Voice of Liberia's Traditional Elders

[Ɔkyeame Kwame]

This has some good stuff in it. Just replace all the "human" with "Afrikan".


Voice of Liberia's Traditional Elders
ISSUED IN COUNCIL AT ZOUZON THE 30TH DAY OF JUNE A.D. 1996
We, Elders of The Land of Liberia, assembled at Zouzon by the Grace of the Almighty and under the commanding authority of the Ancestors, present these sentiments.

Let them that have ears hear, know and act.

We, Elders of The Land of Liberia, hear the roar of Liberia's silence. We fear the rumble of the storm of poverty and see the fury of ignorance.

We hear the cry of our people... "How long, ...how long?" Our children have failed us and we have failed our children. We are on bended knee for the blood that has flowed across our land during these shameless dark days. Yet, we lift our eyes unto the hills from whence cometh our help.

The incredible atrocities of war that we inflict on ourselves shall end; the blatant denial of hope shall pass; the rape and waste of our natural resources shall cease; the overwhelmimg fear of brother for brother shall fade away; peace, unity and common sense shall prevail; we shall sing and dance once again — soon, very soon.

Emancipation and dignity shall reign — soon, very soon.

How long? ...Not long!

Our land shall heal. The pepperbird shall sing again.

Never again shall Liberia be reduced to base passions of absolute fear, raw inhumane force and abject denial of social justice.

The spirit of Liberia is more than words, more than the letter of the Law which arises in her name. Liberia must always be the inner courage against the complacently powerful, against the charlatans and the dogmatic fanatics. It is that inner courage which must have its say because Liberia teaches us one thing above all others: that humans can endure only in a fraternity of social justice. The oracles of Liberia instruct us to know that: "The hearts of all humans dwell in the same wilderness."

There exists a limit to the force even the most powerful may apply without destroying themselves. Judging this limit is the true artistry of Liberia. Misuse of power is the fatal sin. The Law cannot be a tool of vengeance, never a hostage, nor a fortification against the martyrs it has created. You can not threaten any human and escape the consequences. Each human is of its own divinity and bears high power to protect such divinity, for there exists no separation between gods and humans; one blends softly casual into the other.

Good government never depends upon laws, but upon the personal qualities of those who govern. The machinery of the government of Liberia is always subordinate to the will of those who administer that machinery. The most desirable element of government, therefore, is the method of choosing leaders.

Our national ideals cannot be implanted in the minds and hearts of of all our citizens by the constant inculcation into them of the thoughts and customs of other peoples to the sad neglect of our own. As a governing people we owe to ourselves the duty to know ourselves; to have a thorough knowledge of the customs and methods of government which have long existed among our forefathers. With such knowledge we may hope to govern ourselves with less misunderstanding and domestic trouble. With such knowledge we may hope that



"With God above our rights to prove,
We will o'er all prevail."

If we are to make history, we must think in terms of Africa. So long as we are afraid to produce our true selves, but only continue to copy blindly other ways of living, so long will we be discounted. What the world wants is not to see us as first–class copyists, but to know what is in the back of our minds — originality.

Any false friend of Liberia will be compensated by the God of Africa. Those who bring their offerings to the altar of the God of Africa with unclean hands and a filty heart will fall dead before the altar. How terrible is the judgement of the God of Africa against the enemies of His chosen African children.

Liberia is visualizing: is awakening. There is a new Liberia, and a new energy is rising; the effects of efforts put forth by the nucleus of determined sons and daughters of Liberia are being felt; contact with the outside world, with its stimulus, sympathies, and friendships, warrants the hope that the future Liberia will surprise the past.

Accordingly, We, Elders of The Land of Liberia, affirm, that starting now, the men and women of Liberia are profoundly changing their image of themselves. For they are part of a society that is not only establishing new social relations, but is also provoking a cultural transformation, upsetting the relations of authority between men and women, and forcing each to rethink the nature of both.

We further affirm that Liberia must collectively remain alert to women's access to productive work. It is this work that emancipates and liberates women by assuring them economic independence and a greater social role, as well as a more complete and accurate understanding of the world.

We, Elders of The Land of Liberia, resolve that though our resources are small, our goals are ambitious. The will to go forward, our firm conviction, is not sufficient just to win. We further resolve to marshall our forces, organize them, and channel them all toward winning our struggle for emancipation.

May our eyes never see and our feet never walk in a land where our heritage is held in bondage.

GIVEN UNDER OUR HANDS IN THE PRESENCE OF WITNESSES THIS 3OTH DAY OF JUNE A.D. 1996.

ISSUED IN COUNCIL AT ZOUZON THIS 30TH DAY OF JUNE A.D. 1996

ELDERS OF THE LAND OF LIBERIA