Commentary - Great lessons from our Tanzanian neighbours

Ref:http://www.nationmedia.com/dailynation/nmgcontententry.asp?category_id=25&newsid=118057

Publication Date: 3/2/2008

Paul of Tarsus is a venerated writer and preacher of yore who successfully began a spiritual movement based on Greek philosophy. He used a very helpful image of human anatomy to bring his message home; a human being is made up of many parts but is one body.

Paul warned us that if one body part, say the eye or the hand, indulged in selfish efficiency and other separatist tendencies in the hope of outshining the other parts, it would bring dysfunction and ultimate death to the whole body.

Clearly, the Creator has made mankind in a way that those individuals and communities who perfect the wisdom of mutual existence will always get the best out of life.

As we envision unity in the current season, we should not be led to feel that we have exhausted the levels of connection.

OUR HOPE NEED NOT BE A HELPLESS prisoner to party and ethnic polarisations. Why? Because even when party, tribe and all else let us down, there is still the all-time common denominator – we all are human beings who are born, who feel pain and who die.

This is the ultimate level of connection; our humanity is our graphic equaliser.

When we appreciate that we are all human beings, new grounds of respect emerge and the right of everyone to be here becomes more easily visible.

The suppression of others because of their ethnicity, race or class clearly becomes criminal, and the possibility of sacrifice for the sake of the larger good becomes noble.

When our universal humanness becomes the focus of our thoughts, there is even a sense of pride and joy that is triggered by the existence of diversity; many cultures, one people. This spurs the desire to guard against deterioration into inhumanity.

From this larger perception of each other as one body with many parts, throwing tantrums on the basis of tribal and party orientations can only be left to the short-sighted.

A MORE HELPFUL SPIRIT IN THIS SEASON would be reconstructing our humanity as opposed to strengthening our tribes and parties.

Kenyans often make fun of Tanzanians over their habit of preceding their expressions or requests with the word naomba (I request or beseech).

Even when spending their own money, they still tell the shopkeeper, “Naomba uniuzie mkate” (I beseech you to sell me bread). This is in glaring contrast to the average Kenyan’s abrupt way of asking for the same item from a local shop, “Lete mkate” (Bring the bread).

If Tanzanians lend an item and come back for it, the language is still as polite, “Naomba kisu changu” (I beseech you to give me my knife).

Kenyans have jestingly been heard to say that even when Tanzanians want to start a fight, they will say, “Naomba nikuchape” (I beseech you to let me beat you)!

But could there be a great wisdom in this word naomba, and especially when it habitually but meaningfully precedes every expression? I believe so.

There is also a great possibility that it is this naomba practice has formed a naomba culture, which has in turn seen Tanzanians dwell in relative peace despite their ethnic, religious and financial differences. Tanzania has over 120 ethnic groups.

From this culture, Kenyans can adopt a practice that would be helpful to us especially in the reconstruction of relationships. We need to learn the naomba coexistence.

In this naomba coexistence are several virtuous elements. The first being that interaction with others begins with respect for others.

There is a trend in Kenyan culture where disrespect is the initial reaction to people of a different opinion, language, culture or creed. We seem to assume that we are superior to those who are not like us.

So, rather than seeking to understand others, we seek to undermine them and thus disrespect them.

Respect is often earned after elements of wealth or influence in society emerge and are found worthy.

This kind of judgment demeans the person and exalts the achievements. In the naomba culture, however, respect for other people is the kingpin of coexistence.

Secondly, an understanding of the value of cooperation is necessary. In this element, it is ingrained that an individual cannot exist without others. It goes against the prevalent thinking that persons and communities can make it on their own.

THIS MEANS THAT FOR THE FULLNESS of life, relationships with others must be built on genuinely favourable foundations.

Having many enemies is nothing to be proud of. Life is, at its core, wired for cooperation. Individualism and separatism will take us nowhere.

Where the cooperation environment is disturbed, then the process of its restoration must be handled with speed, intensity and truth. Cooperation based on deception is a lie.

The third virtuous element of the naomba culture is a ruling attitude of humility. The word naomba in a request makes it plain that humans are reliant on others. Our satisfaction is hinged then, on their generosity.

Sadly, Kenyans live in a society where humility is portrayed as weakness. A denial of genuine weakness ushers in false pride.

When communities or entities run on false pride, they end up being proud of things that they should, in reality, be ashamed of.

We should borrow a lot of from the naomba culture of our Tanzanian neighbours, especially in this season of reflection, reconciliation and reconstruction.

The writer is a Nairobi theologian and a religious minister.