War! Africa Unite!

From David Max Brown

Dear Filmmakers:

After seeing Stephanie Black’s film “Africa Unite” I was inspired to look up Haile Sellasie’s speech to the UN in 1963 and the lyrics to the song that Bob Marley wrote from it and I have copied it below -;
These are really terrible times in South Africa but the vigour that has arisen to take matters into our hands and DO something about racism and xenophobia is inspiring. I think the lesson for us all is that we should be relying less on government to change society for a better life for all, and relying more on each other and social networking and support. Furthermore our energies should not be entirely focussed on laying blame and but I think it will also be a good lesson if we can direct our energies to working together and focussing our time and talents as filmmakers wherever and whenever we can on transforming anti-social behaviour and helping to create positive anti racist and anti discriminatory practice throughout our society amongst both young and old. Immigrants into this country have made incredible positive differences to our culture and economy, migration out of South Africa is also huge. There are many facts and figures we can portray about South Africa and comparative situations around the world and also attitudes we can influence in relation to positive attitudes to race and living with difference. We can change our world with the films we make, and the songs we sing......

Emperor Haile Sellasie, October 1963 – address to the United Nations
“That until the philosophy which holds one race superior and another inferior is finally and permanently discredited and abandoned: That until there are no longer first-class and second class citizens of any nation; That until the color of a man's skin is of no more significance than the color of his eyes; That until the basic human rights are equally guaranteed to all without regard to race; That until that day, the dream of lasting peace and world citizenship and the rule of international morality will remain but a fleeting illusion, to be pursued but never attained; And until the ignoble and unhappy regimes that hold our brothers in Angola, in Mozambique and in South Africa in subhuman bondage have been toppled and destroyed; Until bigotry and prejudice and malicious and inhuman self-interest have been replaced by understanding and tolerance and good-will; Until all Africans stand and speak as free beings, equal in the eyes of all men, as they are in the eyes of Heaven; Until that day, the African continent will not know peace. We Africans will fight, if necessary, and we know that we shall win, as we are confident in the victory of good over evil.”


War
Bob Marley and the Wailers

Until the philosophy which hold one race
Superior and another inferior
Is finally and permanently discredited and abandoned
Everywhere is war, me say war

Until the colour of a man's skin
Is of no more significance than the colour of his eyes
Me say war

That until the basic human rights are equally
Guaranteed to all, without regard to race
Dis a war

That until that day
The dream of lasting peace, world citizenship
And the Rule of international morality
Will remain in but a fleeting illusion
To be pursued, but never attained
Well everywhere is war, it’s a war

And until the ignoble and unhappy regimes
That hold our brothers in Angola,
South Africa , in Zimbabwe and Mozambique,
Are finally discredited and abandoned
Well, everywhere is war, me say war

War in the east, war in the west
War up north, war down south
War, war, rumours of war

And until that day, the African continent
Will not know peace, we Africans will fight

We find it necessary and we know we shall win
As we are confident in the victory

Of good over evil, good over evil, good over evil
Good over evil, good over evil, good over evil