El impacto religioso-cultural en el ecologismo africanola sociedad diola y serrer

Abstract

The recurrent phenomena of natural catastrophes that we witness amid our community’s shows that environmental destruction and the irrational exploitation of resources have become problems that deserve urgent responses in our time. In this context, Africa pollutes less compared to the countries of the North but suffers the consequences in a dramatic way. Seeking to understand these problems and their sociopolitical, economic, etc., repercussions, we study the ecological dimension within African traditions, but focusing on Gambia and Senegal as case studies. Starting from religious values, from the great religious traditions (Christianity, and Islam) and African ancestral beliefs, we analyze the Man-Nature relationship. Finally, we have focused on the Diola and Serer society to see if their traditional customs can serve as effective mechanisms of environmental protection. We conclude that not only are their local practices efficient, but they must also be preserved if we want to restore the environmental balance and cultural richness of these communities. Through myths, totems, taboos, and ancestral practices, they have developed mechanisms that regulate their dealings with nature, a space that is not a mere external reality, but houses the spirits and ancestors, being what explains the way local communities perceive the cosmos: respect and reverence. That said, the new challenges do not mean mere environmental problems, but also cultural and identity dilemmas, given that, in the face of the destruction of the ecosystem, certain lifestyles that previously favored coexistence between man and other creatures are lost. On the other hand, the adoption of new technologies and a consumer lifestyle contribute to worsening the situation, leading most people in these two cultures to abandon their behaviors that allowed them to consolidate the balance. For all these reasons, although ancestral practices are advantageous for preserving the ecosystem, the strong influence of modernity means that, even if they wish to return to the past, social pressure will make them continue to abandon their customs. Hence the complexity of the environmental problem on the continent.