Culture and Business Between Africans and Americans

As a cultural consultant, I have lately been thinking about the cultural dimension of business between Africans and Americans. This is part of my longstanding interest in the differences between African and American culture. I am writing this commentary in response to reports of a dialogue between American and Tanzanian businesspeople held in Dar es Salaam in June 2019.

The Americans and the Tanzanians discussed the challenges facing American businesses in Tanzania and the steps the Tanzanians should take to improve the situation. The Americans would like business to be conducted according to rules which are transparent, consistent, and predictable. Deadlines should be kept. Changes should be made in the business environment to ensure ease of doing business.

All this sounds reasonable, but we need to think farther. Africans have been conducting business since time immemorial and have evolved their own ways of doing business. The traditional African market, for example, accommodates barter, haggling, conversation about random topics, and much joking. It is a place not only for exchanging goods and money but also for building and furthering social relationships.

When we talk about business, we tend to think about goods and money. In reality, business is an interaction between human beings, who have values, feelings, and expectations influenced or shaped by their culture. Business is easy if the people involved belong to the same culture. Otherwise, there are challenges.

There are different cultures in the world, and business is inseparable from culture. There is not one way of doing business. American business culture is part of American culture. When Americans talk about ease of doing business, they have in mind business as conducted in their culture. It is normal and easy for them, but is it for non-Americans?

Are Africans, for example, comfortable with the American way of doing business? Do they easily navigate American culture? I have no doubt that just as Americans encounter challenges in dealing with African culture, so do Africans when dealing with American culture.

American business culture is rooted in capitalism, whose driving motive is making money as efficiently and quickly as possible. Whatever stands in the way of making money, such as the random conversations I have alluded to, gets eliminated.

In the African tradition, on the contrary, business has more purposes than just making money, and success is not necessarily defined in monetary terms. Business builds and consolidates relationships. Time is not money, but a resource and opportunity for building social capital.

We can carry these African values into the present world and use business to facilitate mutual understanding among nations. If business could help create a peaceful world, it would be a great success, even without tangible or immediate financial gain.

We need to think about creating and sustaining a business culture that is humanistic rather than obsessively materialistic. As the Bible puts it: “What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul?”
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This article first appeared in Medium.

My Faithful Nebraska Readers

A word from readers never fails to elicit my gratitude as a writer. A good word warms my heart, naturally. This week, I have stumbled across good news from the Nebraska Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. They run vision trips, a program through which Americans travel to Tanzania "to learn about the culture of Tanzania and the ministries of the Northern Diocese."

I am pleased that, year after year, the organizers of these trips have recommended my book, Africans and Americans: Embracing Cultural Differences, to the travelers. The Traveler's Manual for 2018 says:

For those persons wanting to more deeply explore cultural differences between Africans and Americans, the book Africans and Americans by Joseph Mbele is recommended. This book is available at: www.africonexion.com.

I appreciate that the book is recognized as a useful resource, just as I intended it to be. Nebraska has always been on my mind as a place where I have faithful readers. A few years ago, I acknowledged them on this blog. I think about them, and all my other readers, as I continue to work on a sequel to Africans and Americans: Embracing Cultural Differences, which I plan to publish this year with the title Chickens in the Bus.

A Sequel to My "Africans and Americans" Book

I am working on a sequel to my book, Africans and Americans: Embracing Cultural Differences. This is partly in response to inquiries and request from my readers and partly because I have known for a long time that I needed to keep writing, given the breadth and complexity of the topic of the first book, not to mention its dynamism.

On the tenth year anniversary of the book, I publicly declared that I was working on a sequel. I have to fulfill the promise, mindful of the Swahili proverb, "Ahadi ni deni," A promise is a debt. This second book will contain a number of short essays I have published as well as revisions of talks I have given to various audiences. I hope to finish and publish it before the end of the year. I already have the title for it, but I want to keep it as a surprise.

