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Essentiilising African Indigenous Knowledge Systems in the Midst of Globalization and Modernity.DOI: https://doi.org/10.31920/2516-5305/2018/sin1a1
Itumeleng Mekoa11
In the emerging global knowledge economy, a country’s capacity to build and mobilize knowledge capital, is equally essential for sustainable development as the availability of physical and financial capital according to the World Bank (World Bank, 1997). The basic component of any country’s knowledge system is its indigenous knowledge. This knowledge encompasses the skills, experiences and insights of people, applied to maintain or improve their livelihood. The World Bank, which launched the Indigenous Knowledge for Development Programme in 1998, documented several cases to illustrate how IKS can play a crucial role in development. Significant contributions to global knowledge have originated from indigenous people, for instance in medicine and veterinary medicine with their intimate understanding of their environments. Indigenous knowledge is developed and adapted continuously to a gradually changing environment and passed down from generation to generation and closely interwoven with people’s cultural values. Indigenous knowledge is also the social capital of the poor, their main asset to invest in the struggle for survival, to produce food, to provide for shelter or to achieve control of their own lives. However there are several threads to African indigenous knowledge systems. First, indigenous knowledge is always passed by word of mouth from one generation to another. Many of the bearers of indigenous knowledge are from the older generation and now find it difficult to communicate their beliefs and practices to the scientifically educated younger generation; once the older generation passes away, the knowledge disappears with them. Second, there is still resistance in the use of IKS, and considered unscientific in the development processes. The third is that IKS in Africa are being wiped out as a result of the rapid changes in the economic, cultural and development models through globalisation. Universities in Africa are the obvious institutions to undertake this important task. It is imperative therefore that, without delay, IKS in Africa be protected, documented, studied and be widely disseminated to promote development. Given this context, this purpose of this paper is to essentialise IKS in the global and modern world.
Water is a fundamental resource for national and international development. Over the years, many countries of the globe have continued to expand its access to rich aqua resources within its sovereign border and beyond. This study, which used resource curse theory, outlines the causes, trends and nature of aqua-conflict in Africa. The qualitative research adopts purposive sampling method to documents how resource competition has become topical in the bilateral and multilateral relations of states across the continent. The study found that the quest for strategic advantage in the aqua-relations amongst African countries has negatively affected the international cooperation posture of many states, thereby undermining regional integration and continental development. The study therefore recommends increased interventions by African Union, as well as other governmental and non-governmental organisations from different parts of the world in order to curb the growing threat to African development.
This paper examined the impact of Boko Haram (BH) and the place of the Media as well as the role of the Nigerian government in curbing the menace and assessing the operational pattern of Boko Haram. Secondary data were used such as institutional documentations and projects, etc, these were with the view of addressing and capturing the objective. Data were analysed through content analysis with the aid of the New War theory as a theoretical framework. The findings show that Boko Haram uses the media to its advantage to brainwash poor Nigerians. It further revealed that the media has been incapacitated by politicians and this has affected news coverage leading to omitting certain details and reports, which bear huge effect on the fight against BH insurgency in Nigeria. The paper concludes and recommended that the media objectivity and sincerity of purpose by the Nigerian government is germane towards curbing the BH malaise
Arguments have generated over who is best to communicate Corporate Social Relationship activities of business organisations and what technique would be the best in assigning organisational CSR activities. Public relations (PR) cultivate relationships between an organisation and general society through dialogue and negotiation. A public relations professional as strategic communicator currently fills in as prescriber of recommended communication strategies to propel the fundamental mission of business organisations to its publics. This study answered the above questions, based on the premise that PR as management function is where the officer acts as an intermediary by reporting CSR activities of an organisation to its publics. The Excellence Theory in Public Relations is used to analyse the functions of Public Relations in the communication
Globalism and globalisation are concepts that continue to generate mixed feelings in the 21st century. While some are of the view that it is the end of history, some see it as the beginning of history because Africa is, at best, left behind in the area of sustainable development. What the continent is experiencing now is what Samir Amin describes as mal-development. For total control of means of production, the West and some Asian states have been moving to Africa to grab land in the form of leasing and total buying out for production of foods, feeds and inputs for bio-fuel. Some embark of forestry through questionable debt equity conversion strategy. Therefore, the concept that land in Africa is meant for the living, the death and the unborn has been subjected to questioning. Going by complex interdependence theory, this paper intends to look into the crises of globalization where the forces of demand and supply determines what to produce, how to produce and when to produce goods and services. Going by the basic tenets of international trade and subjection of Africa to agrarian society, Africa and Africans should be left with their arable land for the production of food for the rest of the world, but only to receive technological inputs from the West for precision agricultural practice. The paper concludes that Africa can remain a basket of food for the global system provided relevant inputs are available to the continent from the West
