Certainly all people need to examine African history to free themselves from the false notions about Africa, and Africans throughout the Diaspora. They should do this to get an awareness of human abilities and potentials, to construct a better meaning for civilization and where it started, to look at different values to elevate their own selves. In other words, people need the African focus to free themselves from the legacy of Arab and European invasions where the victors told the stories. They need to also understand the effects of African naïveté.

On another level the statement means, as Africans we are tied to the misrepresentation of Africa. Once people who have been affected by these distortions are not free to "develop" as they choose, then our work is far from over.

Not only Africans on and off the continent need this focus but also Europeans, as they too are not free. Wars for economic gain are based on greed, which is also based on fear. False notions of superiority and inferiority are based on ignorance and fear. Informing Europeans who want to learn, and getting them to change their direction also helps Africa.

So encouraging people to develop an African focus is first beneficial to they who choose to develop the focus, and the immediate impact should be from where they are.

Some are either misunderstanding or misrepresenting the idea of impacting from where they are. Some do not see that assisting people from where they are is also part of assisting the African Diaspora and Africa. It is not like similar problems are not around us. Of course assistance should first go to who needs and wants it the most, and in this respect it is usually about helping other Africans, but it is not limited to that. An African focus is NOT only about trying to assist Africans on the continent of Africa, it involves the entire African Diaspora and ultimately the whole world.

People should not be on this 'I want to free Africa' paternalistic mindset as if Africans on the continent are unable to conceptualize a better Africa and help themselves, and only they, with some awareness, know what all Africans want. Many Africans on the continent only have a vague idea of other Africans outside of their ethnic group, so they think little of killing other Africans. Many do not think there is much to gain from revisiting African history. They too need to learn about Africa in general, and the wider Diaspora. Some on the continent are doing things with much awareness. The same holds true for Diasporan Africans.

One can have the clearest idea for Africa, but if one cannot share it in a way for others to see how it can work for them, then one is stuck alone with that idea. So although one's awareness should be rooted in Africa, people still have to start doing from where they are.

Far too often some people superimpose their awareness of issues in parts of Africa over all of Africa, as if there are no examples of better on the continent; as if Africans on the continent need Africans in the wider Diaspora to somehow come marching over to tell them what to do, or to raise and dump aid on people carelessly. Even if this was done, it would be no different to the conduct of missionaries; Africans on the continent should want help from Diasporan Africans and should learn to respect the views of Diasporan Africans. I can understand rushing in to assist with natural disasters, but not disasters that are the product of poor conduct/greed. These things need to be reasoned out, and while language is a problem across Africa and the Diaspora, we can surely communicate better ideas among people who can understand us, right where we are. Some who are multilingual can share across the languages, but for most people, mobilizing from where they are is the immediate work.

I am sure many could not see that assisting Grenada following hurricane Ivan was also helping the African Diaspora. Assisting victims of the recent Asian tidal wave is also helping the African Diaspora.

Help is not limited to only doing things on the continent of Africa. The focus and reason for doing is what will ultimately make the difference.