I thank my readers very much for their responses to my Africans and Americans: Embracing Cultural Differences as I did in the following video commemorating the book's tenth year anniversry.

The Faribault International Festival, 2015

Yesterday I was in Faribault, Minnesota, participating in the Faribault International Festival. I arrived at Central Park, the venue, at 10:10am. Most of the vendors had set up their tables and booths and people had started arriving.

The place was a hub of activity, with music blaring and children running around joyfully. In the middle of the Festival grounds, flags of different countries fluttered in the wind.

From time to time, performers came on the main stage, singing and playing music from different traditions. Aztec dancers showed up as well, as they have done in previous years. 

There was a flag ceremony, one of the highlights of the Festival, starting a few minutes after 1 o'clock. Representatives of different countries carried the flags and processed in single file to the main stage. There they took turns to talk about their flags and the countries they came from. Some sang the national anthems of those countries.

There was a young woman who carried the flag of the United Nations. She spoke briefly about the United Nations and its mission in the world. It was a special moment, reminding us all that though we have our separate countries, we should not forget that we are one world.

It was interesting to witness the diversity of countries represented, from Cambodia to Honduras, from Germany to Somalia. South Sudan, the newest state, was represented.

I was happy to bear the Tanzanian flag, and say a word about my country. I also sang our national anthem, knowing that that might have been the first time that the Tanzanian national anthem has been sung publicly in Faribault. I was also surprised at how well I sang it.

The flag ceremony was a valuable learning experience. I appreciated hearing an Asian- looking young man proclaim that he was Cambodian and was carrying the flag of that country. It was equally notable to hear a young woman proclaim that she was from Honduras and the flag she was carrying was that of Honduras.

She said, rightly so, that she was not Mexican. She named the countries of Central America, emphasizing that she was from Honduras, one of those countries. It was a powerful reminder that not everyone who looks Mexican and speaks Spanish is Mexican.

The International Faribault Festival was, clearly, for everybody. We heard people talk about their Swedish, German, and other European heritages, and we heard people talk about their African and Asian heritages. We heard people talk about their American heritage, incorporating different countries of the American continent.

The booths and tables were not just places  to see and buy things. They were also educational resources. The vendors were sources of knowledge about what they were selling, the countries they came from, and their cultures.

Imagine moving from on booth to the next, from one table to the next, asking about the foods, the drinks, the art objects, the clothing, the jewelry and ornaments, and being able to learn about them.


Thinking about this, I recall the many times I answered questions about my books and my work as an educator, author, and cultural consultant.

I had brought along a poster for a forthcoming documentary about Ernest Hemingway titled Papa's Shadow. The documentary features me in conversation with Patrick Hemingway, the only remaining child of Ernest Hemingway. We are discussing Ernest Hemingway's life, travels, and writings, especially those connected with Africa.

In my studies of Ernest Hemingway, I have realized that he exemplified the ideal of learning about and appreciating the world's cultures.

I met people I had met before in the International Faribault Festival and on other occasions. I also met new people, including two who teach English as a second language, with whom we talked about cultural issues, such as the ones I deal with in my book, Africans and Americans: Embracing Cultural Differences.

I used to be a member of the board of the Faribault Diversity Coalition, which started the Festival--under the name of the International Market Day--intending it to be an occasion to bring together the diverse population of Faribault to share their traditions and cultures. When the Faribault Diversity Coalition ceased to exist, its mission was adopted by the International Festival Faribault Committee, which now organizes the annual International Festival Faribault.

Despite appearances to the contrary, the Faribault International Festival is not a small-town event, and I have said as much in a previous blog post.

I was thinking about this yesterday, as I was tweeting and sending out Facebook messages and photos during the Festival. I knew I was involving people from around the world in what was going on, as did others who also sent out messages and images.

African Americans We Met at Afrifest 2015

I want to continue sharing my memories of Afrifest 2015, which was held yesterday at Northview Junior High School in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota. As I mentioned on this blog, stories of that festival will continue to be told, and I want to focus on one aspect: encounters with African Americans.

