Chinua Achebe acknowledges that while European colonialism disrupted Igbo culture, it also benefited the Nigerian Igbo people in some ways. Specifically, it contributed to improvements in human behavior by stopping harmful practices like killing twins and mutilating children, established education systems and hospitals, introduced a government and legal system, and increased economic activity and wealth through trade. Overall, Achebe argues that colonialism had both positive and negative impacts on the Igbo people of Nigeria.
Things Fall Apart is the debut novel by Nigerian author Chinua Achebe, first published in 1958. It depicts pre-colonial life in the southeastern part of Nigeria and the invasion by Europeans during the late 19th century.
Things Fall Apart is the debut novel by Nigerian author Chinua Achebe, first published in 1958. It depicts pre-colonial life in the southeastern part of Nigeria and the invasion by Europeans during the late 19th century.
The Roman Empire A Historical Colossus.pdfkaushalkr1407
The Roman Empire, a vast and enduring power, stands as one of history's most remarkable civilizations, leaving an indelible imprint on the world. It emerged from the Roman Republic, transitioning into an imperial powerhouse under the leadership of Augustus Caesar in 27 BCE. This transformation marked the beginning of an era defined by unprecedented territorial expansion, architectural marvels, and profound cultural influence.
The empire's roots lie in the city of Rome, founded, according to legend, by Romulus in 753 BCE. Over centuries, Rome evolved from a small settlement to a formidable republic, characterized by a complex political system with elected officials and checks on power. However, internal strife, class conflicts, and military ambitions paved the way for the end of the Republic. Julius Caesar’s dictatorship and subsequent assassination in 44 BCE created a power vacuum, leading to a civil war. Octavian, later Augustus, emerged victorious, heralding the Roman Empire’s birth.
Under Augustus, the empire experienced the Pax Romana, a 200-year period of relative peace and stability. Augustus reformed the military, established efficient administrative systems, and initiated grand construction projects. The empire's borders expanded, encompassing territories from Britain to Egypt and from Spain to the Euphrates. Roman legions, renowned for their discipline and engineering prowess, secured and maintained these vast territories, building roads, fortifications, and cities that facilitated control and integration.
The Roman Empire’s society was hierarchical, with a rigid class system. At the top were the patricians, wealthy elites who held significant political power. Below them were the plebeians, free citizens with limited political influence, and the vast numbers of slaves who formed the backbone of the economy. The family unit was central, governed by the paterfamilias, the male head who held absolute authority.
Culturally, the Romans were eclectic, absorbing and adapting elements from the civilizations they encountered, particularly the Greeks. Roman art, literature, and philosophy reflected this synthesis, creating a rich cultural tapestry. Latin, the Roman language, became the lingua franca of the Western world, influencing numerous modern languages.
Roman architecture and engineering achievements were monumental. They perfected the arch, vault, and dome, constructing enduring structures like the Colosseum, Pantheon, and aqueducts. These engineering marvels not only showcased Roman ingenuity but also served practical purposes, from public entertainment to water supply.
Read| The latest issue of The Challenger is here! We are thrilled to announce that our school paper has qualified for the NATIONAL SCHOOLS PRESS CONFERENCE (NSPC) 2024. Thank you for your unwavering support and trust. Dive into the stories that made us stand out!
2024.06.01 Introducing a competency framework for languag learning materials ...Sandy Millin
http://sandymillin.wordpress.com/iateflwebinar2024
Published classroom materials form the basis of syllabuses, drive teacher professional development, and have a potentially huge influence on learners, teachers and education systems. All teachers also create their own materials, whether a few sentences on a blackboard, a highly-structured fully-realised online course, or anything in between. Despite this, the knowledge and skills needed to create effective language learning materials are rarely part of teacher training, and are mostly learnt by trial and error.
Knowledge and skills frameworks, generally called competency frameworks, for ELT teachers, trainers and managers have existed for a few years now. However, until I created one for my MA dissertation, there wasn’t one drawing together what we need to know and do to be able to effectively produce language learning materials.
This webinar will introduce you to my framework, highlighting the key competencies I identified from my research. It will also show how anybody involved in language teaching (any language, not just English!), teacher training, managing schools or developing language learning materials can benefit from using the framework.
