Nia

Habarigani

It occurs to me that the lifting up of a purposeful life, one of meaning, mission and I assume
dedicated to serving the vital needs of our community by fulfilling our creative potential,
is what Nia is intended to solicit.
Well in my humble opinion, few put it better than Frantz Fanon in his refrain that,
"Each generation must, out of relative obscurity, discover its mission, fulfill it, or betray it"
( Sounds like self-determination)
In order for us to answer the command of this principle, crystal clarity of the relationships
that inform our essential experience and therefore functional identity, is key.
After all, how can I know or discover what my purpose is, if I don't first deal with the question
of identity. In identity, I am not just referring to those organic physical or emotional characteristics
that determine personality. But to the elements that inform our relationships, to other humans,
nature etc. I speak of power...the capacity to impact our environment and related elements.

With a crisp appreciation of ourselves, and yes the wisdom of self love, clarity
about our identity and the integrity of our relationships will become clear. It is then that we
can answer Fanon's challenge.

Well if you agree, what is our essential purpose, what is the most defining aspect of our
relationship to the dominant culture. Although there is some variation, for the most part we
do not define our reality, but are defined by that culture. Essentially a captive, freedom
becomes an illusion, even for those who climb the heralded heights of Western Culture.

Yes to our credit, our valiant people, have sought to fulfill the sacred mission liberation,
of restoration, our natural impulse to experience the world and each other,in ways true
to our essential humanity. But neither house or field slave, even if we run the big house,has
attained this prize of self dertermination. both remain captive.

The choices now with us, as before with our noble ancestors remain consistent. The sacred
mission of the captive is to escape form the bonds that bind him, or at least break the chains
in the process. Yes, we have marron communities as one model...Palamres, Quilombo etc.

I am not advising any action, but concluding that one way to embrace the principle of Nia,
is to rise to the challenge to "discover that historic mission and fulfill it" .
For the integrity our progeny, their human rights and dignity to be secured, we must fulfill
the mission of breaking the chains that would deny that irreducible validation of our
humanity. We would have to be about the very sacred and vital mission, of always trying
to break out of the perverse clutches of this Babylon system

Nia