The assumption of the realist theory that survival and self-interest without more are the ultimate goal of each state in international politics and the liberals’ viewpoint that international cooperation is in the best interest of a state are as valid and controversial in climate change discourse. Hence, the political choice which Africa should make in the light of increasing adverse effects of climate change, and in particular, amidst the tension of these two theories remains problematic and confounding. Generally, the negative effects of climate change will be prominent in areas including food production, health, water, and infrastructure in Africa. Yet, for long, activities underlying the causation of climate change have thrived in the neo-liberal notion of economic self-determination contrived by the North and remarkable for its historic carbon prints world over. Solutions to climate change in the form of carbon trading and carbon tax have been informed by a similar worldview. Following this path connotes that states in Africa must avoid carbon-based activities which are at the heart of economic development critical to peoples’ social economic well-being. It also means that states in Africa should embrace carbon friendly activities, the technology of which is largely at the domain of the North. The merit of the above direction in the quest of economic development in Africa is disputed. This paper aims not only at exploring how adequately political realism can shape the option of Africa in navigating this controversy, it also discusses the prospects and challenges of a possible ‘carbon free economy’ in Africa
Like many African states, Cameroon has experienced different forms of protests. The country faced nationwide crack- down on protesters following the change of the constitution and the removal of tenure limits of presidents in 1985, amidst increasing fuel prices, high unemployment among youths, high cost of living and poor working conditions. The protests actually started as peaceful demonstrations by lawyers, university students and teachers calling for the use of English language in Anglophone Cameroon schools in 2016. The study which used direct interviews and focus group discussions in parts of Ambazonia to gather data on the form of protests in the history of Cameroon found that what started as student protests turned into Ambazonia secessionist protests and armed confrontations between the Ambazonian Restoration Forces and the Cameroonian military creating multiple implications on nation building process. The study recommends amnesty for political prisoners, dialogue and negotiations as well as town hall meetings, reactive peacebuilding and structural reconstructions in Ambazonia.
The church has been a critical stakeholder in the development of Nigeria right from the first interactions of Africa with the outside world. Nigeria and the rest of the continent owe its development in significant proportions to the education provided by the church among other social provisions. Since independence, the church has played strategic roles in the development of the Nigerian State and remains a crucial stakeholder in the turbulent political narrative of the country. The church was a principal actor in the struggle for the enthronement of democratic rule in the country This paper adopts the qualitative research method with reliance on secondary sources such as extant publications, records from Christian organisations, news articles and related documents. This paper notes that since Nigeria’s return to democratic rule, the church has receded in its civil society capacity and has become rather reactionary at some other times. It notes further that the church became highly politicized and divided during the democratic era and has operated largely on the nature and character of the Nigeria state which is hinged on ethnicity and the North-South divide. The church is only visible at critical times such as during the electoral process and has not taken been too active in its position of leading adherents towards popular and critical engagement of the government. The study recommends that the church in Nigeria really needs to live above petty politics and assume its position within the civil society fray to become a critical voice of reason in the development of the Nigerian State
This article reflects on part of the findings of a qualitative study conducted in four secondary schools in Gauteng, South Africa. The main aim of the study was to examine principals, school governing bodies (SGBs) and educators’ who are part of the school management team (SMT) experiences of violence in schools and the way in which they were dealing with it. The research questions asked focussed on school violence policies and how they are implemented; the nature of incidents of school violence; gendered nature of school violence; and the causes of school violence. This included investigating the kinds of violence reduction strategies used in the schools and their effectiveness. Data collection was done through open-ended in-depth individual interviews with principals; open-ended focus-group interviews with SMTs, educators and parent member of SGBs; and observations. Findings have revealed that school violence policies derived from the Department of Basic Education (DoBE) school policy are not properly implemented. Findings also indicated that the DoBE lacks the human resources and capacity to adequately provide counselling to both the perpetrators and victims of violence in schools. Generally, the strategies used were not as effective as expected which implies that strategies that are more effective should be used. The recommendation is that instead of using traditional violence reduction measures only, schools should also apply invitational education theory of practice to reduce violence.
In South Africa, the youth played a crucial role in the liberation of the country from the shackles of apartheid. However, in the new democratic South Africa, their voices have become mute as they battle countless challenges including poverty, unemployment crime, unwanted pregnancies, alcohol and drug abuse as well as limited access to education due to lack of funding and skills. These debilitating challenges have created disjointed, voiceless youth with little impact in nation building and the development of their communities. This paper therefore identifies interventions that can be used to mobilise young people to participate in issues affecting them and their communities so as to build a better South Africa. In the paper, Freire’s theory on youth development were used to illuminate the issues under study. Content analysis was used to analyse the collected data so as to align the recommended interventions with national policy documents. The paper promotes the concept of “Ubuntu” and “servantship” meaning the youth must contribute their talents and skills in service of all for a better future. In the paper, it is recommended that the youth should participate fully in the formulation and implementation of programmes that are meant for the youth in South Africa.