Model Attribute Check Company Auto PropertyCeline George
In Odoo, the multi-company feature allows you to manage multiple companies within a single Odoo database instance. Each company can have its own configurations while still sharing common resources such as products, customers, and suppliers.
This is a presentation by Dada Robert in a Your Skill Boost masterclass organised by the Excellence Foundation for South Sudan (EFSS) on Saturday, the 25th and Sunday, the 26th of May 2024.
He discussed the concept of quality improvement, emphasizing its applicability to various aspects of life, including personal, project, and program improvements. He defined quality as doing the right thing at the right time in the right way to achieve the best possible results and discussed the concept of the "gap" between what we know and what we do, and how this gap represents the areas we need to improve. He explained the scientific approach to quality improvement, which involves systematic performance analysis, testing and learning, and implementing change ideas. He also highlighted the importance of client focus and a team approach to quality improvement.
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Ethnobotany and Ethnopharmacology:
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Impact of Ethnobotany in traditional medicine,
New development in herbals,
Bio-prospecting tools for drug discovery,
Role of Ethnopharmacology in drug evaluation,
Reverse Pharmacology.
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An EFL lesson about the current events in Palestine. It is intended to be for intermediate students who wish to increase their listening skills through a short lesson in power point.
How to Make a Field invisible in Odoo 17Celine George
It is possible to hide or invisible some fields in odoo. Commonly using “invisible” attribute in the field definition to invisible the fields. This slide will show how to make a field invisible in odoo 17.
2024 State of Marketing Report – by HubspotMarius Sescu
https://www.hubspot.com/state-of-marketing
· Scaling relationships and proving ROI
· Social media is the place for search, sales, and service
· Authentic influencer partnerships fuel brand growth
· The strongest connections happen via call, click, chat, and camera.
· Time saved with AI leads to more creative work
· Seeking: A single source of truth
· TLDR; Get on social, try AI, and align your systems.
· More human marketing, powered by robots
ChatGPT is a revolutionary addition to the world since its introduction in 2022. A big shift in the sector of information gathering and processing happened because of this chatbot. What is the story of ChatGPT? How is the bot responding to prompts and generating contents? Swipe through these slides prepared by Expeed Software, a web development company regarding the development and technical intricacies of ChatGPT!
The Roman Empire A Historical Colossus.pdfkaushalkr1407
The Roman Empire, a vast and enduring power, stands as one of history's most remarkable civilizations, leaving an indelible imprint on the world. It emerged from the Roman Republic, transitioning into an imperial powerhouse under the leadership of Augustus Caesar in 27 BCE. This transformation marked the beginning of an era defined by unprecedented territorial expansion, architectural marvels, and profound cultural influence.
The empire's roots lie in the city of Rome, founded, according to legend, by Romulus in 753 BCE. Over centuries, Rome evolved from a small settlement to a formidable republic, characterized by a complex political system with elected officials and checks on power. However, internal strife, class conflicts, and military ambitions paved the way for the end of the Republic. Julius Caesar’s dictatorship and subsequent assassination in 44 BCE created a power vacuum, leading to a civil war. Octavian, later Augustus, emerged victorious, heralding the Roman Empire’s birth.
Under Augustus, the empire experienced the Pax Romana, a 200-year period of relative peace and stability. Augustus reformed the military, established efficient administrative systems, and initiated grand construction projects. The empire's borders expanded, encompassing territories from Britain to Egypt and from Spain to the Euphrates. Roman legions, renowned for their discipline and engineering prowess, secured and maintained these vast territories, building roads, fortifications, and cities that facilitated control and integration.
The Roman Empire’s society was hierarchical, with a rigid class system. At the top were the patricians, wealthy elites who held significant political power. Below them were the plebeians, free citizens with limited political influence, and the vast numbers of slaves who formed the backbone of the economy. The family unit was central, governed by the paterfamilias, the male head who held absolute authority.
Culturally, the Romans were eclectic, absorbing and adapting elements from the civilizations they encountered, particularly the Greeks. Roman art, literature, and philosophy reflected this synthesis, creating a rich cultural tapestry. Latin, the Roman language, became the lingua franca of the Western world, influencing numerous modern languages.
Roman architecture and engineering achievements were monumental. They perfected the arch, vault, and dome, constructing enduring structures like the Colosseum, Pantheon, and aqueducts. These engineering marvels not only showcased Roman ingenuity but also served practical purposes, from public entertainment to water supply.
