Note #20
Igbo Background Assignment
Greetings to the Royal Colonial Institute,
As your fellow delegate that has been stationed in Igboland, today I shall speak to you about the nature of this endeavour we have undertaken. This past decade has yielded significant successes in our African ventures east of the Niger. We have managed to colonise and hegemonise millions under the banner of endowing them with civilization. But at what cost? In a short period of time, we have transfigured and desecrated entire cultures and forced them to adhere to the ideals we consider supreme. We have treated entire communities as sub-humans and stripped them of their rights. Tonight, I ask of you, my fellow officers, why? Why have we chosen to indulge ourselves in the toil of these people? In this disfigurement, we have not only caused injustice to the very victims we enforced control upon, but also we have caused injustice to ourselves. We have forsaken the Christian values which were our guiding lights. This expedition was meant to yield results that would benefit both our brethren and the folks in Africa. Yet somewhere along its course, the true purpose of it was buried and in its place arose incentives fuelled by the very vice we are supposed to shun - avarice. We have gotten embroiled in this wickedness that humanity is so vulnerable to. What was initially regarded as a beacon for exploration and national advancement has now been tarnished with the blood of innocents. But do not mistake me, my honourable delegates, as I do not mean to thrust upon you a string of accusations. My intentions are clear. I am not here because I have been swayed by the Igbo. I am here on behalf of humanity.
Contrary to popular belief, the Igbo are a people of a culture that is strangely edified. It may not seem explicit to us, but the features of the culture are demanding of morally adherent practices. In their own unique ways, the Igbo have established a system which encompasses many of the values even we concur with. For decades, we have dismissed them as an indolent tribe that places superfluous importance in superstitious rituals. It is in fact, a gross misconception. There is a strong emphasis placed on the value of hard work, as exemplified by the acquisition of valuable titles on the basis of a man's achievements. They govern themselves through representative democracy. This ensures that no one tyrant can seize power single-handedly. This feature has been of much use to us in the process of communication and negotiation with the Igbo. Moreover, the legal system, although relying on undocumented norms, strives to penalize crimes after careful evaluation. The Igbo have parallely developed structures which hold in place a tightly knit culture that exudes morality.
Must we choose to redeem ourselves at this point, I concur that it is not too late. Christ is kind to the ones who realise and amend their own wrongdoings. Let us propagate a brand of colonialism that reaps benefits for both us and for the colonized. For this will earn us even more reverence across the globe and we shall be beheld as the revolutionaries of colonialism.
Igbo Background Assignment
Greetings to the Royal Colonial Institute,
As your fellow delegate that has been stationed in Igboland, today I shall speak to you about the nature of this endeavour we have undertaken. This past decade has yielded significant successes in our African ventures east of the Niger. We have managed to colonise and hegemonise millions under the banner of endowing them with civilization. But at what cost? In a short period of time, we have transfigured and desecrated entire cultures and forced them to adhere to the ideals we consider supreme. We have treated entire communities as sub-humans and stripped them of their rights. Tonight, I ask of you, my fellow officers, why? Why have we chosen to indulge ourselves in the toil of these people? In this disfigurement, we have not only caused injustice to the very victims we enforced control upon, but also we have caused injustice to ourselves. We have forsaken the Christian values which were our guiding lights. This expedition was meant to yield results that would benefit both our brethren and the folks in Africa. Yet somewhere along its course, the true purpose of it was buried and in its place arose incentives fuelled by the very vice we are supposed to shun - avarice. We have gotten embroiled in this wickedness that humanity is so vulnerable to. What was initially regarded as a beacon for exploration and national advancement has now been tarnished with the blood of innocents. But do not mistake me, my honourable delegates, as I do not mean to thrust upon you a string of accusations. My intentions are clear. I am not here because I have been swayed by the Igbo. I am here on behalf of humanity.
Contrary to popular belief, the Igbo are a people of a culture that is strangely edified. It may not seem explicit to us, but the features of the culture are demanding of morally adherent practices. In their own unique ways, the Igbo have established a system which encompasses many of the values even we concur with. For decades, we have dismissed them as an indolent tribe that places superfluous importance in superstitious rituals. It is in fact, a gross misconception. There is a strong emphasis placed on the value of hard work, as exemplified by the acquisition of valuable titles on the basis of a man's achievements. They govern themselves through representative democracy. This ensures that no one tyrant can seize power single-handedly. This feature has been of much use to us in the process of communication and negotiation with the Igbo. Moreover, the legal system, although relying on undocumented norms, strives to penalize crimes after careful evaluation. The Igbo have parallely developed structures which hold in place a tightly knit culture that exudes morality.
Must we choose to redeem ourselves at this point, I concur that it is not too late. Christ is kind to the ones who realise and amend their own wrongdoings. Let us propagate a brand of colonialism that reaps benefits for both us and for the colonized. For this will earn us even more reverence across the globe and we shall be beheld as the revolutionaries of colonialism.
Your work is very well done (as usual). Your usage of proof from the text and your style of speaking communicates that you have a very good understanding of the Igbo culture. The types of words that you have used implies that you are speaking to a formal audience. The incorporation religious understanding and the wrong usage of economic power was very well weaved into your speech. (AS ALWAYS WELL DONE.)
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