The South African government has increased its support to historically disadvantaged universities in recent years. One of the major foci of this support is to increase research output. Despite these efforts, there is growing evidence to suggest that research output in rural based universities is still low. Ironically, the factors hindering research progress in these universities not clearly understood. Based on this notion, this paper focused on exploring the factors inhibiting progress of research students at the University of Venda, which is one of the Rural-based higher learning institutions in South Africa. A mixed research approach involving case study and survey designs was followed. Respondents were selected using a stratified sampling technique. Data were collected using semi-structured interview guides and questionnaires. Qualitative data were analyzed using Atlas ti version 8 software techniques such as
networks and primary document tables. While the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS, IBM) 25 was utilized to analyze quantitative data. Results reflected numerous issues categorized into 3 major factors. Lack innovation and motivation, self-management, confidence, research skills, and peer influence were students’ related factors that deter progress. Poor research background, lack of supervisory skills, conflicting opinions, poor incentives, poor communication skills, work load, and ignorance were supervisory related factors that immerged, while lack of students funding for research, limited workshops and conferences, poor facilities, rigid policies guiding claims of research funds, poor supervisory rewards were among the structural factors that affects academic research students. The study recommends a review of the existing pedagogy, and periodic workshop on research skills training
This article examines how questioning the naïve model of the social construction of the ‘Other’ and the Self as ‘unique, single and unchanging’ enlightens any would-be reader of the awakening of consciousness for the possibility of forging “new subject positions”. Such newly acquired subjections are depicted as affording the individual a distinctive voice with authority to reinvent himself or herself from marginality in relation to significant ‘Others’. Thus, in this article historical consciousness is central as it is construed as having an emancipatory potential since it captures the motivations of those who are deemed ‘other’ the compulsive urge to speak. In definitional terms, this article advocates the view that historical consciousness is the ability to recognize the epochal quality of an event that is happening now, to see the event with the eyes of future generations (Arnold Gehlen). It is against this background, therefore, that in this article the question of voice and agency are central as the protagonist is presented as a representative of a vast constituency of those women who are suffering the same plight. So, the foregrounding of historical reminiscence is used as a strategy that the protagonist uses to draw invaluable insights from her lived experience of having lost her identity or individuality which renders her conscious of the fluidity of identity. Notably, therefore, the poems speak to the condition of those who are subjected to abusive relationships and thus seek not only to rediscover their selves but also to reclaim or regain their lost identities and freedom.
Collaborating, understanding and appreciating people from diverse backgrounds is extremely important in South Africa. One of the cornerstones of apartheid ideology was to keep people of different races separate. The overarching aim was to foster distrust and hate amongst the separate racial categories. It is now more than two decades into democracy and lack of knowledge, understanding and appreciation of the other is still pervasive. South Africa is plagued by many woes: economic, social and political. The time is ripe for people from different backgrounds, ideologies, cultures and races to work together to find solutions to problems that plague the country. However, this is a mission impossible if distrust amongst the country’s people continues to thrive. This study was borne out of the need to find ways to build understanding and appreciation of diversity. This paper aims to demonstrate that the English language classroom can be a fertile space to create collaboration, understanding and appreciation of diversity. South African short stories have been selected as the conduit to facilitate the aforementioned. This study used the qualitative method of enquiry and is located within the interpretative design. The research design employed was the narrative enquiry. Data were generated through semi-structured individual interviews. The population comprised a level 2 English class of Bachelor of Education students at a South African rural based comprehensive university. The main finding of the study was that students had a poor understanding and a lack of appreciation of other cultures and races, predominately based on assumptions and stereotypes. The study recommends that South African short stories be used by English language facilitators to create understanding and appreciation of diversity in the South African context.
Technology has enable individuals to communicate with anyone instantly, irrespective of where they may be in the world. Social Networking Sites (SNS) has enable people to communicate at a much cheaper way as compared to communication mediums of the past. This paper looked to assess whether students are aware of the dangers linked to social media, such as, Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, LinkedIn, etc. Most higher education institution offers free Wi-Fi to, their staff, students and guests, enabling access to social media whenever they are at the institution. Social media sites allow one to post information, pictures, videos, and comments. There are various social media sites which are easy for everyone to sign up as long as they have access to the internet. The proposed paper looked to establish if students are aware of the risks associated to using social media and to establish why students post various information on social media websites. The Users and Gratification Theory will be used as the theoretical framework for this paper. Though this paper is a desktop paper, however, statistics will be mentioned and analysed. Higher Education Institutions should host workshops and seminars so as to make cognizance of the dangers linked with them being on social media
Essentially, in the human kingdom language is regarded not only as a medium of communication, but also as a carrier of culture. As a carrier of culture language is of paramount significance in that it controls the way a people, individually and collectively, perceive themselves in relation to other selves in the world, and initiate and sustain their creativity. Unfortunately, for European cultural hegemony language also became a mechanism for launching strategies of domination and alienation of the African personality. The psycho-social effect of the type of displacement that followed this action, as it is described in this article, especially by Biko (1978), Ngara (1985), Ngugi wa Thiongo (1986) and Pityana (1995), is such that the processes of subjugation and domination did not only have to do with the colonised having to inherit alien syntax or lexicology, but also the ways in which they ultimately perceive self and the world, and how to relate with Europeans in their assumed superior status. In this relation, the main aim of this article is to briefly reflect on the history of the use of language as a mechanism that was used to assert European cultural domination in the space of power relations and the disorientation and marginalization of African indigenous languages and cultural heritage, and ultimately the sabotaged the socio-economic development of the geo-south The article advocates for the reversal of the de-centering of African languages in ear of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
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