I was at the festival as an educator, writer, and cultural consultant, with two of my daughters--Assumpta and Zawadi. Several African Americans came to our table and we had a chance to chat with them.

The first to come, soon after the festival started, was a gentleman who appeared to be of my age. As soon as we had greeted each other, he looked at my books and asked if I knew Professor Mahmoud el Kati.

Incidentally, I have known Professor Mahmoud el Kati for almost a decade. He and I have met at events involving Africans and African Americans, and have even featured on panels at such gatherings. This visitor to our table recalled having met me at one such events. He summoned his wife who was standing nearby, and she joined us, as a witness to our conversation, which revolved around Professor el Kati and the events I have alluded to.

At some point during the festival, three young black ladies came to our table, and we immediately got into a lively conversation. With obvious delight, they told us they were traveling to Accra. I could tell, from their accents that they were African American, and when I asked where they were from, they affirmed they were African American. They had not been to Africa before, and they were excited about their forthcoming trip. I told them how Americans who have been to Ghana rave about it, as do those who have been to Senegal, another West African country.

I seized the opportunity, however, to entice them, partly in jest, but also sincerely, with the idea that their next destination should be Tanzania. I also told them what I tell every American traveling to Africa how touched and pleased I am that they are going to my continent, to see and experience it for themselves. I wished them well and they moved on, exploring the exhibits.

Later, out of the blue, we saw a beaming Adrian, an African American friend of mine, coming to our table. As soon as we saw each other, we started waving and shouting our greetings. He and I have known each other for years, and my daughters know him from last year's Afrifest. He and I have some common interests in community engagement to promote Pan African education and solidarity. He is a great fan of my writings. Needless to say, our meeting yesterday was a major highlight of the festival for both of us. We made sure to take the photo seen above.

I have written about these encounters with African Americans because they exemplify the dream of Afrifest, which is to connect Africans and the African Diaspora in order to pursue common goals, such as self enlightenment on historical, socio-political and cultural matters. Despite its Afrocentric name, however, Afrifest embraces the human family.

"Africans and Americans" Book Available in Tanzania

My book, Africans and Americans: Embracing Cultural Differences, is now available at the Burunge Visitors Center (BVC), in Manyara Region, Tanzania.

The BVC was created for the management of wildlife and natural resources and for promoting education in these matters as well as tourism. As a resource center, BVC seeks to provide education on the historical and cultural heritage of the area for the local communities and visitors.

As an educator and cultural consultant, I am pleased to collaborate with the BVC. The decision by BVC to acquire my books for their shop simplifies matters for people in Tanzania wishing to buy them. They can contact BVC by email: info@burungevisitorscentre.or.tz or imborutours@gmail.com or using the phone numbers listed here:  http://www.burungevisitorscentre.or.tz/.

Sister Spokesman Wellness Event, February 7

On February 7, I participated in a Sister Spokesman wellness event at the Summit Academy OIC in Minneapolis. The theme of the event was "From the Heart: Heart Awareness." When I first learned about the event, I thought it was only for women. Wishing to be a vendor, I called the organizers to find out. Upon learning that I would be welcome, I arranged and paid for a table.

I left Northfield early on the event date and arrived at around 11.35am. I entered the venue, at Summit Academy OIC, not knowing what to expect. Most vendors were there, and some were still coming. I completed the set-up of my vendor table, assisted by daughter Assumpta, and soon the program started.

Tracey Williams Dillard, CEO/Publisher of the Minnesota Spokesman Recorder, opened the proceedings and served as the MC throughout. Gentle and seemingly indefatigable, she facilitated the diverse program smoothly to the very end.








There was a panel consisting of Dr. Sue Everson Rose of the University of Minnesota Program in Health Disparities Research; Angela Winston-Herbert, Fitness Expert with Angela's Faith & Fitness; and Anika Robbins, Executive Director of the ANIKA Foundation. They discussed the health challenges facing African American women, including heart disease, stress, and disparities in health care between them and other sections of the population. They covered issues such as food choices and preparation and the importance of adequate sleep, exercise and proper relationships, and the timely diagnosis of health conditions.