Read| The latest issue of The Challenger is here! We are thrilled to announce that our school paper has qualified for the NATIONAL SCHOOLS PRESS CONFERENCE (NSPC) 2024. Thank you for your unwavering support and trust. Dive into the stories that made us stand out!
2024.06.01 Introducing a competency framework for languag learning materials ...Sandy Millin
http://sandymillin.wordpress.com/iateflwebinar2024
Published classroom materials form the basis of syllabuses, drive teacher professional development, and have a potentially huge influence on learners, teachers and education systems. All teachers also create their own materials, whether a few sentences on a blackboard, a highly-structured fully-realised online course, or anything in between. Despite this, the knowledge and skills needed to create effective language learning materials are rarely part of teacher training, and are mostly learnt by trial and error.
Knowledge and skills frameworks, generally called competency frameworks, for ELT teachers, trainers and managers have existed for a few years now. However, until I created one for my MA dissertation, there wasn’t one drawing together what we need to know and do to be able to effectively produce language learning materials.
This webinar will introduce you to my framework, highlighting the key competencies I identified from my research. It will also show how anybody involved in language teaching (any language, not just English!), teacher training, managing schools or developing language learning materials can benefit from using the framework.
Model Attribute Check Company Auto PropertyCeline George
In Odoo, the multi-company feature allows you to manage multiple companies within a single Odoo database instance. Each company can have its own configurations while still sharing common resources such as products, customers, and suppliers.
This is a presentation by Dada Robert in a Your Skill Boost masterclass organised by the Excellence Foundation for South Sudan (EFSS) on Saturday, the 25th and Sunday, the 26th of May 2024.
He discussed the concept of quality improvement, emphasizing its applicability to various aspects of life, including personal, project, and program improvements. He defined quality as doing the right thing at the right time in the right way to achieve the best possible results and discussed the concept of the "gap" between what we know and what we do, and how this gap represents the areas we need to improve. He explained the scientific approach to quality improvement, which involves systematic performance analysis, testing and learning, and implementing change ideas. He also highlighted the importance of client focus and a team approach to quality improvement.
The Art Pastor's Guide to Sabbath | Steve ThomasonSteve Thomason
What is the purpose of the Sabbath Law in the Torah. It is interesting to compare how the context of the law shifts from Exodus to Deuteronomy. Who gets to rest, and why?
Ethnobotany and Ethnopharmacology:
Ethnobotany in herbal drug evaluation,
Impact of Ethnobotany in traditional medicine,
New development in herbals,
Bio-prospecting tools for drug discovery,
Role of Ethnopharmacology in drug evaluation,
Reverse Pharmacology.
Welcome to TechSoup New Member Orientation and Q&A (May 2024).pdfTechSoup
In this webinar you will learn how your organization can access TechSoup's wide variety of product discount and donation programs. From hardware to software, we'll give you a tour of the tools available to help your nonprofit with productivity, collaboration, financial management, donor tracking, security, and more.
Palestine last event orientationfvgnh .pptxRaedMohamed3
An EFL lesson about the current events in Palestine. It is intended to be for intermediate students who wish to increase their listening skills through a short lesson in power point.
How to Make a Field invisible in Odoo 17Celine George
It is possible to hide or invisible some fields in odoo. Commonly using “invisible” attribute in the field definition to invisible the fields. This slide will show how to make a field invisible in odoo 17.
2024 State of Marketing Report – by HubspotMarius Sescu
https://www.hubspot.com/state-of-marketing
· Scaling relationships and proving ROI
· Social media is the place for search, sales, and service
· Authentic influencer partnerships fuel brand growth
· The strongest connections happen via call, click, chat, and camera.
· Time saved with AI leads to more creative work
· Seeking: A single source of truth
· TLDR; Get on social, try AI, and align your systems.
· More human marketing, powered by robots
ChatGPT is a revolutionary addition to the world since its introduction in 2022. A big shift in the sector of information gathering and processing happened because of this chatbot. What is the story of ChatGPT? How is the bot responding to prompts and generating contents? Swipe through these slides prepared by Expeed Software, a web development company regarding the development and technical intricacies of ChatGPT!
