[ENGLISH] A Study in Igbo - Persuasive Speech
Honourable guests and residents of the Committee,
Over the past few years there has been a significant increase in the loss of our Igbo culture and practices that was once important to all of our lives. Once a society who lived in harsh conditions of the West African environment have changed to a more "Eurocentric" society with European beliefs and a European mindset with no recollection of the Igbo culture.Not long ago people would live peacefully. People would practice their religion peaceful. People would mingle with each other peacefully. That was what our lives were like until Christian Missionaries infiltrate our land. The Church Missionary Society were the first to enter Igboland at the beginning of the Conquest of Africa . Our people thought that such actions would not be harmful to us. We did not know that they would exploit our manpower and resources. The annexation of Igboland to the British Empire truly changed the future of the rich Igbo culture in a way that is unthinkable to all of mankind.
As an Igbo, I have seen the culture that was once a part of Igbo life vanish in front of my eyes. I can not believe that this would happen in the course of my lifetime. As people gradually move on to worship Christian beliefs, this creates tension between those who have kept believing on Igbo deities. This shift in power and cultural practices can greatly affect the ones that really matter the most: our grandchildren and our upcoming offsprings. With the indoctrination of the European ideals to the young ones, The Igbo culture would slowly vanish from everyone's eyes. All of these atrocities have been made possible through Colonialism. Our belief say that killing is permitted only during war. I belief this is saying something towards the European beliefs that is different from our people's. The Igbo culture heavily relies on cooperation between members of the community. I believe that Unity is what kept us going for centuries. Just around 100 year ago, unity was the core of our system. Now we can see the Igbos all over the place. Now we can see the Igbos blindly believing on other deities. Now we can see the Igbos wreaking havoc. How could a foreign society do such negative actions for the sake of one's desires and needs?
If you were to put yourselves in this situation, what would you do? How would you feel that your beloved culture has been wiped away to make space for an invader's needs? As a representative to the Igbo people, I believe that such acts must be stopped. This can be done through the amalgamation of the respected communities. I believe that we can work together and find the best solution. We are all created the same. Whether one follows a different religion or one practices different cultures, we are all the same. Manpower that was spent on instilling fear of inferiority, exclusion, and can be spent on embracing foreign cultures and societies. The Industrial Revolution, which paved the way for Colonialist to advance, became possible thanks to the advancements in technology and collaboration between members of the community regardless of one's class rank and origins. If everyone starts to think in a way that we, world citizens, can interact with each other without distress, we may be able to advance even further. I hope that this speech will widen your perspectives and reconsider the actions of colonialisation in our beloved land.
Thank you for listening.
Over the past few years there has been a significant increase in the loss of our Igbo culture and practices that was once important to all of our lives. Once a society who lived in harsh conditions of the West African environment have changed to a more "Eurocentric" society with European beliefs and a European mindset with no recollection of the Igbo culture.Not long ago people would live peacefully. People would practice their religion peaceful. People would mingle with each other peacefully. That was what our lives were like until Christian Missionaries infiltrate our land. The Church Missionary Society were the first to enter Igboland at the beginning of the Conquest of Africa . Our people thought that such actions would not be harmful to us. We did not know that they would exploit our manpower and resources. The annexation of Igboland to the British Empire truly changed the future of the rich Igbo culture in a way that is unthinkable to all of mankind.
As an Igbo, I have seen the culture that was once a part of Igbo life vanish in front of my eyes. I can not believe that this would happen in the course of my lifetime. As people gradually move on to worship Christian beliefs, this creates tension between those who have kept believing on Igbo deities. This shift in power and cultural practices can greatly affect the ones that really matter the most: our grandchildren and our upcoming offsprings. With the indoctrination of the European ideals to the young ones, The Igbo culture would slowly vanish from everyone's eyes. All of these atrocities have been made possible through Colonialism. Our belief say that killing is permitted only during war. I belief this is saying something towards the European beliefs that is different from our people's. The Igbo culture heavily relies on cooperation between members of the community. I believe that Unity is what kept us going for centuries. Just around 100 year ago, unity was the core of our system. Now we can see the Igbos all over the place. Now we can see the Igbos blindly believing on other deities. Now we can see the Igbos wreaking havoc. How could a foreign society do such negative actions for the sake of one's desires and needs?
If you were to put yourselves in this situation, what would you do? How would you feel that your beloved culture has been wiped away to make space for an invader's needs? As a representative to the Igbo people, I believe that such acts must be stopped. This can be done through the amalgamation of the respected communities. I believe that we can work together and find the best solution. We are all created the same. Whether one follows a different religion or one practices different cultures, we are all the same. Manpower that was spent on instilling fear of inferiority, exclusion, and can be spent on embracing foreign cultures and societies. The Industrial Revolution, which paved the way for Colonialist to advance, became possible thanks to the advancements in technology and collaboration between members of the community regardless of one's class rank and origins. If everyone starts to think in a way that we, world citizens, can interact with each other without distress, we may be able to advance even further. I hope that this speech will widen your perspectives and reconsider the actions of colonialisation in our beloved land.
Thank you for listening.
Very well written blog, the style of the speech matches that of a representative of the Igbo and did well to mention the struggles of colonial rule on the local communities. "the indoctrination of the European ideals to the young ones" very important quote that stood out as with colonization it starts attracting the children of the community and causes them to abandon their beliefs and way of life to adapt to the new ones.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading this speech! The part where you use pathos by explaining your anecdote of seeing Ibgo community being colonized matched with the purpose of this speech as this appealed to my emotion of sympathy.
ReplyDeleteVery persuasive! I much enjoyed reading this blog as you greatly discussed various Igbo factors such as religion, family relationships, lifestyle, and the overall cultural system to build a convincing foundation for the residents of the committee to convert their perspective on colonialism.
ReplyDeleteVery persuasive! I much enjoyed reading this blog as you greatly discussed various Igbo factors such as religion, family relationships, lifestyle, and the overall cultural system to build a convincing foundation for the residents of the committee to convert their perspective on colonialism.
ReplyDeleteI liked how you explained the use of pathos, by explaining how the Ibgo community was being colonized as well as explaining the purpose of this speech
ReplyDeleteVery interesting and persuasive. I liked the use of a number of literary devices which all contribute to the persuasiveness of your speech. You have thoroughly had the context, audience, and purpose of the speech you have presented. GREAT WORK!
ReplyDelete