CONCLUSION

The human person, special among all the creatures of the universe, has a high dignity in the mind of the African. Although hey may not be perfect, human beings still have a special place in God's heart. God does not discard them and has given them many special qualities which make them different and dignified. People worship God as a right and this makes them morally responsible, a value that other forms of creation lack. In the African community, therefore, all acknowledge this special nature of the human person, and consequently human dignity is extolled and granted each one. African society was what it was solely because the upholding of human dignity was uppermost in the African mind. Being an ever-worshipping being, the African sees the greatest indication of worship in care and respect for others. From childhood, each one is taught to belong and to respect, to produce and to share.

The lesson the modern world can learn from the African is that inhumanity breeds oppression, competition, war, hunger and, perhaps, the final destruction of the human race itself.