HUMAN LEADERSHIP AMBITION
King Solomon in his wisdom said that “What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the son.” (Ecclesiastes 1:9) This is a true statement from King Solomon. The book in question, “A Modern History of Hong Kong” by Steve Tsang speaks volume about personal leadership ambitions, especially during colonization. We have always seen many people wanting to domineer the other human beings especially on matters of economy and politics. This book brings to my memory so many things after an experience of the British colonial background where i was born. Kenya was a British colony up to the mid-1960s when they gave the country independence in 1963. But still, their colonialist’s impact continued to date. That is why the famous South African freedom fighter Steve Biko said, “The most potent weapon in the hands of the oppressor is the mind of the oppressed.” This statement has a terrible reverse after many years of liberation where the oppressed merely flip the power structure and become oppressors themselves.
ARE HUMAN BEINGS MEANT TO RULE OVER OTHERS?
The book of Matthew 7:12 states that “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you. For this sums up the law and the prophets.” It is astonishing to see how a small country like Britain arose up and started colonizing the whole world. It affected many countries like Africa which has remained in the cycle of postcolonial imprisonment forever. Many cultures were destroyed and replaced with was meant to be the best culture over what the ecosystems they grew it was. Kenya as one of the British colonies is still experiencing the post-colonial syndrome. Our self-development ladder was destroyed and replaced with what was not in our DNA, and that is why many Africa countries are still lingering in poverty and corruption, even after many years of independent. It is not that resources are scarce but because of the oppressed flipped the structure and is now the oppressor to their people.
The Modern History of Hong Kong book paints a similar picture from what we have experienced in African countries in the initial entry stages but towards the end of the book the story changes to a better scenario than the beginning. As usual, we could see the entrance of the British was not for the interest of the Chinese living there but was for their interest and whatever they did was to ensure the British interest is met first. It was fascinating to see that the selling of Opium to the Chinese was a big thing for the British who made their national budget based on the income from the sale of opiumto the Chinese. They did not care what effects the opium caused the Chinese community but what they cared most was the income. Even when the Chinese tried to stop and burned the selling of opium, the British waged an imperial war against the Chinese for refusing to buy their opium which the British themselves were not using. This imperial war for economic benefits and doing so to impose a contraband drug that the imperial power itself deemed immoral, was absurd.Malcolm X once said “If you stick a knife in my back 9 inches and pull it out 6 inches, that is not progress. If you pull it all the way out, that is not progress. The progress comes from healing the wound that the blow made. They have not begun to pull the knife out…. They will not even admit the knife is there.” Malcolm X well describes the effect of colonisation in the above statement. We are feeling the same in our Africa states that were colonized, and we can see all the blame coming from all over how the Africans are killing themselves. All these are because of the post-colonial syndrome. This has created an avenue of always defending themselves when they do wrong and blaming on the colonization effects. Bad leaders are doing things intentionally and hiding behind the colonization although it has some percentage in the effects of leadership.
The Hong Kong scenario brings the other side of colonialism that later turned positive to the Chinese in Hong Kong. In the 1980s we saw the imperial rule in this part of the world transform itself to the best possible government in Chinese political tradition. Its only in Hong Kong I can see the British government changing the colour from selfishness to caring for the people they were ruling. They turned into an efficiency, fairness, honesty, benevolent paternalism and non-intrusion into the lives of the ordinary people. It is here we can connect with what Malcolm X was talking about the 9 inches knife and pulling out and doing the healing of the wound. This was not done in most African countries to date.
The oppressed of colonialized mind takes many years to reverse to the right one. Remember it is the whole intellect of human that is being suppressed from doing anything worthy. The South African is the best example, who remained in colonialization for many years and after the country is back on its own but is facing a series of challenges. Zimbabwe is equally on the same line that de-colonialization is taking too long to realise the goals of better leadership. However, I am impressed that the British continued interrelating well with the culture of Chinese in building the Hong Kong community.
