HARAMBEE RITES OF PASSAGE CORE CURRICULA PROPOSAL FOR BUILDING PAN AFRICAN YOUTH MOVEMENT

The Simba Movement would be a methodology of engaging with our youth in a pro-active, meaningful and sustainable manner. It is also a progressive re-socialization process utilizing African centered paradigms to teach basic community standards of behavior and conduct. In this regard, the Pan African Harambee Movement offers the following Rites of Passage Curriculum for the Simba/Malaika Wachanga: Within the scope and content of the National and/or Pan African Black Council of Elders Movement we have proposed as CAP (Congress of African People), The Harambee Rites of Passage would be instituted from birth to the age 7, in its first stage, 7-14 in its second stage, and 14 - 25 in its third stage, before transitioning to become a full fledged Nation Builder. On the continent, most, if not all, Rites of Passage originate within the confines of the Tribal System. Being a Diasporan African, the Harambee Rites of Passage is designed to be Pan African in scope and content, which would allow for some form of:
1. Standardization
2. Allowing for its content to conform to contemporary needs of African Rebirth/Renaissance.
3. Gives consideration for social and geographical mobility.
4. Preservation of Cultural Integrity
5. Creation of a real Unity Movement of Pan African Youth who share local, regional, National, Pan African and Global Vision of a New World reflective of our Image and Interests as an African People.  

Thus, we arrive at: 

Five Attributes of Rites of Passage

1. Rites of Passage programs in the African/African American/Diaspora community must draw its fundamental instruction and inspiration from the African historical paradigms, processes, procedures, protocols, ceremonial models and positive content, as many of these held African society together for thousands of years, and therefore retain their basic value and function. They must be functional, collective and committing to community and nation building..

2. Rites of Passage must have and preserve a Pan African character and content, maintaining a high level of consistency across cross-national, cross-cultural and cross-ethnic lines while recognizing the two fundamental elements of Pan African ideological unity: the Nguzo Saba in the secular realm, and the Virtues of Ma'at, in the spiritual realm. Because of the widespread knowledge and practice of both of these culturally based ideological themes, they are posed here, as unifying ideological premises from which to build a Unified Pan African Movement. They, in no way negate or interfere with ones religious and/or political views or beliefs, but are meant to serve as a unifying foundation and base of a Global African Nation, with its own ideals, values, interests, and aspirations for a Higher Level of LIfe for our people.

3. A key element of 21st century Rites of Passage is that it also develop a cross generational character and content, which recognizes the various stages of life, birth, childhood, adolescence, adulthood, Elderhood and Ancestor.

4. Rites of Passage in the Era of African Rebirth/Renaissance, post slavery and post colonialism, must also have a therapeutic and healing character and content. Key to this process is that it must be multi-dimensional with emphasis on history, spirituality, STEM, creative/cultural production, defense and security, personal development, finance, Pan Africanism, etc.

5. Rites of Passage must be viewed and developed in the context of African re-socialization and cultural transformation in a world dominated by alien ideologies which inhibit and interrupt our own African sense of identity, purpose and direction. WE must teach our children what makes African people distinct, and those particular attributes which, as Franz Fanon says, give us our unique historical personality, as an African people.

Community Structure and Context for Rites of Passage

Ideally, and aspirationally, Rites of Passage should be administered at the local level by a Council of Elders and/or a Conscious Mentoring Program. Community structures should grow and progress with the following formula. 

1. Block Clubs - These organize local neighborhoods, all of which network with each other for communications and programming purposes.

2. Town Halls  - These should be designed to bring entire towns and/or cities together in order to share communication and address issues of common

 concern.

3. Council of Elders - Each town and/or city should have its own Council of Elders which is networked  with other cities and towns, and which is a subsidiary of  a National Black Council of Elders. All activities and programs within localities should be coordinated and where relevant, administered by the Council of Elders and Queen Mother Programs.

4. Round Tables - Round Tables are designed to interact and exchange with outside agencies for policy formulation, services, and access to applicable resources.

5. National Assembly -  The national assembly is the formation which brings together all sectors of the national community whether identified by location, organization affiliation, profession, labor union, students, youth, female, men, fraternities, etc. Each entity should select on a periodic basis, their representatives to this body.

6. National Congress - This body is a policy and program formulation and implementation body, with administrative responsibilities to be shared with the Council of Elders. Queen Mothers have a consulting role to this body, in keeping with tradition. This body should have Ministers for every area of activity in the National Community, such as transportation, STEM, Finance, Mining, Agriculture, Health, Education, etc. An Ambassador Corps is mandatory, also. National Congresses should also build and administer a National Service for Youth coming out of high school and/or Rites of Passage to serve as apprentices in any industry or service organization where they can earn credits for college or a trade of choice.

7. Diaspora Commonwealth - This body has responsibility to define, defend and develop the interests, 

vision and aspirations of African descendants outside the borders of the African Continent. They have the right and responsibility to raise up a Pan African Army which will also have First Responder responsibilities in the event of Emergencies and/or Natural Disasters, anywhere on earth, where black folk inhabit. 

