BY LEULSEGED WORKU
Preserving cultural identities and delivering them to the next generation is one of the unique attributes of human kind. Culture- as a means to reflect the identity of a given society and manifestation of value systems- is an invisible code that is passed to the next generation in an abstract way. In most traditional societies preserving their identity is not only a social obligation but also a political commitment of individuals in power. Whenever politicians value the socio-cultural identities of a given society or group the reaction is obvious-they will get the same response from the masses.
Lately, Russian House in Addis Ababa, what is commonly known as the Russian cultural Center has marked the National Unity Day. At the event Ethiopian graduates of Russian universities, representatives of the Russian Red Cross Hospital, the community of Russian businessmen and many friends of Russia were attended and a cultural event that reflect Russian Unity was displayed.
Cultural shows (including photo exhibition) that reflect the unity and identity of Russian people were part of the program. This writer had a chance to visit the photo exhibition entitled “‘Kasan`s’ icon of Mother of God” and other traditional items that reflect the culture of Russian people. While visiting the exhibition, this reporter had interviewed an Ethiopian graduate of Russian University, film Director, Birhanu Shiberu, about the unity of Russian people and their special value systems towards cultural legacies.
According to Birhanu, despite the fact that Russia has been through different regimes (including a socialist system which was against all forms of religious practices) the religion and cultural identity of Russian people is preserved for centuries. Russians have a strong value to their culture and religion.
No matter what kind of political principle a given party or regime follows it values the culture and identity of the society. It even values the culture of other societies who are not Russian. “While I was in Russia, I was able to see an Ethiopian made shield and spear which was well preserved in one of their museums. The shield and the spear were gifts from Ethiopian Emperor Menelik II and Empress Taitu to Russian citizens who used to serve at the palace. The Shield and the spear are still preserved within their museum and whoever has the chance to visit the gallery will witness how careful they are towards other`s value systems as they are careful to theirs. We should learn a lot from the experience of Russians in preserving cultural practices and items.”
Whenever we talk about religious and cultural values of the society directly or indirectly we are also talking about the political culture of that given society. Because most cultures have some political background they trace from remote past. In this regard, valuing the cultural ground of that society is valuing the whole system. Culture is all about the identity and uniqueness of a given society. Whenever one talks about culture S/he is talking about the moral values of a particular society. In this regard, preserving the cultural identity of a given society is not an option; it is a must to do.
Indeed, cultural preservation is a complex subject which entails a careful balance of several elements. Ethiopia as a nation with various cultural practices is needed to give more attention in preserving its cultural values. Careful balancing and recording of several elements of culture has always had a positive impact on the whole system. If not it costs us a lot. For instance, once I was assigned to produce a forty minutes of documentary film on Ethiopia with some crew. We were dispatched to the four corners of the country. The moment I started to direct the documentary, I realized that some members of the crew were collecting information cursorily without considering its impact. They were collecting shallow information.
This is totally unprofessional and distorts the true images of that particular society and its cultural identity. For that reason, I was forced to go in person to the location to collect the needed information. Ethiopia is truly a massive land with unique cultural identities. This unique and complex identity needs a thorough study. Most of the religious and cultural structure of the people of Ethiopia is still untouched by scholars.
Preserving the past always has something to contribute to the current generation. The regime change might have its own political implications but the cultural identity of the society should always be preserved and kept for the next generation. The more we give value to the cultural values of others the more we cement our unity. This is what I learnt from the Russians. The more we neglect cultural preservation, the less flexible our world becomes. When we are ignorant of the importance of cultural protection, our thinking gets narrower. If we tend to culturally homogenize, we will lose the value of learning from multiple perspectives. This limits our ability to solve unusual problems and, in some situations, can be harmful.
The young generation, in this regard, must grasp the value and need for cultural preservation. A society is always respected, no matter how modest it is. A person’s cultural heritage and identity should be something to be proud of. The current generation certainly holds firmly on to the existing community. And move it on to the next generation so that it can continue to flourish for many more generations. Preserving cultural diversity helps not only those whose traditions we protect but it also preserves indigenous philosophies and ways of thinking about which we can learn. Furthermore, living in a dynamic world makes life more interesting. As a land of multitudes Ethiopia has a lot to contribute to the whole world. Using the available resource and valuing endogenous diverse cultural practices the nation can be a mosaic of culture.
The Ethiopian Herald November 13/2022