About the Author
John Muhanji
I am the Director Africa Ministries Office of Friends United Meeting. I coordinate all Quaker activities and programs in the Quaker churches and school mostly in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. The focus of my work is more on leadership development and church planting in the region especially in Tanzania.. Am married with three children all grown up now. I love playing golf as my exercise hobby. I also love reading.8 responses to “HUMAN LEADERSHIP AMBITION”
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Your Biko quote is startling to read in the context of our program John. I had never heard it. I HAVE heard your Malcolm X quote however, he certainly was a modern prophet.
Looking forward to our experiences together.
That is where many colonial countries are especially in Africa. If you ever read the “Animal Farm” book by George Orwell speak more on this situation.
John, it is enriching to ready your post as you come with a perspective that gives us insight into the current realities of nations that are struggling with the effects we only read about. It is so helpful to look through the eyes of another. The Biko quote is critically important to understand the full effect on the human beings not just systems. Thank you!
John, thank you for your post. I did think about Africa and how it was colonized but how it was intentionally carved up by the British and Europe. Many look at the problems of African nations without viewing the causes of those problems. The same is true for Communism in China. Although I am not for Communism, we have to ask the question why does it flourish around the world. The greed and oppression of colonization have fed the roots of Communism. It will be interesting to see what happens to Hong Kong in the future.
John,
Thank you so much for giving all of us your Kenya perspective and the ongoing ill effects of post-colonialism. I have always wondered why the formerly oppressed become the oppressor and thank you so much for your insight. In your experience, how has the local church positively influenced post-colonialism and the oppressed colonial mindset?
Thanks again for your unique experience and thoughts, H
There is no difference between the church in a colonialist environment. In fact the church was more affected because the missionaries came through the colonial forces.
The Quaker church in Kenya suffered more and its post-colonial effects are still haunting the church to date. When the country got independent, the British government warned all foreign missionaries of their security since they were withdrawing and handing the government to the Africans and could not guarantee their safety. The Quaker missionaries withdrew at once and left Kenyans with a massive resources to manage under the church. The missionaries had not developed sound leadership among the African Quakers in the church to take over. The colonial syndrome was within the missionaries because the Africans were not good leaders and they never brought them to the management level. Immediately they left, the Kenyan leaders who took over the leadership started fighting against themselves over who should own what, here, Biko’s statement came to life. They have been admiring what the missionaries were doing and how they lived a good life. We are still fighting this mind oppression and it is taking time to reverse.
After a long time the mission organization FUM realized their mistakes and opened an Africa Ministries Office of which I am the director and we are making good progress. The office was opened in 2005.
John, thank you for an excellent post. I’m struck by your comparison on the end of British rule in Kenya, and other African countries, to the end of British rule in Hong Kong. My mind is racing with possibilities as to why the two different experiences exist. I wonder if part of the difference has to do with time and the change that happened in Britain between the 1960s and the 1980s. It’s a relatively short amount of time, but there was a good bit of upheaval within the British government in those years and perhaps they came to understand their role as colonizer differently. I also wonder if it’s a matter of financial gain. Hong Kong had become the “good child” producing lots of gains for the UK, while African nations were perceived as being a drain and as such Hong Kong was treated better and African nations were not. Or perhaps because Britain was handing Hong Kong over to the Chinese they had to leave it in a state that was internationally acceptable, while with many African nations they were just leaving – much like what they did with India/Pakistan in the 40s. These are all theories, I don’t know that any of them are right or wrong. The truth is likely somewhere in the middle. But your post has me wondering what was so different about Hong Kong for the British than the African nations they colonized. Thanks again.
This is so insightful. Like several others I am struck by the Biko quote and your assertion that in the absence of British oppressors, the formerly oppressed became the oppressors. It made me think about the statistics that show that children who have been abused have a much greater tendency to be abusers themselves. You would think they would choose otherwise once they become the powerful adult but many do not. It’s complicated and has something to do with the whole intellect, as you mention, that is damaged during the nightmare of own their abuse. Praying for your wonderful continent.