The term “universe of moral obligation” was coined by sociologist Helen Fein to study human responses to genocide, and other forms of mass murder. She argued that it is in such moments of atrocity against a group that we see the depths of the humanity and indifference of other humans, nearby and distant. The victim group becomes subjects and objects of our moral precepts and other calculations. There are certain victim groups in mass murders that some humans choose to include in or exclude from their universe of moral obligation to care about.
What is happening in Ukraine, and human reactions all over the world to the Ukrainian victims of Russian atrocities, illustrate Fein’s idea of universe or universes of moral obligation. Do our reactions (empathetic or indifferent) to the victims reflect our ethnic, racial, regional, and religious affinities and solidarities, or do they reflect the choices we make, irrespective of affinities, to put certain victims of atrocities within our circles (universes) of moral concern?
The Kwawu (my ethnic group)—a subset of the Akan—a Ghanaian people with whom the Kwawu share skin color, language, and other cultural affinities—-have complicated conceptions of humanity and universe of obligation. Two of their precepts illustrate this. They think that “obiara ye onyame ba” (everyone is a child of God). Therefore, wherever any human being lives (Ukraine or Nigeria) or whoever that person is (Ukrainian or Yoruba), any Kwawu person must be concerned about that person’s life. That means the Kwawu have a broader sense of humanism. Theoretically, they put every human being in their universe of moral obligation.
But the Kwawu are also pragmatic, even calculating. Their axiom “di wo fie asem” (concentrate on what is happening in your house) is reflective of their pragmatism, or the Kwawu “moral paradox”. Perhaps the Kwawu are mindful that while the distant must be a subject of moral concern to express human solidarity, what is nearby (or in the house, or region) is what must be the object of thought and immediate action to deal with existential threats. The Kwawu say that “akyirikyiri wo akyiri”—-the distant is far and beyond us. Simply put, what is distant must be the concern of the nearby. Thus, although the Kwawu share skin color with the distant Akyem and the Akwamu, it is not all Akyem and Akwamu wars, and their victims, that the Kwawu put in their universe of moral obligation to think about in Kwawu history.
It appears then that my people are no different, in their thoughts and actions, from Europeans in Ukraine’s neighborhood. After all, a nearby house on fire is what threatens every home in the neighborhood. The Kwawu understand this. In fact, like Europeans, the Kwawu are “regionalist” in their understanding of kinship, solidarity, and universes of moral obligation. The Kwawu proverb—-“anomaa nua ne nea one no da dua koro” (a bird’s relative and the one to whom it owes obligation is the bird with whom it lives on the same tree) captures Kwawu regionalism, and even ethnocentrism. That is no different from European regional feelings.
As far as Kwahu humanism and moral universalism go, they are reflected in an ambiguous moral precept----“onipa ne nea odwen nnipa ho”. Literally, a human is one who thinks about other humans. The Kwawu distinguish between “humans”---those who feel for others, and those who are indifferent to other people. Even here, the Kwawu, like many Europeans, and other humans, understand that distance can only evoke empathy and sympathy. Action and intervention fall within the universe (or pluriverse) of the moral obligations of the nearby.
I have often viewed debates on “international” (read American and European) interventions in Africa’s atrocity zones, or European “indifference” to African victims of genocide, from my understanding of Kwawu humanism, pragmatism, and moral calculations. The Kwawu may be right when they say “nnipa mu ni ahoro” (meaning: there are no differences between and among humans). They all behave alike.
Or are the Kwawu overstating the case? I leave that to others to assess!
Edward Kissi
From: usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com <usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com> On Behalf Of Toyin Falola
Sent: Wednesday, March 9, 2022 8:06 AM
To: usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com
Subject: USA Africa Dialogue Series - Three Pleas on Ukraine
Great ones:
Let me make three pleas on Ukraine. I am not a gatekeeper and do feel free to ignore my request.
- Given the loss of lives, serious agonies of refugees, death, unpredictable calamities, the reasons for the war should take a back seat to give relevance to the war process and its possible outcomes. So let us muster our intellectual resources on mitigations. If other European countries join, Putin may have no option other than to use the nuclear bomb.
- The racialized aspect of this crisis has been so disturbing that I wonder why some of you are focused on the European tribal war. No one assisted us when we were looking for solutions to prevent the break-up of Ethiopia. Who donated to the Hutu and Tutsi? Who assist us with the victims of Boko Haram. The Russian invasion of Ukraine has shown that the people who matter are Europeans and not us. Let us talk about us since they can take care of themselves.
- The ongoing calamity in the Sahel may be far worse than what you see in Eastern Europe. Be warned.
Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.
Matthew 7:5
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