Sheronda Orridge, spoken word artist, gave a performance rich in social criticism and wisdom.












As I have suggested, there were quite a few vendors. I was not able to talk with all of them and learn about their services and products. I did, however, talk with Andria Livingston, owner of Silk Reflections, which specializes in custom handmade accessories. She can be reached at allonesound04@gmail.com and on facebook.






Another vendor I was able to talk with, albeit briefly, was Annie's Apparel and Accessories.











Val "I am Zumba" Turner invited people to some zumba dancing which was very vigorous and entertaining. Everybody enjoyed it, not only the people who stepped onto the floor to dance, but we spectators as well. If it were not for the fact that I am still unwell, I would have joyfully participated in the dancing.








One of the indisputable benefits of such events is the networking opportunities they offer. I got to know several people. Here I am seen conversing with Laura, who did a good job of helping people throughout the event.

I also had the opportunity to talk with Dr. Susan Everson-Rose and learned how passionate she was on research on stress and related matters. Although we did not have much time to talk, I remember she talked about psychological dimension of stress, while I talked about the cultural dimensions. It was clear that our interests and perspectives overlap in significant ways.


















My daughters Assumpta and Zawadi came to lend me a hand at my vendor table, where we displayed three of my books: Africans and Americans: Embracing Cultural Differences, Matengo Folktales, and Notes on Achebe's Things Fall Apart. The full list of my books is available from my online bookstore or from me, phone (507) 403-9756, email africonexion@gmail.com






As the program was drawing to a close, Sheronda Orridge stepped up again, to share some more spoken word performance, which delighted the audience.

This was a memorable event, and I am glad my daughters and I attended it. I value my daughters' participation in such events, which enable them to meet people and broaden their perspectives on social and cultural issues. I have three daughters, and they all enjoy participating in these community events together with me.

Summit Academy OIC, the venue for this month's Sister Spokesman event, was excellent, in my opinion, not least because it was easily accessible. The atmosphere of the event was warm and welcoming. At one point, vendors were given the opportunity to talk about themselves, their products and services. When my turn came, I enjoyed introducing myself, talking about my work as an educator, writer and cultural consultant. I salute the Sister Spokesman for organizing events of this nature, which take place every month. You can follow them here and on facebook.

A Conversation About Tanzania and Americans

This morning I drove from Northfield to Rochester, to meet with Pam Schwalbach and Charles Mpanda. Pam is American and Charles is Tanzanian. Both are passionate about working with Tanzanians and Americans to foster understanding between the two nations. They seek to accomplish these goals through travel and tourism and offering people of both nations the opportunity to know one another through living and working together.

Charles and Pam run a tour company, Tanganyika Ancient Routes, whose motto is "Travel,  Learn and Serve." They are also involved with Simple Hope, a non-profit that Pam and her friend Karen Puhl founded. Working in rural Tanzania, the mission of Simple Hope is to "to save and empower lives through faith, nutritious food, clean water, education, and other identified long term sustainable processes."

Our long conversation today dealt with all these issues. We spent much time brainstorming on cross-cultural orientation and developing tourism that is truly educational and liberating. We realized that we all are passionate about cultural orientation to enable people to interact and work together free from problems that are likely to arise due to cultural differences.

Charles and I first met in Arusha, on June 21, 2008, when I conducted a workshop on Culture and Globalization, which he attended. In the photos from the workshop, he is seen wearing a jacket and a cap. He has been in the USA for a few weeks, and he suggested that we should meet. We are all happy that worked out.

