slavery, or perhaps to surrender their collective future. Blind people are easily taken advantage of, and blind nations can become slave cultures or, even worse, comatose cultures. There is never cultural neutrality, and never an inconsequential idea." 

Read the whole article on "How to analyse culture" on the link below:

http://westernconservatory.com/articles/how-analyze-culture

Sorting out the church scandals - 3 important things

Recently we have seen a number of headlines revealing scandalous behaviour of clergy; pastors, bishops and others within church circles. Yesterday, the above headline revealed how police raided two churches and caught an incredibly large number of illegal immigrants. Last week we read a story revealing a pastor that abused young girls in the name of exorcising demons. How can the church fix this miss? How did so many con-men and counterfeit clergy get into the church to begin with?

I would like to suggest three things to fix this mess. They are not all, but they will certainly help.

1) Churches and church bodies must speak out against these atrocities. When the churches remain silent, it makes us seem either indifferent (don't care) or sympathetic to the perpetrators! We should say how, in no uncertain terms, that we do not condone these illegal and immoral activities. The church should distance itself from such, and expel any such members from its rank. Even the Bible says that our patience must have limits. We are to expel this person from our ranks. Anyone who says this is too 'harsh' has not read passages like 1 Corinthians 5: 1-13. Zero tolerance! We must not spare the rod.

2) Every church must have checks and balances. Since "there is no one on earth who is righteous, no one who does what is right and never sins" (Ecclesiastes 7: 20).Church members must hold their leaders accountable for lifestyle and use of funds. I come from circles that believe in "elder rule". The elders all partake in the crucial decisions of the church, and the pastor/reverend is the "ruling/preaching/full time" elder. But they all have a vote in the big decisions of the church. That way there are checks and balances. It is not a perfect system, but it prevents anyone from going too far (1 Timothy 5: 17-21). 

3) Engage the community to regain trust. Go out and meet the needs of the vulnerable in society (James 1: 27), visit the prisoners and educate the youth. Show that those who commit crimes in the name of God are a few crooked characters that are wolves in sheep's skin (Matthew 7: 15). Show that the church doors are open and there is nothing to hide. May be we even suspend any overnight seminars and prayer meetings, to show that we are sensitive to the worries of society. This may seem like too much for some, but I think it is worth going out of our way to show that we stand for something more. If we sacrifice overnights for 'over-day' prayer meetings, we wont lose anything! But if we decide not to, we need something in place to show that we have a higher standard. WE must begin to evangelize again, and distinguish the gospel from all the false gospels going around.

These three things will make a world of a difference, in a world that is so desperate for genuine hope, in (what are for many) desperate times.

C. S. Lewis on the big screen...

C. S. Lewis died on 22nd November 1963 (same day as JFK), but his legacy lives on in 'Chronicles of Narnia', 'Mere Christianity' and other books, for adults and children, fiction, spiritual and semi-biographical. This interesting article looks at some possible choices to play the role of Lewis and his old friend J. R. R. Tolkein (who wrote the 'Lord of the rings' trilogy). Interesting choices!

http://www.relevantmagazine.com/culture/who-should-play-lewis-and-tolkien-upcoming-movie-about-their-lives

How to read a book #5: Be conscious of the worldview of the author

Every writer has a point of view, an outlook. They have values, beliefs and conclusions about life - we all do. This means no one really writes from a "neutral" perspective. The idea of the "neutral" human being is an illusion. Unless you can find a human being who believes nothing and values nothing.

A worldview has been defined as "A particular philosophy of life or conception of the world" (Oxford English Dictionary). A less "technical" definition would be, how you look at life and explain the good and the bad that we experience and that we do. A more formal word, "weltanschauung" (borrowed from the German language) is also used to describe this "world outlook/view". But with or without definitions, everyone has their own view. To break it down, we can use Ravi Zacharias model; "origin, meaning, morality destiny".

Origin refers to "where does life come from? Where do I come from?" Meaning refers to purpose, "Why am I here? What gives meaning to my life? What is a well-lived life?" Morality refers to ethics, right and wrong. Destiny refers to the final "destination" of all life, and how it should affect my present choices. When someone uses these four headings to explain what they believe, they have given you their worldview.

