SPEECH BY HIS EXCELLENCY HON. MWAI KIBAKI, C.G.H., M.P., PRESIDENT AND COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF OF THE ARMED FORCES OF THE REPUBLIC OF KENYA ON THE OCCASION OF 6TH ORDINARY SESSION OF THE ASSEMBLY OF AFRICAN UNION HEADS OF STATE, KHARTOUM, SUDAN, 23

SPEECH BY HIS EXCELLENCY HON. MWAI KIBAKI, C.G.H., M.P., PRESIDENT AND COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF OF THE ARMED FORCES OF THE REPUBLIC OF KENYA ON THE OCCASION OF 6TH ORDINARY SESSION OF THE ASSEMBLY OF AFRICAN UNION HEADS OF STATE, KHARTOUM, SUDAN, 23 - 24TH JANUARY, 2006

Mr. Chairman,

Excellencies,

Distinguished Delegates,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am, indeed, pleased to have this opportunity to make a key-note address on the theme of this Summit; that is Education and Culture. In addressing this subject, I would like to begin by observing that the experience of colonialism entailed the imposition of foreign cultural practices and religions that undermined the cultural heritage of our people.

In the more recent past, the emergence of the Internet, satellite technology, cable television as well as cellular and wireless networks have resulted in the globalization of culture. The radical undermining of the cultures of our people through these encounters have had a corrosive impact on our sense of identity regarding who we are, what we want, what we respect and what we aspire. The cumulative effect has been a crisis of cultural confidence, which has resulted in cultural duality and the phenomenon of split personalities.

At a more critical level, Mr. Chairman, this cultural disorientation has had an adverse effect on development in the continent. After all, development is a function of culture, and people cannot innovate or develop outside their cultural experience. Indeed, quite often, some of the problems of development in our continent have been explained in terms of the severe erosion of our cultural heritage. Today, the African Continent is caught between the liberal Judeo-Christian traditions of the West and our creative traditional cultures.

Our convergence here today to deliberate on the theme of Education and Culture is therefore an important step in the efforts towards the restoration of the dignity of the African people. Let me emphasize that I am not at all advocating that Africa should shut herself from the rest of the world. After all, culture is dynamic, always characterized by a process of giving and receiving. Indeed, the intermingling of cultures in modern times also brings new opportunities for cultures to interact in creative and positive ways.

As African leaders, we have the obligation to synthesize our cultural values and balance the need to preserve our cultures, while at the same time accommodating the assimilation of positive values, but rejecting retrogressive ones. Equally important, Mr. Chairman, it is our obligation to provide leadership on ways and means of reconciling competing perspectives on culture. Above all, we must mainstream cultural aspects in development dialogue because conventional policy prescriptions for Africa's development have rarely incorporated cultural factors. This situation that has impacted negatively on our development efforts.

In my view, Mr. Chairman, these issues can be adequately addressed through development of policies and establishment of institutions and programmes as captured in the Nairobi Declaration which was adopted by the Conference of African Ministers of Culture on 14th December, last year. These challenges will also be addressed through the promotion of the Charter for African Cultural Renaissance, which was initiated as an instrument for appropriate legislation by African Governments on the preservation, protection, promotion and management of cultural resources.

I, therefore, wish to urge African Union Member States to commit themselves to enacting legislation and establishing cultural institutions and programmes, which will promote African values. In addition to this, Mr. Chairman, additional impetus needs to be generated towards the conservation of our cultural heritage and the promotion of cultural industries in Africa. There is need for advocacy work on the preservation of our cultural heritage, the restoration of threatened cultural sites and retrieval of cultural properties that were taken away during the period of colonialism.

In accordance with the Nairobi Plan of Action, I would like to encourage Member States to recognize the value of our cultural heritage in their tangible and intangible forms, by putting in place mechanisms to promote cultural industries and enterprises. Such mechanisms should serve as instruments for promotion of film, creative writing, music, theatre and other creative activities, which are now highly marketable the world over. These measures will, in addition to preserving our cultures, also contribute towards employment creation, maximize income generation and creation of wealth for our people.

Mr. Chairman,

The declaration of 2006 as the Year of African Languages will, no doubt, raise the profile of this important tool for the preservation and transmission of our cultural heritage. The declaration is expected to generate activities that will strengthen the functional role of our African languages. However, the declaration is only the first step. There is need for a clear programme of action to empower cultural institutions through formulation of good policies and implementation of relevant programmes. Further, the promotion of African languages will improve communication and participation of all peoples in development activities in the economic, social and political sectors. In this regard, I hope that we can begin by enhancing the capacity of Kiswahili, which was recently adopted as the Fifth Official Language of the African Union, to be widely and intensively used on the Continent and in our organisation's activities.

Mr. Chairman,

On the specific subject of education and culture, I recommend the resolutions of the Ministers of Culture Conference held last December in Nairobi, for endorsement by this Assembly. Member States should pay special attention to the implementation of the resolution on fostering the linkage between culture and education at all levels. This will be achieved by ensuring that education is rooted in African Cultural life in such a way that the youth are empowered and prepared to cope successfully with present and future challenges of the modern world within an African perspective.

In this regard, we should start by providing not only free education for all African children, but also ensuring that education is geared towards inculcating self-respect and faith in Africa as a home and the source of their livelihood. African children should be moulded to acquire the mastery of their environment and their languages as a basis for learning and developing technological know-how. In this way, they will earn respect and dignity to enable them play a vital role in creating conditions for sustainable economic development.

The Nairobi Declaration contains aspects that should motivate Member States to regard culture as the foundation of socio-economic development and to integrate cultural factors in development goals to address present-day challenges. African Governments must endeavour to invoke cultural values and practices as one of the foundations for peaceful resolution of conflicts. Similarly, the school system should embrace culture-based disciplines in the school curricula as a recipe for promotion of patriotism and a means of addressing the problem of brain drain and social degradation, which have gained prominence among the younger generations.

Finally, Mr. Chairman, the Conference in Nairobi resolved that the 1st Pan African Cultural Congress would be held in Nairobi later this year. I wish to take this early opportunity to welcome all the intellectuals of Africa to Nairobi. The Congress will provide yet another opportunity for our cultural experts to take stock of the status of culture on the Continent and to provide practical recommendations that will augment our prospects in the revitalization of our cultural diversities.

I would like to observe that this Summit has offered Africa the opportunity to reflect on its cultural institutional framework at the national and international levels. I have in mind the recent adoption of the UNESCO 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of Cultural Diversities and Cultural Expressions by the General Assembly in Paris.
I also have in mind the UNESCO 2003 Convention on Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage. It is crucial that Africa pays close attention to these Conventions by mobilizing resources to implement their provisions in a meaningful manner. I urge Member States to collectively maximize on the potential benefits derived from these Conventions.

Thank you and God Bless you all.