Neo-Bwiti NGO

 

Neo-Bwiti members subscribe to a core of values and ethics; principles that are set out in the Schedule A of the Organisation’s Constitution. The Code of Ethics is the soul of this Organisation and is evolutional and progressive.

The following values and ethics shall be shared among all the members of the Association:

 

1.     FREEDOM

 

1.1 Every member of the Organisation recognizes human freedom not only as a right but also as the fundamental essence of the human nature, which shall be respected and manifested.

 

1.2 In respect of the above-mentioned vision, there is no obligation and no prohibition in Neo-Bwiti. All the prescriptions, which were previously interpreted as obligations or prohibitions, should now be understood as “spiritual guidance” coming from the spiritual world. This guidance has been revealed to us in the past to help us and to indicate the right direction for us to grow spiritually. But, there is no obligation to comply with them as every one grows at his/her own pace. However, the benefit of complying with the spiritual guidance should be clearly explained to any inquiring person.

 

1.3 However, the fact that there is no obligation or prohibition but only spiritual guidance should not distort, spoil or alter in any way the traditional and the cultural core of rituals that African people in general, and Bwitists and Babongo pygmies in particular, have been following for many hundred of centuries and which all the members of the Association support and subscribe to.

 

2.     TO KNOW ONESELF

 

2.1 It is of the responsibility of everyone to choose a vacant existing position or to create any role or function within the Organisation, which fits to any of his or her physical, intellectual, artistic, emotional, spiritual, or any other kind of skills he/she might have. The Bwiti is a religion promoting the knowledge of the Self, and as such, everyone is supposed to be the more qualified to know what he/she is for.

 

2.2  Once the choice is done, every member is supposed to fulfil his/her mission responsibly and efficiently. In the case the aforesaid role, function or position is obviously and objectively not performed responsibly and efficiently, the member is expected to recognise it humbly, to resign from it, and to make another choice.

 

 

3.     HONESTY

 

3.1 The members of the Association recognize that honesty is the only workable way to achieve understanding, peace, love and harmony in a group or community.

 

3.2 In respect of the above-mentioned vision, the members of the Organisation commit to an open, direct and frank way of communication among one another. If they think or feel something about somebody, they are encouraged to address firstly the person who is concerned.

 

3.3 They should refrain from getting involved in lie, insult or any useless word, which could hurt somebody or tarnish somebody’s reputation.

 

4.     COURAGE

 

4.1 Courage is the outcome of overcoming fear. Many traditional bwitist rituals are aimed to overcome fear and to reinforce courage.

 

4.2 More generally, the members of the Organisation subscribe to the vision that fear can’t be a workable way to progress in Neo-Bwiti. Fear seizes individual’s freedom and power and hinders love and compassion from emerging. All the members shall endeavour to prevent fear from being their own motivation or from being used as manipulative means to others.

 

5.     FRATERNITY

 

5.1 Fraternity is an integral and traditional part of Bwiti. All the members of the Association are in a fraternity of spirit and are part of the same family. And any human being, whatever his/her origin, race, gender, religion is potentially part of this family. Bwiti is compatible with any other religion. There is no need of conversion.

 

5.2 Among the members of the Organisation should prevail the same solidarity, mutual aid, support and affection as among blood siblings. A Bwitist is not supposed to sleep well or to eat with appetite if he knows that one of his brothers sleeps on the pavement or can’t eat.

 

 

 6.     PRESERVATION OF LIFE

 

6.1 Preserving life is serving life prior any other consideration. Should a Bwitist kills an animal, its flesh must necessarily feed people.

 

6.2 Neo-Bwiti Organisation and Neo-Bwitists take the preservation of the last Pygmies as well as their environment and their lifestyle to heart. The Babongos and the rainforest are the source and the soul of their movement. Whatever the Organisation will be able to do to save the rainforest and the Pygmies from destruction will be done.

 

 

7.     DISCERNMENT AND SECRET

 

7.1 The secret is traditionally aimed to prevent spiritually immature people from using the knowledge of Bwiti for harmful purpose due to jealousy, fear, hate, rage or any other uncontrolled negative emotion. A same plant can save a life or kill somebody, and if the knowledge is dissipated without discernment, a spiritually immature person might cause a lot of damages before this person comes to the awareness of what he/she is really doing. Therefore any piece of knowledge shall be diffused with discernment; even among initiated people of the Organisation.

 

 

7.2 Some information in Bwiti is confidential and should be shared only among initiated people ONLY. Nevertheless, any spiritual teaching found in Bwiti which is also part of the universal human wisdom and which can be found in all the worldwide spiritual traditions and/or religions, and which are consequently not specific to Bwiti, can be shared with everybody, whether he/she is initiated or not and whether he/she is member of the Organisation or not. The content of the secret shall be specified by the member’s Bwiti godfather and scrupulously kept.