Africa Unite

Africa here to stay!

Africa is the new land of opportunity. This fact is most evident in light of the multi-dimensional transformation taking place around the continent. For the first time in modern history there are more democracies (of varying hues) than outright autocracies and the era of the quintessential African dictator is hobbled after the demise of Mobutu Sese Seko Economically, Africa is the fastest growing continent in the world, averaging nearly 7% growth last year with some nations, including Ethiopia, steaming forward on double digit figures. Continentally, the African Union has emerged as an effective and capable organization and has added by its achievements so far, to the sense of good cheer that is sweeping across Africa. Africa is here to stay! However, has the rest of the world revised its stereotyped image of our continent? Have we ourselves become so Euro-Anglo centric that many of us still identify with that ‘sick Africa;’ the Dark Continent mentality drilled into us?
Who discovered the new world? You might quickly answer Christopher Columbus, and even tell me that it was in 1492. This is the sort or Eurocentric ‘knowledge’ that we had to endure and has been instilled into us – subjective items that have become facts because a certain part of the world promoted them relentlessly.The truth is that neither Columbus (nor any other known human) discovered the Americas. They were never lost!
so it is that Africa’s little girls and boys are taught that a certain mountain, river, ancient ruin or other notable feature of their country was discovered by a foreigner.
. . .
The most spectacular aquatic wonder in Africa is ‘Mosi-oa-Tunya’ but then we wouldn’t recognize it as such because it has been drilled into us that it is called Victoria Falls – named in 1855 after Britain’s Queen Victoria by David Livingstone, the ‘discover’ of Mosi-oa-Tunya. The Batonga name means “the smoke that thunders” and is not on African curriculums.
Too many of Africa’s geographic wonders have been robbed of their original native names and glorify foreign regents and itinerant wanderers. Some rectification has been made, especially soon after African states began to emerge from colonialism.

Some notable changes of national identity are: Haute Volta (Upper Volta), named by the French, renamed itself Burkina Faso, the Gold Coast became Ghana, Rhodesia – after British colonialist Cecil Rhodes is today’s Zimbabwe. Cities were also Africanized as Leopoldville became Kinshasa, Salisbury was dropped for Harare and Lorenzo Marques was renamed Maputo.

Painting for international peace

By Addis Mulugeta

The most Hon. Maitre Artiste World Laureate Afewerk Tekle, Ethiopia’s leading artist, is an internationally recognized painter and sculpture. He is ever busy with pencil or pen, sketching and drawing even while a school-boy. On study in England he made several artistic pilgrimages to the continent of Europe. His paintings serve to bring international peace building among communities of the globe by addressing issues through painting.
In London particularly, stands his a sculpture of a cross in remembrance of English soldiers who fought on the side of Ethiopia during the Ethio-Italian war. The sculpture incorporates St. George in Amharic in front and on the other side also is St. George (for England) in English.
Upon arriving to Ethiopia, his first work was on the decoration of St. George’s Cathedral, one of the finest religious paintings found in the capital.
His drawings, painting, murals, mosaics, sculpture designs for stamps etc, make him one of the leading artists of the world as well.
He designed his own house, studio and gallery, known as Villa Alpha. One month ago, Afewerk launched a new CD which particularly focuses on this Villa and his work in general. The villa is decorated with a variety of sculptures and paintings; of the ancient Axsum obelisk, the castles of Gonder and the old walled city of Harrar among them.
Inside the villa are a multitude of certificates ranging from the first winner of the Haile Sellassie I prize for Fine Arts to a number of diplomas and certificates which recognized him internationally, including the great Leonardo da Vinci Award given to him during an international conference at Oxford University for contributions to world peace building and representation of modern art, and one of the few chosen as world Laureate of the America Biographical Institute at the 27th International Congress Millennium on the Arts and Communication in Washington DC.
There are many books in French, Italian and Russian which particularly refer to his prolific work and his role as an international voice of modern art.
Among the well-known works are: Mother Ethiopia, Disunity of Man Towards the Unity of Man in the front room of his villa. In another room are the Semen Mountains and The Meskel Flower and gifts of vestments from The Vatican, President Kuame Nkrumah of Ghana, Anwar Sadat of Egypt, from Mexico, Spain etc. The third room is his studio which is the most interesting part of the villa.
Capital will feature an exclusive interview with the World Laureate next week.