Of democracy, constitutions and mottos

About democracy and constitutions, here is a recent quote from a citizen:

"Do we have one? NO. We have an individual who acts in the place of what is supposed to be a constitution."

In a situation where kids who are still losing their milk teeth know that the so-called leader of a so-called state is a cheat, the adults in that same environment feel uneasy.

Here is another idea. I have suggested here several times that it is good to let people say what is on their minds, because how else would you know what they are thinking?

The next stage is that people who end up thinking alike will find a way to bond and build TRUSTING relationships, with the goal of bringing about socioeconomic and political change. It is that simple.

As one day runs into the next, we realize that it is not that simple, for several reasons. One could simply be that one person, or several, become hungry and sell their birthright for a few grains of rice (including the sale or lease of land, property, traditional or cultural artefacts, etc.).

Whatever the case, it should be a natural right for every citizen of Kom to be able to say what is on their mind. Humans are the most complicated machines to walk the earth. I think (I may be wrong) that the value of a person is embedded in Kom tradition and culture, as can be seen in the Kom motto: "Wain – Afoɨna – Nyamgvɨn". I am assuming that Wain refers not only to "child" but to "person", generally speaking.

So, with that basic understanding, any so-called constitution that has anything to do with Kom people should embed this value of the person, making sure that the person (or citizen) is at the core of any such document. This kind of discussion can easily get confusing, but the one thing to remember is that all the complicated paperwork, laws and legal language that go into writing a constitution can be reduced to naught if the rights and value of the individual are not front and centre, as in the Kom motto.

Compare that with the Camerounese motto, Peace – Work – Fatherland:

• there can be no peace without justice;
• work? What kind of work, in a corrupt environment?
• fatherland? Whose father? Ahidjo's? Biya's?

As long as the MOTS (man on the street) cannot connect these abstractions with their real-life situation, we will all be living an illusion instead of real life.

Please do not stop thinking and sharing what you think. You might hold the key to the solution of our many current problems.

iBoisɨ
~wv

— Wanaku Verdzekov