This book is not intended to be an academic or scientific work. Since the sum of one's life experiences constitutes the richness of a person, this book is a compilation of real-life events-identified as ills and shortcomings-that erode our moral values and dangerously jeopardize the harmonious development of the Malian people. These ills must be recognized within ourselves as flaws that must be denounced and corrected in order to achieve the moral and spiritual balance that every society seeks for its well-being. The book serves as an awakening of collective consciousness in the face of the tearing apart of the social fabric and the erosion of the moral values that persist within us, undermining all our economic, social, and cultural achievements. It is part of a dynamic convergence of minds toward a fundamental recognition of human and spiritual values as the intangible cornerstones of our traditional societies. A call for a patriotic resurgence, civic-mindedness, and the restoration of our cultural identity remains the only path likely to restore to the Malian nation all the virtues of yesteryear.