Workshop: Culture and Globalization, July 3

Venue: Arusha Community Church
Date: July 3, 2010: 9:00am-1:00pm
Presenter: Professor Joseph L. Mbele (St. Olaf College, USA)

Workshop Theme

The world is increasingly becoming a global village, with serious implications. What is globalization? What are the consequences of globalization? What is the global village? Will the global village be a pleasant place or a place of tension and suffering? What is our strategy for coping in the global village? Globalization brings both opportunities and challenges. What are these?

Within this broad framework, this workshop will focus on the cultural dimensions of globalization. In the global village, people of different cultures will have to interact, through living or working together. We will have to deal with people whose values, expectations, ways of thinking, acting and communicating are different from ours. Are we prepared for these challenges?

As we go abroad, to do business, to live, or just travel, we will encounter cultural differences. Even if we just stay in our own countries, we will deal with foreigners, whose cultures are different from ours. We need to understand these differences, in order to be effective in our dealings with foreign companies, business partners, volunteers, tourists, students, co-workers, and friends. How prepared are we when we embark on business ventures abroad? Without cultural literacy, can we conduct effective diplomacy?

As foreign companies, enterprises and organizations move into places like Africa, should they bring their values and ways of doing things to Africa, or should they adapt to the African ways? What are the pros and cons of either strategy? Some people talk about international standards. Are these international standards, or just European and American?

Such are the questions this workshop will address, building on Professor Mbele’s experience in conducting such workshops in the U.S.A. and Tanzania. His knowledge and experience will open new doors and new horizons. The workshop will be interactive, with participants freely asking questions and contributing their own perspectives. This strategy worked well in previous workshops, and this workshop should be even better.

Registration at the conference venue: Arusha Community Church
Fee: 20,000 shillings
Inquiries: info@africonexion.com
Phone: 0717 413 073

Workshop: "Culture, Globalization and Development" (TICC, June 12)

Plans for my "Culture and Globalization" workshops in Tanzania this summer are proceeding apace. I will conduct the first one on June 12 at the Meeting Point Tanga. Read here

Planning for Afrifest 2010

Planning for Afrifest 2010 got into high gear today, at the First Cup Cafe in South Minneapolis. The Afrifest board met and went briskly through the agenda, emerging with concrete plans for the annual cultural festival, scheduled for August 7 this year.
Nathan White, chair, informed us that the venue for Afrifest 2010, MEC Event Center in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, is confirmed. The Center for Families has agreed to be the fiscal agent for Afrifest. We approved the Bylaws and Articles of Incorporation of the Afrifest Foundation.

The Afrifest Foundation starts its work with the following leaders: Nathan White, second from right (Executive Director); Joseph Mbele, right (Chairperson); Pat Gebes, second from left (Board member); LaTonya Harris, left (Secretary); Milpha Blamo, not in the photo (Treasurer); Lee Tyree, not in the photo (Board member).

Our main task now contacting artists, exhibitors, vendors, and sponsors. We are publicizing the event and inviting everyone. We have a big venue, with plenty of exhibition space. Booths are free for non-profits, $25 for artists, and $50 for vendors. For more details, visit the Afrifest website website and Facebook page.

Preparations for Afrifest 2010

On February 20, I went to Minneapolis to attend a meeting of the board of Afrifest, an annual Pan African festival held in the Twin Cities, Minnesota, to showcase the history and contributions of people of African descent in the world.
We met at the 1st Cup Cafe in South Minneapolis, a popular venue among Africans and others for meetings, presentations, book events, and entertainment.
This was the first planning meeting for Afrifest 2010. Nathan White, seen in the photo above, second from the right, chaired the meeting. He is the founder of Afrifest. Several members of the board were not able to attend this meeting. I have been a member of the Afrifest board from the beginning, my main contribution to the festival being to present the history of the African people from their origins in Africa to where they are today, across the world, noting, especially, their contributions in the cultural field. I have done this using a display of posters, alongside my writings. As an educator, I enjoy talking with children, parents, young people and adults about these matters.
In this meeting we dwelt mostly on reviewing the proposed constitution of the Afrifest Foundation. We have decided to reconstitute Afrifest, making it a foundation.
As board members we are all volunteers, but the rewards of working on the mission and programs of Afrifest are great, in terms of learning and teaching others about our heritage and present reality as people of African descent. We feel we are following, albeit in a small way, the footsteps of the likes of Marcus Garvey, Kwame Nkrumah, W.B. Dubois, Gamal Abdel Nasser, Jomo Kenyatta, Julius Nyerere, Malcolm X, Bob Marley and Walter Rodney. That affords immense satisfaction and the will to keep working, even in the face of challenges.
We selected August 7 as the date for Afrifest 2010. As in the past, we will have a number of planning meetings leading up to that day. We look forward to another great event, with educational displays, fashion and talent shows, vendors, music and great networking opportunities.