How does this help understand a book? Know that every author has a world view. Read about the life of George Orwell, then read one of his books and you will see his values and perspective oozing out of almost every page! A world view wont necessarily be obvious all the time (e.g. in a Mathematics text book). But in novels and biographies it will be abundant.

I am not saying world views are bad - no human could live without one. I am saying, even as you read a book, evaluate the world view. Decide whether you can agree with it or not. Give credit for good points and spot the bad arguments. Part of good reading involves making value judgments about the content of a book, as well as evaluating and may be enjoying the writing skill. Also, be ready to have your own world view challenged in the process. 

One more thing. Many world views are inconsistent. Someone may hold contradictory beliefs. The fact that one is a writer does not mean they have answered all the questions of life, or even answered any of them well. You may well be ahead of the writer in some perspectives. The fact that it is in print does not automatically mean it is correct or authoritative. Many people cling to philosophies that are impossible to live by, but never realise that. Some people are compassionate, contradicting their own harsh utilitarian philosophy. Others are cruel, despite their rhetoric about promoting human dignity. Read, and evaluate as you read. Remember to look out for the belief behind the story, the meaning between the lines.

7 steps how to read a book: #4 Spot the bad argument

Reading a book is an art. It requires skill, and the skillful are rewarded. The good reader but be able to distinguish between good arguments (points) and bad ones, otherwise he or she may end up swallowing the false logic.

I read a story about a man who wanted to test the wisdom of his three sons. He gave each of them an apple, and each apple was half rotten. One boy ate the whole thing. The second son threw the whole thing away. The third son cut off the rotten part and ate the good part. This shows how a good reader should be able to separate the good and bad in what he reads. Even the same author can have good and bad arguments. The analogy was applied to all of life. (I think the book was written by Richard Baxter). So lets identify some bad arguments.

Here are some examples of  false logic:


Birds fly.
A chicken is a bird.
Therefore, a chicken can fly.

 This argument is used is more complicated ways. For example, when some preacher is being criticised for spending the churches money, he may say:

Pharisees opposed Christians.
I am a Christian.
Whoever opposes me is a Pharisee.

Do you see the false logic? These kinds of arguments can be used in sales, politics or day to day conversations. And many times we are convinced before we reflect on the validity of the arguments. Another example would be, someone trying to justify his behaviour:

After all, everyone is doing it.

But that does not mean it is right! Many arguments are misleading, but we may be convinced because someone famous or trusted is speaking. 

Another example is a false "either/or" argument:

If you don't support Chelsea you don't know real football

The good reader must have a critical mind. Don't eat every apple, and don't eat every bit of the apple's you eat!

Rumours - GMO for the mind! (Poetry)

If you have lived long enough and have a little keen observation

I have no doubt you will relate to this common situation

WHen data treacles down the grape vine and changes form

The story modifies, twists and grows and amplifies, filled with lies

No one bothers to come and ask for your witness testimony (IF only!)

People receive the 'news' and accept it as fact; They swallow, digest and react!

My mistakes blown out of proportion, I'm painted as wicked as Nero!Others defend their image and get painted as heroes!

The crowds that used to greet go silent. (I wouldn't be shocked if they turned Kill-Bill violent!)

Written on each face, a scowl that tells me the rumour has taken root, found a cosy place
Yet no one has come to ask - No one wants a fact finding task or intercedes for grace

Those words become a mask to mask the truth that they wont ask

Gossip goes down like a t-bone stake, juicy, tender, GMO and fake

Wont someone give me a break!

But in all this atleast I know my real friends come to inquire because they care

For them, its more than just another juicy morsel to share.

So before you listen to a story that is seeping through the vine

ANd before you share it, think: Is it true, is it fair, will sharing it be kind?

Sometimes you have better things to feed your mind!

*Food for thought - No G.M.O. for the mind!*

7 steps - How to read a book: #3 Recognise the rhetoric (Or: A lot of nothing)

What is the difference between an argument, an explanation and rhetoric? An argument is an attempt to persuade using a conclusion and at least one supporting reason. An explanation is expanding on a point that  is already accepted as true (or assumed to be true). Rhetoric is different. Bowell and Kemp define it as “Any verbal or written attempt to persuade someone to believe, desire or do something that does not attempt to give good reasons for the belief, desire or actions, but attempts to motivate the belief, desire or action solely through the power of the words used.” An example may help. Imagine the following narration comes with a TV advert: 

“I look up at the blue sky, I see the lovely butterflies and I hear the sweet song of the birds. People are smiling and there is the sense of freedom on the air. That is why I use ‘Ka-blam’ washing paste. The smell of satisfaction!”

