Critical Perspectives on Cameroon Writing

10. Toward a More Humanized World: The Moral Obligation of Africa’s Intellectuals: The Case of Cameroon

113 10 Toward A More Humanized World: The Moral Obligation of Africa’s Intellectuals: The Case of Cameroon Fr. Tatah H. Mbuy Sacred Heart College, Mankon Africa has always gone down badly into history books as the continent with gruesome stories and gory sights. Talk to many people in Europe and about this continent and all they know of the land is dreadfully malnourished children, frightfully looking AIDS patients, skeletal and starving wretches sitting in the squalor of our city slums. Many Africans today feel ashamed of this picture of the continent and would and hear the other side of Africa in all her splendour and striking variety looks like we are doomed. Tribalism leading to fratricidal wars like the nightmare in Rwanda has become more vicious in the continent. Africans now possess lethal weapons, the same instruments with which they were subjugated and check by the colonial masters and now they ironically try them out on their “‘hers and sisters. Armed robbers and hired assassins kill with reckless and abandon. And human blood is beginning to lose its traditional sacredness because it is so frequently spilled even for the flimsiest reason. (I) The characteristic African humaneness, personalism, hospitality wholesome personal relation and the overwhelming sense of the sacred seems to have withered away. In its place we find a clumsy selfcentredness ; inordinate ambition and lust for power and wealth; calculated malice and suicidal jealousy. Added to all are still the lingering Acquired Inferiority Complex and a confused sensitivity which makes the African too ready to accept the uncomfortable role of ‘buffoon when serious matters are being discussed. When a civilization or a, on reaches such a point of ridicule, she badly needs her thinkers and talented men and women of the academy to make a difference. Modern Africa can boast today, impressive gamut of intellectuals who would gain respect even from their worst output. But the fact that, 114 with such rare brains, the continent has continued to suffer before or even more, is enough temptation to consult the “Oku Ngambe”. We are living in a world that has become victim of her own development: a world completely in disarray. If unassisted things could get worse. To avert this, this paper suggests a journey toward a more humanized world. Many methods can be used. Ours is the appeal to the intellectuals because our conviction the genuine intellectual should have more of what is needed to change the world than any other. Education is supposed to make a human being more human. However, with all our education, the dignity of the Human Person in modern civilization has nearly dropped to almost zero. In fact, “awe traditionally associated with corpses is disappearing because they now litter African roadways and highways unattended” (Bhusani. 1991: 16). Dig up our ancestors and most of them will second death from the shock of the horror that we strangely take today for n Human life means very little to the people of our times. That is why our consideration will be an examination of the dignity of the Human Person in our society today. I. The Dignity Of The Human Person In Modern Civilisation The Human Being is unique in his creation, existence and death. Another existence there is something transcendent in him that makes each sacred, unrepeatable and irreplaceable. That is why the Human Being possesses dignity that calls for reverence and respect. In fact anyone who does not feel the awe and mystery of Human Life is something short of a domesticated beast. As the being made in the image and likeness of God all human beings enjoy the equality of dignity as persons. None is more equal than the others; nor does one have more human rights than others. Unfortunately notwithstanding our record-breaking advances in science and technology, our present civilization has still to learn the basics about human dignity. The crimes of this generation against humanity are legion. Their variety is bewildering. All offences against life itself such as murder, genocide, abortion, euthanasia and wilful suicide; all violations of the integrity of the human person such as mutilation, physical and mental torture undue 115 psychological pressures: all on against dignity such as sub-human living conditions, arbitrary imprison deportation, slavery, prostitution, the selling of women and children in degrading working conditions where men are treated as mere tools for profit rather than and responsible persons; all these and the...