Product Design Trends in 2024 | Teenage EngineeringsPixeldarts
The realm of product design is a constantly changing environment where technology and style intersect. Every year introduces fresh challenges and exciting trends that mold the future of this captivating art form. In this piece, we delve into the significant trends set to influence the look and functionality of product design in the year 2024.
How Race, Age and Gender Shape Attitudes Towards Mental HealthThinkNow
Mental health has been in the news quite a bit lately. Dozens of U.S. states are currently suing Meta for contributing to the youth mental health crisis by inserting addictive features into their products, while the U.S. Surgeon General is touring the nation to bring awareness to the growing epidemic of loneliness and isolation. The country has endured periods of low national morale, such as in the 1970s when high inflation and the energy crisis worsened public sentiment following the Vietnam War. The current mood, however, feels different. Gallup recently reported that national mental health is at an all-time low, with few bright spots to lift spirits.
To better understand how Americans are feeling and their attitudes towards mental health in general, ThinkNow conducted a nationally representative quantitative survey of 1,500 respondents and found some interesting differences among ethnic, age and gender groups.
Technology
For example, 52% agree that technology and social media have a negative impact on mental health, but when broken out by race, 61% of Whites felt technology had a negative effect, and only 48% of Hispanics thought it did.
While technology has helped us keep in touch with friends and family in faraway places, it appears to have degraded our ability to connect in person. Staying connected online is a double-edged sword since the same news feed that brings us pictures of the grandkids and fluffy kittens also feeds us news about the wars in Israel and Ukraine, the dysfunction in Washington, the latest mass shooting and the climate crisis.
Hispanics may have a built-in defense against the isolation technology breeds, owing to their large, multigenerational households, strong social support systems, and tendency to use social media to stay connected with relatives abroad.
Age and Gender
When asked how individuals rate their mental health, men rate it higher than women by 11 percentage points, and Baby Boomers rank it highest at 83%, saying it’s good or excellent vs. 57% of Gen Z saying the same.
Gen Z spends the most amount of time on social media, so the notion that social media negatively affects mental health appears to be correlated. Unfortunately, Gen Z is also the generation that’s least comfortable discussing mental health concerns with healthcare professionals. Only 40% of them state they’re comfortable discussing their issues with a professional compared to 60% of Millennials and 65% of Boomers.
Race Affects Attitudes
As seen in previous research conducted by ThinkNow, Asian Americans lag other groups when it comes to awareness of mental health issues. Twenty-four percent of Asian Americans believe that having a mental health issue is a sign of weakness compared to the 16% average for all groups. Asians are also considerably less likely to be aware of mental health services in their communities (42% vs. 55%) and most likely to seek out information on social media (51% vs. 35%).
AI Trends in Creative Operations 2024 by Artwork Flow.pdfmarketingartwork
This article is all about what AI trends will emerge in the field of creative operations in 2024. All the marketers and brand builders should be aware of these trends for their further use and save themselves some time!
A report by thenetworkone and Kurio.
The contributing experts and agencies are (in an alphabetical order): Sylwia Rytel, Social Media Supervisor, 180heartbeats + JUNG v MATT (PL), Sharlene Jenner, Vice President - Director of Engagement Strategy, Abelson Taylor (USA), Alex Casanovas, Digital Director, Atrevia (ES), Dora Beilin, Senior Social Strategist, Barrett Hoffher (USA), Min Seo, Campaign Director, Brand New Agency (KR), Deshé M. Gully, Associate Strategist, Day One Agency (USA), Francesca Trevisan, Strategist, Different (IT), Trevor Crossman, CX and Digital Transformation Director; Olivia Hussey, Strategic Planner; Simi Srinarula, Social Media Manager, The Hallway (AUS), James Hebbert, Managing Director, Hylink (CN / UK), Mundy Álvarez, Planning Director; Pedro Rojas, Social Media Manager; Pancho González, CCO, Inbrax (CH), Oana Oprea, Head of Digital Planning, Jam Session Agency (RO), Amy Bottrill, Social Account Director, Launch (UK), Gaby Arriaga, Founder, Leonardo1452 (MX), Shantesh S Row, Creative Director, Liwa (UAE), Rajesh Mehta, Chief Strategy Officer; Dhruv Gaur, Digital Planning Lead; Leonie Mergulhao, Account Supervisor - Social Media & PR, Medulla (IN), Aurelija Plioplytė, Head of Digital & Social, Not Perfect (LI), Daiana Khaidargaliyeva, Account Manager, Osaka Labs (UK / USA), Stefanie Söhnchen, Vice President Digital, PIABO Communications (DE), Elisabeth Winiartati, Managing Consultant, Head of Global Integrated Communications; Lydia Aprina, Account Manager, Integrated Marketing and Communications; Nita Prabowo, Account Manager, Integrated Marketing and Communications; Okhi, Web Developer, PNTR Group (ID), Kei Obusan, Insights Director; Daffi Ranandi, Insights Manager, Radarr (SG), Gautam Reghunath, Co-founder & CEO, Talented (IN), Donagh Humphreys, Head of Social and Digital Innovation, THINKHOUSE (IRE), Sarah Yim, Strategy Director, Zulu Alpha Kilo (CA).
