IGWEBUIKE PHILOSOPHY AND HUMAN SUFFERING AMONG THE UMUAGA PEOPLE

Abstract

At the mention of the word suffering, our minds virtualize some sort of painful feelings and conditions, unbearable situations, poverty and even a kind of evil.  No wonder then that it is hard to seemingly set a demarcation between the problem of human suffering and the problem of evil.  The University of human suffering lays its burdensome weight on every man in one way or the other.  The people of Umuaga are therefore not exempted from this critical situation. The researcher employs the African philosophy of solidarity and complementarily, Igwebuike, which means ‘crowd is power’, or ‘crowd/people is strength’ to view this problem.  This research therefore seeks to show that though a perennial problem, human suffering can be gradually brought to a minimal level and eventually eradicated in Umuaga land, through the practical us of Igwebuike. This work is expository, interpretative and analytic in nature to show the need for igwebuike in Umuaga community. The primary source of this research is drawn from oral interviews and interactions as well as personal reflection on the topic. The secondary source is basically drawn from relevant books, magazines and articles.