What we have above is not an argument, not even an explanation. It is a statement that tries to convince us to use ‘Ka-blam’, without giving us a reason. It just associates the paste with nice sounds and sights, for no reason at all. That is rhetoric. Modern adverts are rarely argument! (Although artistic adverts are very entertaining...!)

Another example will do. You are discussing the teachings of some group, church or sect, then a friend says, “Only an idiot can believe such rubbish!” May be you are not convinced, but you are intimidated and laugh along with your friends. He has not given you a reason to reject that idea. Bowell and Kemp call this an “appeal to ridicule.” No reason is given, but a negative label (such as ‘rubbish’ or ‘idiotic’) is used to persuade.

We find rhetoric in some speeches, books, used by friends, con-men, salesmen, preachers and everyday conversation. A useful skill is learning to recognise rhetoric and distinguish it from arguments and explanations. Sugar coated words have a rightful place in life, but be careful not to confuse them for arguments. That is how con-men get away with so much!

7 steps - How to read a book: #2 What's the point?

We continue with the series by asking "What's the point?" I mean what is the main point the writer is trying to put across?

Piper wrote, "most of us write to communicate something, rather than simply to throw things on the page for others to make of them what they will". Good reading means we aim to discover this "something". You are trying to discover the "mind" of the writer.

Sometimes a novel will have one theme. Sometimes a motivational book will have dozens of ideas. Our focus here is on the kind of book that contains explicit points it is trying to put across. When we say argument here, we don't mean a loud exchange of words. Tracy Bowell and Gary Kemp in their book "Critical thinking" define an argument as, "a set of propositions of which one is a conclusion and the remainder are the premises intended to support the conclusion". By "premise" they mean "basis" for the conclusion.

So an argument is a statement that gives a conclusion, and a reason for that conclusion. For example: "Taking too much salt is bad for you. People who take too much salt eventually suffer from high blood pressure." The conclusion is that "salt is bad for you". The basis is the experience of people who have taken too much. That is the premise.

When we come to speeches and adverts, we may find it is harder to pin-point the conclusion, the point of the statement. Many speeches and adverts are "decorated" with phrases that add "flavour", but many times there is no real point that is being made.

When you read a paragraph, try and find the one sentence that highlights the point of the whole statement. There is a motive behind the writing, and your aim should be to discover that point, whether you agree with it or not. You can only react properly to the piece of writing when you have identified the point.

When we analyse and understand statements better, there is less chance that we will be conned by "sweet talkers" and lose ourselves in the eloquence. Good analysis is part of wisdom.

The next step will be identifying what is a good argument and what is a bad or faulty argument. But that is for another entry!

7 steps - How to read a book: #1 Motive and mindset

There is a right way and a wrong way to read a book! If you approach books the way you approach watching a movie or listening to the radio, it is no surprise that you struggle with reading. It is like swapping the rules in volleyball and basketball – it will not work! So how can we enjoy and benefit from reading books?

Recently I started reading “How to Read a Book” by Mortimer J. Adler and Charles Van Doren. It reminded me that good reading is actually a skill that can be developed. Some people are too quick to surrender and say “reading is not for me” when the skill can be learned. Some of his insights are worth sharing!

The author talks about two attitudes to reading, (1) active and, (2) passive. The active reader makes an effort to digest what he reads. Compared to a sport, in basketball the one who throws the ball and his teammate who catches it are both active. Likewise, the writer was active in writing and the reader must be skilful in “catching” what he is saying. The active reader, who develops his skill, will be successful in his reading. Active reading means you are a player in the game, not a spectator. Effective reading needs an active mind.

The writer also distinguishes between reading for more information (of the same kind we already have, more or less) and reading for deeper understanding. If we only read material at the same level, our understanding will never grow. But if we challenge ourselves by reading material which has more than we presently understand, we can potentially experience personal growth. Choice of reading material is as important as our attitude to reading.

