A comparative investigation into the socio-economic and cultural survival strategies of black people within the African continent and those in the African diaspora: the case of Africans in South Africa and people of African origin in Brazil

MA (Indigenous Knowledge Systems), North-West University, Mafikeng Campus, 2007The study examined the Socio-Economic and Cultural Survival Strategies of Black People within the African Continent and those in the Diaspora: The Case of Africans in South Africa and People of African Origin in Brazil. The following were the findings: • As a result of historical circumstances including forceful removals, the black people of African origin in Brazil have experienced various changes in their lives including westernization. This has impacted on their relationship and attitudes towards their relation with Africa. • The increasing awareness of the importance of Africans in the continent and those in the Diaspora to work together towards the socio-economic, cultural and scientific development of Africa. The black people of African origin in Brazil have expressed the desire to benefit from the South Africa and _Brazil bilateral relation and to reaffirm the cultural, historical bonds between Africans in the continent and those in the Diaspora. The study recommends the following: The need to document the contribution of Africans within the continent and in the Diaspora especially in issues of science and technology. This information should be made accessible to people through various channels including its incorporation into the school curriculum; • The need to and acknowledge the contributions of Africans in the continent and in the Diaspora in the field of science and technology, this will assist in eradication of the myth that regions outside Europe contributed nothing to the development of science and technology. • As part of the South Africa-Brazil bilateral and south-south cooperation, the governments of both countries should facilitate the establishment of joint programmes and projects that will enable cooperation and contact among the people of the two countries. There is a need for more research on cultural and historical bonds between Africans in the continent and those in the Diaspora.Master