The Colbert Factor:
Bobe Funkvin was a popular and revered indigene of Abuh village situated adjacent to Muteff village in Fundong Subdivision of the Boyo Division of the North West Region of Cameroon. At the age of 90, he faced great personal turmoil, hunted down by an illness that left him needing assistance with everything. Yet, his readily available children were rather uncooperative, often walking away whenever his father called for help.
Bobe Funkvin's relief came when his obedient son returned home from the coast and stayed by his side. However, this respite was short-lived as one fateful day, he heard the wailing and crying of women in the compound, announcing the sudden death of his son in broad daylight. In despair, Bobe Funkvin exclaimed, "O ikvɨ-o, và læ kvi-ò".
This Kom language (itanghi-kom) exclamation roughly translates to "Death, You Shall die." This expression, uttered by an unlettered man (who has never seen the four walls of a classroom), and unfamiliar with John Donne's poem "Death, be not proud...Death, thou shalt die," served as a testament to the universality of human experience and the shared quest for meaning and understanding that transcends cultural boundaries.
Unlike Donne John, who wrote and documented the poem "Death be not proud..." at the time of his health challenges and after converting to Anglicanism, Bobe Funkvin was never known to have converted to Christianity. Yet, his expression "Death, you shall die" echoes the biblical promise of Revelation 21:4: which holds that: "And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death."
The wisdom of Bobe Funkvin, though unrecognized and undocumented, highlights the rich cultural heritage and philosophical traditions of Africa. His story is a beautiful illustration of how African cultures and traditions have been marginalized and overlooked and how Western perspectives have been privileged over indigenous knowledge and wisdom.
It is for this singular reason that after over 20 years of my journalism practice, I am reminded of the vast, undocumented knowledge that individuals like Bobe Funkvin took to their graves. For years, I proudly quoted extensively from American and European writers, thought leaders, and philosophers, unwittingly undermining the vast wealth of wisdom, philosophies, and indigenous knowledge that lies beneath the African continent. This realization prompted me to invest in writings that draw inspiration from African Indigenous knowledge and people. I've grown disillusioned with the traditional Western-centric approach to news reporting. That's why I've embarked on a journey to redefine the way I write, creating a new style that is authentic, inclusive, and empowering. I call this style "Muteffization" or the "Muteff-komnization" of news reporting.
At its core, the Muteffization or the Muteff-komnization of news reporting is about centering African perspectives, values, and experiences. It's about recognizing the diversity and complexity of African cultures and societies, and reflecting that in our reporting. The Muteffization of news reporting seeks to challenge the dominant Western approach, creating a more immersive, engaging, and inclusive form of storytelling.
This form of storytelling seeks to amplify African voices and perspectives, rather than relying on Western "experts" or stereotypes. It means seeking out diverse sources and listening to African stories. Secondly, it means promoting a more nuanced and accurate understanding of Africa and its people. It means recognizing the agency and dignity of African individuals and communities, and reflecting that in our reporting. Thirdly, it means embracing African values and perspectives, such as ubuntu, which emphasizes interconnectedness and community. It means recognizing the importance of indigenous knowledge and practices and incorporating them into our reporting.
Fourthly, it means redefining development and democracy through an African lens.
While Western-style development lays more emphasis on economic growth, development in the context of Africa emphasizes the creation of a more just, equitable, and sustainable society. However, to make life less tedious here on earth, where we are fated to live before we pass to eternity, Africans also need good roads, electricity, industries, and health facilities. We also need an African lens for a more inclusive and participatory form of democracy, one that reflects the needs and values of African communities. An African lens to news reporting would entail
mainstreaming African terminology.
This would mean that we make a conscious effort to input African terminology and concepts to describe African experiences, rather than relying on Western terminology that often distorts or erases African realities. More importantly, it means training in unbiased African data.
For Africa not to miss out on the 4th Industrial Revolution brought about by Artificial Intelligence, AI, African journalists, and researchers need to train more accurate and unbiased data about Africa for AI, not the biased Western data that misinforms the global community about the true nature of Africa as the cradle of civilization.
But the Muteffization of news reporting is not just about changing the way we write; it's also about contributing to a broader movement to Make Africa Great Again.
Obviously, and before the reigning of the Make America Great Again (MAGA) by the current U.S President, Donald Trump, African movements, including Africans Rising, a Pan-African movement that seeks to promote unity, justice, peace, and dignity for Africans, have been fronting the ideology of a great and truly independent Africa. Another way of doing it would be through the decolonization of Journalism in Africa.
By challenging Western-dominated narratives and promoting African perspectives, we can ultimately help transform into concrete reality the mission and vision of the African Union and the African Media Initiative. It's about creating a more inclusive, equitable, and sustainable media landscape that reflects the diversity and complexity of African experiences.
In the true African spirit of Ubuntu, Muteffization would go beyond bringing African stories from the Muteff or Kom's perspective. We would welcome anecdotes, parallels, and African traditional philosophies and thoughts from other cultural backgrounds in and out of Cameroon, as long as they are authentic and not sci-fi.
To achieve this, we would create a platform where individuals from communities across Cameroon and beyond would share anecdotal stories from their rich cultural backgrounds that could illuminate current happenings in our society and around the world. But as you all know, this type of writing is not easy, cheap, or profitable.
The Western politico-industrial complex and their proxies in Africa can't support such a venture. They would rather fight against it. That's why we would have to rely on readers and lovers of Africa like you. We don't want to depend on funding from any government or big business interest. Your support, and in the African spirit of Ubuntu where everyone is each other's keeper, would make all the difference to us @The Colbert Factor
Any contribution you make would be your own way of contributing to the decolonization of journalism and capacity building in the global South. Your support would enable us to continue amplifying African voices, promoting African excellence, and challenging dominant narratives. In the spirit of Valentine's Day, where love and justice go hand in hand, do justice to this new initiative by donating your widow's mite right now @MTN Momo 677852476 or @Orange Momo 687338370 (Colbert Gwain Fulai). Don't wait for tomorrow. Don't. Wait. For. Tomorrow
Join us on this journey as we redefine the way we write and create a new style that is authentic, inclusive, and empowering. Together, we can create a more nuanced and accurate understanding of Africa and its people and promote a more just, equitable, and sustainable society for all.
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