RBC Wealth Management Confronts Cultural Diversity

I visited the RBC Wealth Management premises in Minneapolis earlier today, to share ideas about cross-cultural issues at the workplace and in the world as such. With operations and offices around the world, RBC Wealth Management knows the challenges and opportunities of cultural diversity in the global village.

I have visited RBC Wealth Management several times in the past few years, to share my experience as a cultural consultant. I greatly appreciate the warmth and hospitality I have always experienced there.

My interactions with leaders and employees have broadened and sharpened my awareness of what a company with a multinational workforce deals with, in terms of workforce relationships and management. I seek to enhance my understanding of these matters all the time, so that I can be a better and better as a consultant. My goal is that simple and clear.

Many employees of RBC Wealth Managenemt have read my Africans and Americans book, and I am always humbled to encounter them as I move around the Company premises. At their reguest, my talk today was based on this book.

We ranged widely, covering not only issues of relationships at work, but also hiring and promotion, and beyond the specific goals of enhancing company productivity, we talked about the broader issue of promoting mutual understanding for a better future for all in the global village.

I wish to thank Wanda Brackins, Director of Diversity at RBC Wealth Management, for arranging all my visits and for sharing with me her wide and deep knowledge of cultural diversity in the modern corporate setting.

My First Book in Swahili

The year 2009 will remain special in my life as a writer. I published my first book in Swahili, a collection of articles I wrote for a Tanzanian weekly newspaper.


I accepted the invitation to write these articles with some trepidation, even though I found the challenge alluring. I did not have the experience of sustained writing in Swahili. I knew that I had to discipline myself and write in formal Swahili, devoid of code switching.

To sharpen my Swahili and build my confidence, I read the writings of Shaaban Robert, the doyen of Swahili writing in our era. I read his Maisha Yangu na Baada ya Miaka Hamsini, Adili na Nduguze, and Kusadikika, all available from Mkuki na Nyota Publishers.

The choice of topics was entirely mine. I wrote about political, economic, educational and cultural issues pertaining to Tanzania, with constant references to the differences between Tanzanian and American realities.

Now Changamoto is out, in both printed and e-book formats. To call it a labour of love would be somewhat disingenuous and an understatement. Semantics aside, the experience of writing has been both purgatorial and humbling.

I rarely read my own publications. I prefer to be writing something else. However, even though this little book is far more modest than my other writings, I return to it again and again, reading parts of it, hearing my own voice, still wondering how I managed to write a book in Swahili.

Cultural orientation for Gustavus Adolphus students

Today, I met with students from Gustavus Adolphus College, as part of their orientation for an up-coming study trip to Tanzania. They have been reading my Africans and Americans book, and I was happy to be with them, for over two hours, sharing my views and answering their questions.

