The Principle of Bringing Good Into the World

This year the Theme of Kwanzaa is Bringing good into the World.
How appropriate is this theme. Let us meditate on what it means to bring good into the world. at the present time the world is crying out to us on many levels. Crass materialism has mercilessly raped its mercilessly to make a few extra dollars for those whom money making is just another hobby. They have so much already that making another dollar is like pouring water into a glass that is already full. It just pours down the side.

One of the primary resources of our earth, human beings, are lost the darkness of wars, slavery, violence in the family, exploitation and corruption by leaders. Keeping people poor in this world has become an economic strategy for others to become rich and to have power over the less fortunate.

We need to bring good into the world that will cause light to shine in every corner of the landscape. We have work so that there is no more wars, no more hunger, no more slavery and lessened pollution of the environment. We have to change the way we work and live.
While Kwanzaa is an African American tradition developed by Dr, Mualana Karenga, it is not only for African Americans but can be adopted by all peoples.

Kwanzaa is ancient and living cultural tradition which reflects the best of African thought and practice in its reaffirmation of the dignity of the human person in community and culture, the well-being of family and community, the integrity of the environment and our kinship with it, and the rich resource and meaning of a people's culture.

Kwanzaa is celebrated between December 26 and January 1.
Kwanzaa was created to introduce and reinforce seven basic values of African culture which contribute to building and reinforcing family, community and culture among African American people as well as Africans throughout the world African community. These values are called the Nguzo Saba which in Swahili means the Seven Principles. The Principles are:

Umoja (Unity)
To strive for and maintain unity in the family, community, nation and race.
Kujichagulia (Self-Determination)
To define ourselves, name ourselves, create for ourselves and speak for ourselves.
Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility)
To build and maintain our community together and make our brother's and sister's problems our problems and to solve them together.
Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics)
To build and maintain our own stores, shops and other businesses and to profit from them together.
Nia (Purpose)
To make our collective vocation the building and developing of our community in order to restore our people to their traditional greatness.
Kuumba (Creativity)
To do always as much as we can, in the way we can, in order to leave our community more beautiful and beneficial than we inherited it.
Imani (Faith)
To believe with all our heart in our people, our parents, our teachers, our leaders and the righteousness and victory of our struggle.

Each day of Kwanzaa one of the principles is celebrated with lighting of a candle pouring of libation, calling to ancestors and remembering those great ones who have passed on followed by a feast and giving of gifts to children.
There are seven candles on the table which is decorated with fruits and vegetables as a symbol of harvest. There are three red, three green and a black candle in the centre. Red represents the struggle the black stands for the people, green for home. There are special readings and incantations for each night.
Last Week the Congress of Black Women of Winnipeg, held its annual Kwanzaa celebrations and it was beautiful.

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