Trends In Paid Search: Navigating The Digital Landscape In 2024Search Engine Journal
The search marketing landscape is evolving rapidly with new technologies, and professionals, like you, rely on innovative paid search strategies to meet changing demands.
It’s important that you’re ready to implement new strategies in 2024.
Check this out and learn the top trends in paid search advertising that are expected to gain traction, so you can drive higher ROI more efficiently in 2024.
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Watch Sreekant Lanka from iQuanti and Irina Klein from OneMain Financial as they dive into the future of paid search and explore the trends, strategies, and technologies that will shape the search marketing landscape.
If you’re looking to assess your paid search strategy and design an industry-aligned plan for 2024, then this webinar is for you.
5 Public speaking tips from TED - Visualized summarySpeakerHub
From their humble beginnings in 1984, TED has grown into the world’s most powerful amplifier for speakers and thought-leaders to share their ideas. They have over 2,400 filmed talks (not including the 30,000+ TEDx videos) freely available online, and have hosted over 17,500 events around the world.
With over one billion views in a year, it’s no wonder that so many speakers are looking to TED for ideas on how to share their message more effectively.
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Whether you are gearing up to get on a TED stage yourself, or just want to master the skills that so many of their speakers possess, these tips and quotes from Chris Anderson, the TED Talks Curator, will encourage you to make the most impactful impression on your audience.
See the full article and more summaries like this on SpeakerHub here: https://speakerhub.com/blog/5-presentation-tips-ted-gives-its-speakers
See the original article on Forbes here:
http://www.forbes.com/forbes/welcome/?toURL=http://www.forbes.com/sites/carminegallo/2016/05/06/5-public-speaking-tips-ted-gives-its-speakers/&refURL=&referrer=#5c07a8221d9b
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Businesses that extract maximum value from ChatGPT will use it as a collaborative tool for everything from brainstorming to technical maintenance.
For individuals, now is the time to pinpoint the skills the future professional will need to thrive in the AI age.
Check out this presentation to understand what ChatGPT is, how it will shape the future of work, and how you can prepare to take advantage.
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COLONIALISM AS A REDEEMING EVIL IN CHINUA ACHEBE'S THINGS FALL APART (FINAL).pptx
1.
2. • born Albert Chinualumogu Achebe (16 Nov. 1930 – 21
March 2013)
• one of the leading intellectual figures in Africa and in the
world of literature; a university professor in Nigeria and
USA (Bard and Brown) and the most widely read of
contemporary African writers.
3. • Achebe’s first novel; set in the 1890s; reflecting authentic
presentation of the Nigerian Igbo social, political, economic,
religious, psychologial and personal issues of the Nigerian Igbo.
• a response and antidote to a large tradition of European
literature in which Africans are depicted as primitive and
mindless savages.
• focus on the traditions of Igbo society and the effects of
colonialism.
4. • Colonialism is the settlement of territory, the exploitation
or development of resources, and the attempt to govern
the indigenous inhabitants of occupied lands, often by
force (Boehmer, 2005).
• The phenomena associated with colonialism include
monopolistic, seizure of territory, enslavement of the
indigeneous people, racism, and militarism (Daniel, 1980)
• Other European powers acknowleged Britain’s power over
Nigera in the 1885 Berlin Conference, but the colonial
period proper in it lasted from 1900 to 1960.
5. • Chinua Achebe maintains his objective and honest stance in the novel.