I had talked with students from Gustavus Adolphus College before, as I reported here. It is always pleasant to be with people like these students, whose desire to learn and broaden their horizons inspires them to go to the remotest corners of the world. What place on earth could be farther away from Gustavus Adolphus College, Minnesota, than the village of Tungamalenga, in Tanzania's Iringa region? Tungamalenga was exactly where these students were going, alongside several other places in Tanzania.
Like last year, my preliminary remarks dwelt on what I consider the greatest challenge we all face when we visit or live in a foreign culture: to see and understand the other culture on its own terms.
As I looked around the room, I saw only excitement on the students' faces, and positive anticipation. There were copies of my book all around the room, and it was humbling to know that people are actually paying attention to what I wrote and want to know more.
Above, first on the left, is Professor Barbara Zust, who invited me to speak with this group, just as she did last year. Next to her is a relative of hers.
It was a very cold day in Minnesota, but we had had a wide-ranging and heartwarming conversation. Now it was time for the travelers to go back inside and conclude their orientation and get ready for the long flight to Tanzania.

A Conversation with Engineers Without Borders

I have just returned, this evening, from the University of Minnesota, where I gave a talk to the University of Minnesota Chapter of Engineers Without Borders. The invitation to speak to EWB stemmed from a short presentation I made to Compatible Technologies International, which I reported on this blog.

The EWB are involved in projects in Uganda, working together with the Uganda Rural Fund. I like EWB's commitment to respecting local initiatives and focusing on sustainability. I dwelt on the cultural aspects of such ventures involving people of different cultures. I stressed that any interaction involving people of different cultures ought to include cultural learning by all, from the very beginning, and throughout.

Cultural factors may appear of little consequence in a project such as building wells, as people of different cultures will easily agree on the value of such a project and on the need to accomplish it. In the implementation, however, cultural issues are bound to crop up which could hamper the project and sour relations between the people involved. Drawing from my "Africans and Americans" book, featured on the right of this page, I gave examples of cultural differences that Americans and Africans need to be aware of. Some of the EWB have already been to Uganda and could relate to what I was saying. Following my presentation, we had a lively question and answer session. We look forward to continuing working together.

Cultural Tourism Model: Mto wa Mbu

The Mto wa Mbu Cultural Tourism Program is alive and well, as I noted in an earlier blog post. Now comes the news that the Program has been selected as a model for other such programs in Tanzania. I offer my congratulations, as a friend of the Program.

Here is the report, in the Arusha Times:

By Arusha Times Correspondent

A cultural tourism project at Mto wa Mbu in Arusha region has been picked to serve as a model for others initiated in various parts of the country.

The project has been attracting an increased number of visitors and revenues over the past seven year, generating some Sh63.6 million in 2007 when it hosted 4,094 tourists.

Mto wa Mbu, a fast growing township at the foot of the Great Rift Valley escarpment, is a gateway to the most famous tourist sites in northernTanzania.

The site is among 27 projects being implemented under the Cultural Tourism Programme (CTP) which aims to tap the potential of cultural relics in the country for tourism.

The programme was launched in 1997 with the support of a Netherlands organisation (SNV) which managed it until 2002 when it was taken over by the Government through the Tanzania Tourist Board (TTB).

Mary Lwoga, the programme coordinator said the Mto wa Mbu cultural tourism enterprises would be propelled to become a leading site because of its prime location and cultural diversity of the area.

She told reporters that the area has been attracting more tourists whose number has more than tripled from 1,116 in 2002 to 4,094 in 2007.

She said the Government was keen to give a bigger push to cultural tourism because it has a big potential to boost the broader tourism industry, now the leading sector in foreign exchange earnings.

"Cultural tourism is much broader than historical sites and curio shops. In this case, visitors have to be exposed the typical lifestyles of the local communities; their traditional food, dressing, dances and so on and so forth" she said.

She added that Tanzania is endowed with the rich cultural heritage of more than 120 ethnic groups and that since its launching, the programme is already attracting about 30,000 foreign tourists a year to its 27 sites.

"CTP provides visitors with authentic cultural experiences that combine nature, scenery, folklore, ceremonies, dances, rituals, tales, art, handicrafts and hospitality and give a unique insight into their way of life," she pointed out.

Many of the projects which have taken off so far are in the northern tourist circuit extending from Lushoto in Tanga region, through Kilimanjaro and Arusha regions to Babati and Hanang in Manyara.

