Africa: The Spirit of Union in Diversity

Zaudtke, Sophia (2018) Africa: The Spirit of Union in Diversity. Bachelor thesis, Bachelor Godsdienstwetenschap.

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Abstract

The president of the Africans Students Community of the University of Groningen (ASC) stands behind the lectern of a big lecture hall and welcomes the participants of the symposium: "Good morning ladies and gentleman. I stand here as president of [the] ASC to welcome you on behalf of the organizing committee and the ASC members to the 2013 ASC Symposium on Africa, organized by the African Students Community, here in Groningen. ( ... ) The 'C' in ASC stands for community, as we Africans live in communities. You are ( ... ) here because either, you want to know about Africa or you want to ( ... ) share about Africa. ( ... ) During this symposium we want to share the true image of Africa with both, the positive and the negative sides, all under the theme Africa: The spirit of union in diversity." This brief welcoming speech contains nearly all of the important aspects regarding the intentions of the Africans Students Community to organize a symposium on Africa. Their main aim was to show the 'true image of Africa' and to create a platform for discussion about issues that concern Africa. The title of the symposium emphasizes the diversity of the African continent but also the union among Africans and the African nations. Furthermore, the fact that the student organization calls itself a 'community' underlines the aspect of a union. The main aim of this thesis is to gain an insight into the ways the ASC has tried to put their own goal of showing the 'true image' into practice. My aim is to gain insight into what, according to the African students, is the 'true image of Africa' and why they think others have a wrong image. Finally, I want to explore where tensions between the initial ideology and the outcome arose and explain how one can understand the efforts of the ASC to show their 'true image of Africa'. My main research question therefore reads as: How can one understand the effort of the ASC to show their 'true image of Africa'? My four sub-questions lead to answering this main question of research: firstly, why it the aspect of 'community' so important for the group?; secondly, why, according to the group, is 'the spirit of union in diversity' the 'true image of Africa'?; in the third place, what were the individual motivations of the members to participate in the organization of the symposium?; and fourthly, what kind of tension arose between the initial ideology and the outcome of the symposium?. Each sub-question is answered within one chapter and in the conclusion I will give the answer to the main research question.

Type:	Thesis (Bachelor)
Supervisors (RUG):	Supervisor E-mail Tutor organization Tutor email Boudewijnse, H.B. H.B.Boudewijnse@rug.nl Knibbe, K.E. K.E.Knibbe@rug.nl
Degree programme:	Bachelor Godsdienstwetenschap
Academic year:	2012- 2013
Date of delivery:	19 Jan 2018
Last modified:	04 Sep 2020 09:03
URI:	https://rcs.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/328

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