ISS 25 (1995).pdf - The International Council of Museums

Gambia National Museum, Banjul 1971). This bias of Africanization
resulted in a number of regional institutions promoting regional
cultures as for example in Ghana, Kenya and Angola.
Gaining political independence did not result in ec.onomic
independence. Most of the African countries retained strong
economic links with the previous colonizers. Some countries like
Zambia or uganda started rich but ended poor. Political
dependence was superceded by an aid dependence. Bi-Iateral and
multi-lateral organizations made their homes allover Africa. In
the thirty years of independence, billions of dollars were poured
into the development of Africa but this did not result in any
improvement of the quality of life for the great majority of
people. If anything, the contrast between rich and poor increased
as did the contrast between town and country life. The cities
founded in colonial times expanded and are now inhabited by great
numbers of unemployed. Uncontrolled migrations from rural areas
to towns created a new phenomenon, the shanty town. Bureaucracy
grew out of all proportion and is well known for its
inefficiency. Institutions of learning, hospitals and general
infrastructure are run down and in many cases do not function
properly. Economy is in decline, lawlessness has become the law
and corruption is widely accepted.
Generaly, external factors, such as lack of capital and
protectionistic economic attitude of the West are pinpointed as
being the cause of the problem. The importance of the human
factor, integrity and work ethic are often underplayed. The
people in Africa seem not to be particularly interested in
sacrifices which at present could help a great deal to develop
the continent. Many of them do not identify themselves with
Africa or even with a country. Their primary interest remains
wi'th their family or with their ethnic group. Technical and
professional skills of utmost importance in development are not
highly valued as are not maintenance skills. status supercedes
job satisfaction. There is a great concern with education but
better educated people leave easily their jobs or country of
their origin in search of greener pastures. Everybody wants to
be a Director, or even better, a President.
At present (1988) the continent is inhabited by 617,5 mln people,
more or less the population of Western Europe 684 mIn) but living
in an area three times bigger (Africa 30,3 mln km2, Europe 9,9
mln km2). While Western Europe can boast of approximately 16 000
museums (one museum per 42 750 people), Africa has not more than
SOD (in the most optimistic case it means one museum per 1 235
000 people). Nor is the i_ge of .useWlS in Africa very
appealing. They are frequently either under- or overstaffed. All
museum personnel is salaried; museums in Africa run by volunteers
are extremely rare. The majority of the museums are state run
insti tutions although there are also a few private ones. However,
the Zambian case of three national museums and three private
seems to be exceptional. The collections are still as they were
in colonial times, predominantly concerned with natural history,
archeology, history and the ethnography. There are very few art
museums, no science museums or other types that developed in
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