Outside the northern circuit similar cultural tourism projects are at Mbeya and Rungwe in the southern highlands and Pangani on the coast.

Mto wa Mbu was one of the early cultural heritage projects to be established under the programme, now based at the Natural History Museum premises in Arusha. ends

Revenue from the tourist visits is mainly used to empower women in the villages, promote education and protect the environment.

Culture and Companionship Retreat, 2009

I woke up early yesterday and drove to the Luther Point Bible Camp near Grantsburg, Wisconsin, to participate in the Culture and Companionship Retreat which I mentioned in an earlier post.

The meeting, a gathering of lay Lutherans and clergy, started slightly after 10 in the morning. It is somewhat interesting that I, a Catholic, have grown so used to interacting with American Lutherans that I feel entirely at home in their company. This is as it should be.

The focus of the Retreat was how we might study the Gospel with people of other cultures. We thought hard and shared ideas freely. We found ourselves wading deeper and deeper into a tangled thicket of surprises and dilemmas, as we explored the question of how our cultural backgrounds shape our understanding of Biblical texts, making it impossible to know what any story in the Bible might mean to people of different cultures. As part of this conversation, I shared the story "Did Jesus Christ Ever Kill a Lion?"

The idea of multiple interpretations, so central in contemporary literary theory, applies as well to the Bible. As is the case with all reading and interpretation, the issues that matter to us as we read the Bible, the aspects that attract our attention and those that don't all have something to do with our cultural background and values. Often that background is the defining principle. No one culture can claim ultimate or sole authority to interpret the Biblical texts and impose that interpretation on other cultures. We must have a dialogue, respectful of our cultural differences, and mindful of the need to hear all interpretations and value them. That is an integral part of the concept and ideal of companionship and accompaniment.

We were a gathering of Christians, but we realized that although we all believe in God, every culture deserves the right to interpret the stories, the language, and the concepts of the Bible in ways that are meaningful to them. Fortunately, that recognition is gaining ground around the world, contesting the earlier missionary idea that sought to convert everyone around a single, mostly Eurocentric intepretation. My own spin on this idea is to refer to folklore, which amply demonstrates how the essential message of Creation, of man's subsequent alienation from the Creator, concepts of good and evil, and so on, appear in the indigenous mythology of people all over the world.

We learned a great deal, challenging the very ideas and beliefs that many of us, perhaps most, had hitherto taken for granted. We thereby laid the groundwork for future retreats, by raising so many questions requiring further reflection.

Culture and Companionship Retreat, 2009

I just received an invitation to participate as a presenter in a Retreat scheduled for March 26, 2009. This is a gathering of Lutherans involved in building relationships with fellow Lutherans in Africa and elsewhere. We had a similar retreat at the same place last year, which I mentioned here.
Apparently, that retreat went so well that the organizers wanted to have it again. While the topic last year was Mission and Accompaniment, this year it will be Culture and Companionship. I am pleased to be invited as a presenter again, delighted that the retreat is going to focus on culture, a topic most dear to me.

I look back on the experience of last year, and the discussions we had, of the theory and practice of Accompaniment as articulated by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the discussions of the challenges and opportunities of establishing partnerships between American congregations and congregations in Africa and other parts of the world. I recall, as well, the warm fellowship that pervaded our gathering.














Here I am with a fellow presenter on that day, sharing ideas.














Sharing ideas with a fellow presenter.














Talks in small groups are a great way to consolidate and expand on what transpires in the larger gathering.














I had been asked to bring my books, and here I am signing copies.














We took a group photo, to record this memorable day.

With all these memories alive in my mind, I look forward to the forthcoming Retreat. I look forward to intense and valuable conversations on the place of culture in human interactions. I believe strongly that, perhaps more than anything else, cultural differences are the most serious challenge we have to address when we seek to work with people of a different culture. Unless we understand them and find ways to leverage them, perhaps turning them into opportunities, the cultural differences will be a perpetual stumbling block or a nightmare.