RITES OF PASSAGE PROPOSAL FOR THE BUILDING OF A PAN AFRICAN YOUTH CORPS/SIMBA WACHANGA:
A SUGGESTED CURRICULUM
by Mwalimu Kabaila on Friday,
July 30, 2010 at 2:30A
The Rites of Passage should address:

1. Developing a Multi-dimensional Personality - A challenge to develop the entire self, through the exploration of all potential and possibilities, on the spiritual, intellectual, mental, and physical plane.
a. learning one of the arts - music, art, poetry, architecture, computer arts,
b. learning African centered spirituality and values training - Maat, Ifa, Dogon, Zulu, Akhan, etc.
c. Basic knowledge and understanding of Black History - Kemet, Songhay, Mali,Ghana Reconstruction, Harlem Renaissance, Black Cultural Revolutiion on, Black Arts Movement.
d. Learning 1 or more African Languages or that POD speak

2. Physical development
a. African Martial arts, Kemetic yoga, meditation, capoeira, etc.
b. routine of running, walking, swimming, hiking, bicycling, etc.
c. Survival and Disaster training - This should be developed into a Global Response Force/Team
d. Team sport can be a substitute in this area

3. Community Orientation
a. Senior escort service
b. Youth Corp training curriculum and means of implementation - Pan African Youth Corps; Community Alert Patrol for gangs and drugs.
c. participation in political campaigns and/or community organizing
d. Regularly scheduled field trips to museums, zoos, plays, park concerts, drives in the country, hiking, camping, bicycling, planetariums, Expos, Family reunions
e. Learning Enviromental concerns and doing Community Farming
f. Volunteering for the Community Marketplace
g. Engaging in Social Entreprneurship as alternative to selling drugs or anti-social survival. Stress on Personal Development.

4. Basic Education and Tutoring
a. Science, Math, Language, writing skills proficiency
b. basic intro to African languages and encouragement to learn at least one extra language.
c. Science, Math, African centered Architecture, computer technology,
d. Maatian  and Mbongi governance systems
e. Matching Career choices with needs of the Community

5. Social Skills
a. relationship training and orientation with reinforcing rituals
b. sexuality from Afrocentric perspective
c. family skills and orientation
d. Communal principles of building community in contemporary society
e. Health - Learning how Food is our Medicine

[6] Economic Values Orientation
a. how to develop, follow and evaluate a personal budget
b. understanding the importance of a personal savings program
c. practicing collective economic investment and/or wealth-building
d. triangular development (Africa, Caribbean, Africa America and other Diasporan communities)
e. Cooperative Economics orientatation
f. Understanding Micro and Macro Economic and Development Planning

[7] Development of Work Habits and Ethics
a. how to plan, use and assess a personal schedule
b. learning to set and accept responsibility for personal priorities
c. practicing collective decision-making and/or organizing
d. Time Management
e. Physical Work out Regimen

{8} Study Abroad
a. Especially in Africa and the Caribbean where we have Black Controlled Countries.

(9) Spiritual Development
a. Maat, Yoruba, Zulu, Akhan, Dogon, etc.
b. wellness, massage, acupuncture, Reiki, meditation

10. Ceromonies should be developed to institute and re-enforce the values and practices taught in ROP. Paradigms from tradition sources, such as the Akhan, Masai, Zulu, Yoruba, Ndebele can be borrowed from as they worked for centuries in traditional society. Ceromonies should be for the start and graduation to and from ROP initiation rites.

Some of the essential goals and objectives here, in my opinion, should be to establish some community standards and expectations for our youth and establish a system of reward and sanctions that reinforce these, and to institute a type of graduation ceremony with progressive African rituals.

SHEREHE - Rites of Passage Celebration, Graduation, Ceremony, Initiation

The Sherehe is the culminating event for the Rites of Passage of young Pan African Youth. The youth must have gone through several necessary modules as outlined above and demonstrated competent and satisfactory completion of all necessary components as designated by his/her mentors. 

At age 14, the youth must have been prepared for graduation to advanced Simba/Malaika status and is ready to become a full participant in the decisions affecting their community/nation. 

1. The initiate must complete a collective project, which will consist of creative arts, such as a collective dance, song, poem, story, art, science project, community planning project, history project, language project or personal growth and development project. If a history project, it may focus on any period, personality, location in the African global community, or topic and/or event in global African history. It can also be a research project in any topical area. Additional ideas are to do a conservation project to plant trees, clear waterways of waste, plant community gardens, beautify communities with flowers, mentor orphans, etc.

2. The initiate must also complete a personal project in the form of a presentation, from 3 to 10 minutes long which must focus on some value, principle, virtue or ethic which is found in any of the spiritual traditions of African people, particularly, of Ma'at, Nguzo Saba (7 Principles of Kwanzaa), Yoruba, Dogon, Akan, Zulu, Mbongi and relate to how these systems contribute to Community Building.

3. This event is to end with a Karamu, a community celebration at which Shahada are presented to each initiate for completion of their required Simba curriculum and all in the community recognize the initiates for their achievements.

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