Unity Through Social Research

 

 

“We are more similar than we are different.” This is among my favorite quotes often stated by Pan-Africanists which usually use this phrase in the context of the wide array of ethnicities in the African continent. In a place where tribalism is rampant and diversity is used as a weapon to divide a continent, this quote has never been more essential. While our differences are undeniably extensive and diversity is indeed our biggest beauty mark, it is important to remember that we share an enormous and indisputable title that links each and every single one of us. No matter which race, gender, religion, ethnicity or country one is from, as long as they were raised in the African continent or trace their lineage to it, they will undoubtedly define themselves as an African. This is a title that cannot be taken lightly, as it is a singular feature that spans across 1.3 billion people with more than 3000 ethnicities and 2000 languages.

Using this terminology as a starting point, I would like to carry out numerous research projects formulated around examining and bringing to light the similarities between different cultural, religious, linguistic and racial groups across the African continent. I want to disseminate the findings of my research so that Africans across the world can critically comprehend and appreciate each other’s similarities as much as their identities as members of separate social groups. Through the double major in Human services and Anthropology that I intend to attain at George Washington, I also hope to bring attention to the various under-represented ethnic and cultural communities throughout the continent.

Taking my country Ethiopia as an example, it is a place with more than 90 ethnic groups. However, only a few of these groups are researched in detail and highlighted throughout our mainstream media. The Tigray and Amhara ethnic groups for instance, are sufficiently represented in the media and as a result, anyone in the country can understand their cultures and easily analyze the differences as well as the various similarities between them. However, more remote ethnic communities like the Burji, Karo, Massengo, Surma and others are severely under-researched. This can lead to dangerous disparities among people which will inevitably facilitate ignorant and intolerant behavior into the coming generation.

Noticing this disparity while growing up became my biggest motivation to start an intercultural activity in the art club of my high school. During this program, now known as the Culture Through Art Week, club members would be randomly assigned to one of the ethnic groups of Ethiopia. Then, they would research the culture of that community extensively and by the end of the month, present an art work that they feel describes it best. This work would then be presented in a gallery format, to the entire school community. I took the initiative to start this program because I saw that although there was tolerance amongst students of different ethnicities at my school, there was no actual understanding of cultures outside their own. Most of the knowledge my peers had about other ethnicities was based on stereotypes thought to them by their communities. Hence, I started this program to help my peers move past the narrow scope of cultural tolerance and instead become understanding and appreciative of the different cultures throughout our country. And I would love the opportunity to create a similar program at George Washington University and inspire a mindset of cultural appreciation within the student body and beyond.

I believe that through adequate research, we could unearth and highlight similar aspects of cultures that seem dissimilar on the surface. This can create a sense of collective identity that will help us to achieve true and lasting unity amongst our extensive diversity. Hence, through my future career as a social researcher, I hope to come up with findings that will link many African cultures to each other and foster a unified and peaceful relationship among them. I also hope to delve into the various under-represented communities and bring their cultures to the attention of the general public. Through the research and service learning opportunities at George Washington, I plan on developing my research skills and dedicating my career to the development of African communities by creating inclusive and appreciative relationships between them.