George Ngwane

Our Cultural Zones of Silence

Mwalimu George Ngwane*

"Our political bonding that took us from Buea to Yaounde actually began in Foumban. Yet, very few Cameroonians can identify the historic hall in Foumban that hosted the constitutional talks in July 1961. This is only one example of the neglect of our immoveable cultural patrimony and the absence of political will to give a voice to our cultural zones of silence."

The National Organising Committee for the celebration of fifty years of the Independence of the then French Cameroon and the Independence/Reunification of the former Southern Cameroon and French Cameroon in what is now the Republic of Cameroon has a lot in their plate.  First, to be effective the Committee needs to work with regional representatives consisting of state and non-state actors in each of the ten regions. Second, apart from the political and social manifestations that are bound to highlight the twin Golden Jubilee anniversaries, the urgent task of lending voices to most of the intangible landmarks of our cultural heritage needs to be addressed. Fortunately, the outcome of the first meeting held by the Committee on Monday 22 February in Yaounde in which issues of cultural patrimony were flagged gives room for guarded optimism.

Freedom of Expression versus Cultural Sensitivity (Restraint, Respect and Revolt)

By Mwalimu George Ngwane

Being a paper presented at the World Summit on Arts and Culture, Johannesburg, South Africa (22-25th September 2009)

It could have been possible to title this panel session “Culture and Democracy” or “Culture and Human Rights” seeing the organic link between our desire as human beings but more so people of the Arts to expand our spaces of freedom of expression beyond the limitations imposed on us by our value systems or ecosystems.

Cultural Diplomacy

By Mwalimu George Ngwane*

The Nigerian trade and cultural week organised by the Nigerian High Commission in Cameroon from 16-22 March 2009, had for theme “Exploring new frontiers of cooperation through trade and culture”. Coming against a backdrop of a chilled relationship due to the protracted conflict over the Bakassi peninsula that was laid to rest on 14th August 2008,the trade and cultural week aimed at promoting meaningful cooperation through trade and culture, sharing experiences in the management of human and natural resources, and promoting tourism between Cameroon and Nigeria.

Prisoners of Art

By Mwalimu George Ngwane

Art and Culture is already becoming a basis for economic empowerment and human development.  For a long time, economic models paid less attention to the organic link between poverty reduction and cultural development. Yet that link has become so vital that agencies and cultural professionals have been awakened to the reality that cultural investment is not only beneficial to the agencies themselves but serve as an income-generating  spiral of wealth creation and  self-employment among the vulnerable sectors of society (women and youths) and in the case of this paper, prisoners.

Cultural Journalism In Cameroon

By Mwalimu George Ngwane (Originally published in The Sunday Eden)

A major fallout from a seminar that AFRICAphonie organised on ‘Arts, indigenous culture, and human development; the case of Cameroon’’ in January 2003 was the need to get the Cameroonian media involved in the promotion of visual Arts and design in Cameroon. This is a new traditional and trendy discipline called Cultural Journalism. I observed that the media’s focus remained political and economic with the creation of media Associations in these two domains to the exclusion of relevant cultural issues or creative industries that can both enhance a creative economy and showcase the rich cultural patrimony in Cameroon.

Gender-based Violence in Africa

By Mwalimu George Ngwane

Introduction
Tomorrow 8th March 2007 marks the 30th anniversary of the international Women’s Day. Established in 1977 by the United Nations, this important day provides an opportunity to celebrate the progress made to advance women’s rights and to assess the challenges that remain. This year’s theme is “Ending Violence against Women: Action for Real Results" with the Cameroonised adaptation being “Violence against women, Break the silence, take action”. The theme reflects the forms of marginalization, discrimination, persecution, victimization and exclusion, women in Africa have experienced since the Beijing Conference of 1995 became a media-hyped benchmark.

Supporting the Culture Triangle in Cameroon

By Mwalimu George Ngwane

Only those nations which are culturally solid ever
indelibly influence the course of history’
Professor Kountchou Kouomegni (former Minister of Information and Culture)

The three main links that constitute the Art/Culture chain are Production, Promotion and Consumption. These links represent the culture triangle needed to energise an industry whose aesthetic nature and artistic values mirror the essence of human civilization. Attempts by both civil society actors and governments have aimed at transforming Africa’s indigenous culture from mere populist folklore to a national character.

Towards an Arts and Culture Market in Africa

By Mwalimu George Ngwane

In memory of Nzante Spee (Cameroonian Artist) and Yvonne Vera (Zimbabwean writer)

Preliminary
The recent South African Arts and Culture exhibition in Cameroon was both a forum for intercultural dialogue and a launching pad for creating an Arts and Culture market at continental level. Drawn from its rich art diversity, the South African exhibition succeeded in showcasing its performing and visual arts as well as its local cuisine. For those who have visited South Africa, the exhibition was a tip of the iceberg. The “land of Madiba” is home to a splendid immovable cultural patrimony (the 220.000year old Tswaing meteorite crater, the Voortrekker monument heritage site, the 11km long Moreleta spruit trail etc).