• He presents not only the richness and potentialities of the Igbo but also
some irrational beliefs and follies of the Igbo, i.e. human sacrifice,
abandonment of infant twins and the bodies inflicted with strange
illness to forest, mutilation of the ogbanje, etc.
In Morning Yet on Creation Day, Achebe states, “But the bounties of the Christian God
(personified in colonial missionary or evangelism) were not to be taken lightly—education,
paid jobs, and many other advantages that nobody in his right senses could underrate. And
in fairness we should add that there was more than naked opportunism in the defection of
many to the new religion (Christianity). For in some ways and in certain circumstances it
stood firmly on the side of humane behaviour. It said, for instance, that twins were not evil
and must no longer be abandoned in the forest to die. Think what that would have done
for that unhappy woman whose heart torn to shreds at every birth could now hold on
precariously to a new hope.” (Achebe, 1982: 65)
6. • Achebe is successful in making readers aware that
although the effect of European colonialism challenges
the culture of Igbo, the benefits of it can also be seen
(Kenalemang, 2013).
• Unlike many other African writers of his generation,
Achebe did not see colonial rule as something that
could be transcended simply by an appeal to a heroic
and romantic African past, while other writers had seen
the culture of colonialism as the antithesis of an African
identity (Gikandi, 1991).
7. DISCUSSION
Chinua Achebe, in spite of his severe criticism
of the colonialism in Africa, unpretentiously
acknowledges its contributions to the Nigerian
Igbo, especially to human behavior, education,
health and economic development.
8. The Contributions of Colonialism to the Nigerian Igbo
EVIL
PRACTICES IN
THE
NIGERIAN
IGBO
SOCIETY
1.
THROWING
THE NEW
BORN TWINS
2.
MUTILATING
OGBANJE
3.
HUMAN
SACRIFICE
4. NO PLACE
FOR OSU
(THE
OUTCASTS)
5. NO BURIAL FOR
THOSE WHO DIE IN
THE WEEK OF PEACE,
DUE TO
COMMITTING
SUICIDE AND SOME
CERTAIN ILLNESS
9. 1. Contribution to Human Behaviour
“twins were an offence on the land and must be
destroyed. And if the clan did not exact punishment
for an offense against the great goddess, her wrath
was loosed on all the land and not just on the
offender.
(Achebe, 2000: 88)
1.1 THE STOPPAGE OF KILLING THE INFANT TWINS
10. • Nwoye and Obierika thought of the twins who were
thrown to the forest to die just after they were born.
... they heard the voice of an infant crying in the thick
forest... Nwoye had heard that twins were put in
earthenware pots and thrown away in the forest, ...
(Achebe, 2000: 43)
• Obierika is struck with mourn when:
“he remembered his wife’s twin children, whom he had
thrown away.” He asked, “What crime had they
committed?” (Achebe, 2000: 88)
11. • The religion brought by the colonizers
welcomes the mothers as well as
their new born twins.
“Nneka had had four previous pregnancies and child-births.
But each time she had borne twins, and they had been
immediately thrown away. Her husband and his family were
already becoming highly critical of such a woman and were
not unduly perturbed when they found she had fled to join
the Christians.”
(Achebe, 2000: 107)
12. • Nwoye also converts into the religion brought by the colonizers
since he finds no reasons why twins have to be thrown away and
why human beings, like Ikemefuna, has to be sacrificed as “the
Oracle of the hills and caves has pronounced.”
• The Oracle also has told the people of Abame to kill the white
men coming to their village:
the strange man would break their clan and spread destruction among
them. ... And so they killed the white man and tied his iron horse to their
sacred tree because it looked as if it would run away to call the man’s
friends. (Achebe, 2000: 97).
Achebe, through the words of a native, Uchendu,
acknowledges the irrational thought: “Those men of people
of Abame were fools”. (Achebe, 2000: 98)
13. • Igbo people believe that ‘Ogbanje’ (one of the wicked
children who, when they died, would enter their mothers’
wombs to be born again) is an evil spirit that would
plague a family with misfortune so that whenever, a new
born child considered as an Ogbanje died, it will be
mutilated.
