GO BACK & UNDO

Sankofa bird

Ghana is home to the Akan people, whose philosophy and way of life gave birth to the idea of Sankofa. Sankofa  means “return to the source and fetch it”, “look back and walk forward”and “the wisdom of learning from the past to build for the future”.

 ”It is often associated with the proverb, “Se wo were fi na wosankofa a yenkyi,” which translates “It is not wrong to go back for that which you have forgotten.” Inherent in the understanding of Sankofa is the belief:

“It is not taboo to return and fetch it when you forget.

“You can always undo your mistakes.”

The idea of Sankofa is literally embedded in the culture of the Akan, for it is found within their Adinkra writing system. The Adinkra is a series of symbols used to communicate the Akan’s organizing logic or spirituality of their culture.

The website www.allafricawithin.com states that the literal translation of Sankofa is:

“The symbol is based on a mythical bird that flies forwards with its head turned backwards. This reflects the Akan belief that the past serves as a guide for planning the future, or the wisdom in learning from the past in building the future.

The Akan believe that there must be movement with times but as the forward march proceeds, the gems must be picked from behind and carried forward on the march.

In the Akan military system, this symbol signified the rearguard, the section on which the survival of the society and the defense of its heritage depended.”  ©VisionThought 2010. All Rights Reserved.




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