A lot of modern books and magazines try to make material that is not challenging, in order to indulge the readers who are avoiding critical thinking. You can’t blame them. The average reader wants to make a little effort as they do when watching a cartoon over the weekend. There is little challenge, but there is also little personal development. Others have mastered the art of memorising books for exams, without really understanding them, and therefore they can barely apply that data to their work. Our goal should be reading for personal development as well as enjoyment.

The first step to enjoying and benefiting from books is “counting the cost”. Do a cost benefit analysis and tell yourself, “The time and effort needed to read books properly is worth it. For personal growth and greater critical analysis, I will gladly make the effort to read the right stuff, and to read it properly.

For more, wait for the second part in this series!

May 1st - Labour day origin

Some interesting history on the origin of Labour Day ... One version at least! Go to:

http://lusakachamber.wordpress.com/2013/05/06/labour-day-celebration-and-the-cry-of-a-zambian-employee/

Editing culture?

The last few years have seen a lot of public debate on traditional roles. Some examples are the now infamous ‘Alangizi’ (matrons who prepare young women for marriage), traditional ceremonies and dressing (such as the woman who was half nude/ topless at a pageant, in the name of traditional culture), corporal punishment, and local languages as a medium of education. In all these discussion, people talk of ‘tradition’ and ‘culture’, but I suspect they do not all mean the same thing. Perhaps if we could define these terms, we may make some headway in these debates. Then we will also answer the question, do we have the power or the right to change tradition and culture?

We will borrow a definition of culture from Oliver Barclay:

Culture may be defined as the overall beliefs, priorities and values of the community that are expressed in its institutions and its practices. In the sense that I have chosen, the term culture can be Marxist, Muslim, secular, or Christian. There is a Western or Asian culture, or a city or rural culture.*

The first thing that this brings to light is that we have several cultures in Zambia, not one culture. There may be common elements in the tribal cultures, common denominators, but otherwise there is more than one culture in a nation with 72 tribes. But the picture gets more complicated. There are rural and urban cultures. I know we usually say the urban (us!) are Westernised, but since we have an urban, technology based lifestyle, this pattern of behaviour can be called a culture as well. 

To avoid any confusion, we will say that urban and rural have a common heritage (i.e. common roots) but slightly different cultures (patterns of behaviour in work, socialising, etc). So our heritage and our culture are different. But even modern village life is not what it was a hundred years ago – if a villager could time travel they would find a cultural shift of some kind when they go to the year 1914. Add to that other facts such as changes in diet over the years (I am told maize was introduced around the year 1880) and economic models such as use of money and passports. Culture, just like life is dynamic. Even if the change is slow over a century. Even now, within a generation, some of the slang used on Facebook baffles me – language changing in the space of twenty years.

The next point is that culture is not perfect. Like people, who are a mixture of good and bad (our great dignity and high calling, and our inclination to greed and pride) culture is also a mixture. I quote again:

All culture is a mixture of good and evil: good because all God’s gifts of creation are good, and man is still made in the image of God, and not one has reached the same depths of depravity as the devil; but evil because no one is an angel, no one is perfect in this life. The structures of society, and even the best aspects of our culture, are imperfect.*

There are things to be encouraged and things to be discouraged and even replaced. Culture is not perfect, no more than the people who practice it, whether Zambian, Asian, or Western.

The conclusion is we must consciously decide what to encourage and what to discourage. Culture is shifting sand, even if it shifts slowly over the generations. But then, we must ask, what standard are we going to use? We can imitate good things from other cultures, but we must not make them a standard, because they are equally a mixture of good and bad. Cultural snobs are in the wrong, whatever advantages or advances they may have in their society. There must be a standard to assess all cultures, not just comparing one culture to another. For the humanist the standard is probably utility, or pragmatics. For the secular thinker, the standard may be a matter of agreement or convenience. For the Christian, the wisdom of the Creator must set the pace for human life to flourish. The Creator sets the outline and provides the impetus for human life to reach the order and beauty and satisfaction it was originally designed for.

The biggest mistake we can make in this regard is to deify culture. We must not promote new things simply because of their newness or old things just because they are ancient. The value is not intrinsic in its novelty or age, but rather in how constructive or destructive it is for society. The more our social bonds are built on what is right, the better our society will be. That is something worth passing on to the next generation.

*[Quote from ‘Developing a Christian Mind’ by Oliver Barclay. Available at Bookworld shops]