The medicine man then ordered that there should be no mourning for
the dead child. He brought out a sharp razor from the goatskin bag slung
from his left shoulder and began to mutilate the child. Then he took it
away to bury in the Evil Forest, holding it by the ankle and dragging it on
the ground behind him. (Achebe, 2000: 55)
1.2 The Stoppage of Mutilating the Ogbanje
14. • Colonialism with their religion has restored morals, humanity,
freedom, and dignity to the Osu, the outcasts (a taboo for ever, poor,
helpless, living in isolation from the people; like untouchables and
unfortunate people sacrificed to gods and goddesses for protection).
These outcasts, or osu, seeing that the new religion welcomed twins
and such abominations, thought that it was possible that they would
also be received. And so one Sunday two of them went into the church.
There was an immediate stir; but so great was the work the new religion
had done among the converts that they did not immediately leave the
church when the outcasts came in.
(Achebe, 2000: 111)
1.3 The Acceptence of the Osu (the Outcasts)
15. • It is an abomination for a man to die during the Week of Peace (a
week before the planting season which is observed by the Igbo
people to respect the earth goddess).
‘... in some clans it is an abomination for a man to die during the Week
of Peace.’
‘It is indeed true,’ said Ogbuefi Ezeudu. ‘They have that custom in
Obodoani. If a man dies at this time, he is not buried but cast into the
Evil Forest. It is a bad custom which these people observe because
they lack understanding.’
(Achebe, 2000: 23)
1.4 The Stoppage of Throwing Dead Bodies to Forest
16. • A man afflicted with swelling in the stomach and the
limbs is not allowed to die in the house.
• It’s an abomination to the earh goddess.
He died of the swelling which was an abomination to the earth goddess. When a
man was afflicted with swelling in the stomach and the limbs, he was not allowed
to die in the house. He was carried to the Evil Forest and left there to die. There
was the story of a very stubborn man who staggered back to his house and had to
be carried again to the forest and tied to a tree. The sickness was an abomination
to the earth, and so the victim could not be buried in her bowels. He died and
rotted away above the earth, and was not given the first or the second burial.
Such was Unoka’s fate.
(Achebe, 2000: 13)
17. • The dead body due to committing suicide
cannot be touched and burried by his clansmen
since it is also an abomination to the earth
goddess.
“It is against our custom. It is an abomination for a man
to take his own life. It is an offence against the Earth,
and a man who commits it will not be buried by his
clansmen. His body is evil, and only strangers may touch
it.” (Achebe, 2000: 147)
18. • The irrational punishment to the man killing his
clansman.
“As soon as the day broke, a large crowd of men from
Ezeudu's quarter stormed Okonkwo's compound, dressed in
garbs of war. They set fire to his houses, demolished his red
walls, killed his animals and destroyed his barn. It was the
justice of the earth goddess, and they were merely her
messengers.
(Achebe, 2000: 88)
1.5 The Stoppage of the Irrational Punishment
19. • Apart from the establishment of religion, the
colonizers also build schools and hospitals.
And so he built a school and a little hospital in Umuofia. He went from family to
family begging people to send their children to his school...
More people came to learn in his school, and he encouraged them with gifts of
singlets and towels. They were not all young, these people who came to learn. Some
of them were thirty years old or more. They worked on their farms in the morning and
went to school in the afternoon. And it was not long before the people began to say
that the white man’s medicine was quick in working. Mr. Brown's school produced
quick results. A few months in it were enough to make one a court messenger or
even a court clerk. Those who stayed longer became teachers; and from Umuofia
laborers went forth into the Lord's vineyard. New churches were established in the
surrounding villages and a few schools with them. (Achebe, 2000: 128)
2. Contribution to Education and Health
20. But apart from the church, the white man had
also brought a government. They had built a
court... The messengers guarded the prison,
which was full of men who had offended against
the white man’s law. Some of these prisoners
had thrown away their twins ... (Achebe, 2000:
123)
3. Contribution to Government System and Laws
21. The white man had indeed brought a lunatic religion,
but he had also built a trading store and for the first
time palm-oil and kernel became things of great
price, and much money flowed into Umuofia.
(Achebe, 2000: 126)
4. Contribution to Economic Development
22. CONCLUSION
Colonialism has contributed much to the development
and civilization of the Igbo people, especially to human
behaviour (establishment of religion, government and
courts), health (building hospitals), education (building
schools) and economic development (building trading
store).
Colonialism deserves to be called: