African Value System Research Articles

Rethinking decolonized universities: a case for proverbs (Dika le Diema) and Ubuntu in humanizing South African universities

The debates over the decolonisation of higher education in South Africa have resulted in differing perspectives on epistemologies and pedagogical techniques. While discussions rage about the conceptualisation and methods of decolonising higher education, as well as the practical efficiency of applying nuanced epistemologies, students continue to face racism, discrimination, and exclusion in higher education institutions. In its broadest sense, the foundation for the conversation on inclusion is founded on the elephant in the room, apartheid, which has been an Achilles heel in the change of South Africa's educational landscape. The apartheid curriculum, in all of its stages, largely prepared workers for low-wage, exploitative work. It showed little concern for emphasising Afrocentric foundations that expanded Black communities' cultural and traditional value systems. Bantu education's harsh social engineering prowess attempted to sidestep African philosophical frameworks (Ubuntu), which are crucial for motivating pupils' confidence, consciousness, and self-actualization. Against this backdrop, this study views decolonisation as a chance to include African languages, value systems, histories, customs, beliefs, cultures, and experiences in higher education. This paper argues that the abstract inclusion of African languages devoid of intrinsic depth and essence is a patronising exercise purposed to vaguely position African languages alongside English and Afrikaans; doing so prohibits a deeper humanistic appreciation and knowledge of African traditions and indigenous systems. This paper emphasizes the crucial role of African languages and indigenous knowledge systems in addressing racism and inequality, and encourages their gradual and benign incorporation into higher education curricula.

A SOCIOECONOMIC UNDERPINNINGS OF 'YAHOO-YAHOO' EXPLOITS IN LAGOS, NIGERIA

The study examined the social and economic factors associated with youths' involvement in cybercrime in Lagos metropolis, southwestern Nigeria, and the implications of this for the youths and the Nigerian society at large. Specifically, it aimed to examine general perceptions about yahoo-yahoo (Internet fraud), identify the causal factors of cyber criminality among the youths, and investigate the effects of youths' fraudulent cyber exploits on Nigeria's global image. Structured questionnaires containing twenty-five question items were distributed to gather data from 330 respondents using the Multi-stage Sampling Technique (RST). Findings revealed that awareness was significantly high about youths' cybercrime (yahoo-yahoo) exploits in Lagos; most youths involved in internet fraud have attended school up to at least primary school; a good number proceeded to tertiary institutions. Unemployment, poverty, and peer influence were identified as major causal factors of internet fraud among youths. Cybercrime was noted to have denied several Nigerians opportunities abroad; it has reduced Direct Foreign Investment (DFI) into the country and has greatly impinged on the future of Nigerian youths. The study suggests a reactivation of the old indigenous African value system that exalts hard work and detests corrupt practices and other forms of illegality and social repugnance. The content of Nigeria's educational curriculum would also need to be re-constructed towards equipping the Nigerian youths with sufficient knowledge of the damaging consequences of cybercrime at individual, family, and societal levels.

Duty, Human Rights and Wrongs and the Notion of Ubuntu as Humanist Philosophy and Metaphysical Connection

This article reviews and discusses the issue of one’s duty, rights and wrongs within the Humanist African Philosophy of Ubuntu. ‘Ubuntu’ is an Nguni Bantu term denoting "humanity". It asserts that "I am because we are" and expresses of having a sense of "humanity towards others" which in the Zulu language is stated as “umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu”. The roots of African Life, culture and value systems in Southern Africa in particular are found in the philosophy of Ubuntu but they have also been partially influenced by specifically the Judaeo-Christian tradition. Ubuntu considers human rights as moral principles or norms that designate certain standards of human behaviour that are required in dealing with other human beings. One’s rights and duties in society are grounded in a multifaceted philosophy because of the moral aspects which are a mixture of heritage and tradition. Ubuntu avows that society, and not any transcendent being, provides human beings with their basic humanity. An authentic individual human being is part of a complex and important relational, communal, societal, environmental and even mystical world. One’s actions are correct to that extent that they are a matter of living harmoniously with others and doing one’s duty while acting ethically and within the ambit of the law, and thus demonstrating reverence towards others in communal associations. It calls for apology, and forgiveness when doing something wrong and ultimately reconciliation with guilty or injured parties. Keywords: Ubuntu; Rights; Wrongs; Duties; Metaphysics; African humanism

3 - Sustainable Rural Learning Ecologies: A Pathway to Acknowledging African Knowledge Systems in the Arena of Mainstream of Knowledge Production?

This article proposes an idea which to most might seem misplaced and unrealistic. Its aim is to demystify myths around African scholarship and rural learning ecologies that are misrepresented in discourses dominant in the global North. Sustainable rural learning ecologies located within African-centred philosophy should be understood in this context as a transformational agenda and a vehicle for knowledge construction. The concept of sustainable rural learning ecologies is simply about acknowl- edging knowledge constructions within the rural contexts as knowledge embedded in African value systems. Knowledge construction in a rural learning context should be celebrated for its strengths and opportunities, as having its own comparative and competitive advantage in the global discourse arena. Sustainable rural learning ecologies (SuRLEc) should be understood as an epistemological discourse that makes meaning and critiques the dominant body of knowledge by affirming rural context and cultural constructs. The paper examines hegemonic dominant discourses that try to monopolize knowledge production systems and domesticate other parameters for the interpretation of realities as historically obsolete, irrational and pre-modern. It argues that SuRLEc is a platform that holds people’s experiences as sources for the construction of forms of knowl- edge. I therefore argue for learning ecologies that acknowledge different formations and foundations for the construction of pyramids of knowledge. I conclude by dismissing views that hold that any one pyramid of knowledge is by its nature eminently superior to all others.

An African Approach to Western Islamophobia

ABSTRACT Islamophobia is a form of prejudice significantly widespread in Western societies. To date, very little research in moral and political philosophy has been done to explain why Islamophobia is morally wrong. This article has the objective of addressing this gap in the literature by looking at Islamophobia in the West. In particular, the aim of this article is to explain why Islamophobia, in its Western expression, is morally wrong, articulating an argument based on an African value-system. The African value-system presented is of consequentialist pedigree, and I conclude that at least part of why Islamophobia is morally wrong is because it causes disharmony.

Virtuality and subjective realities: A freedom-based ergon for the modern African parent

ABSTRACT Schmidt introduces the Aristotelian term “koinonia” as denoting a political community which aims to achieve a common good for society as a whole. A good that promotes the flourishing of every party involved. In addition, Schmidt adopts further insight about the term by engaging more thoroughly in discourse about it, realising that this easily extends to the term taking on tenets of communities such as a family. Within family, the terms address even more specific relationships, such as husband and wife, parents and children, sibling relationships, etc. Essentially, Aristotle’s premise of common good persists even in these specific relationships, so much so that Schmidt highlights the pillars which sustain the pursuit of the common good. These pillars are justice, fairness and reciprocity, all grounded in good will and fellowship. This goodwill and fellowship among African parents in a community is to assist each other in raising children in the community and ensure they are grounded in African values, hence the African proverb “a single hand cannot raise a child”. In fact, biological parents may draw from the knowledge of the elderly in the community who can assist in instilling values in the youth. The importance of this is that the elderly in African communities are valued not only as those who sustain order in the community, but are also the custodians of African value systems which younger generations should ideally be grounded in. With the introduction of technology, the digital divide seems to be presenting a challenge when it comes to the solidarity of African parents, as a village, raising their children. Hence, a strategy is required for modern African parents to not abandon this solidarity afforded by their cultural values. The communal way of raising their children should persist in order to preserve the African value of parental solidarity in raising children, even in the midst of what technology and the digital divide presents to the African community.

Uncovering the universals of ubuntu translanguaging in classroom discourses

ABSTRACTIncreasing international mobility has raised awareness on the fluidity and porous nature of boundaries not only between nation states, but also between named languages. Despite the complexities of overlaps across a wider spectrum of languages and classrooms worldwide, orthodox education programmes still reflect monolingual and epistemic biases, which disproportionately put the majority of the students at an educational disadvantage. In this paper, I explore classroom data from African classrooms on how translanguaging is effective in deepening comprehension and cultivating a high sense of self. Samples of data from a primary school were analyzed to explain the nature and prevalence of translanguaging in South African classrooms. The results of the study show that there is a high prevalence of translanguaging that reflects infinite relations of dependency between various linguistic resources employed in classroom discourses. This multilingual usage is interpreted within the African value system of ubuntu (I x We): I am because you are. I then argue that this cultural competence can be leveraged for successful learning and teaching. In the end, I consider recommendations on how the universals of Ubuntu translanguaging as a regime for multilingual practices becomes transformative in enhancing epistemic access and identity positions of multilingual students.

Ritual Performative Ceremonies and Values in the African Context

This paper discusses and examines performative ritual ceremonies and their values in the African cultural context. Ritual performative ceremonies play a key role in interpreting and understanding the African communal value systems. The various rituals and ceremonies in the African communal systems serve as a bond that keeps the people together and provide a kind of standardized way of living. African communities are not complete without the presence of a supreme being and lesser gods. Rituals emphasises the place and importance of the Supreme Being and the lesser gods in the community. Ceremonies also are placed in value as they tend to give the communities some sort of hope and serve as a reminder of their past, their present and the future they look forward to. Ceremonies in the African communal system are the very core foundations on which togetherness are built on. An individual cannot make up a community and in such case, an individual cannot commemorate a ceremony. It is a collective work of a community. Ceremonies from time to time, create an avenue through which community members come together to foster and promote growth and development. Ceremonies also give the people of sense of importance of living. Funerals for example, remind people of the essence of living a good and fulfilled life.In the African setting, rituals and ceremonies are interconnected. Even though they can be treated as separate entities, the importance of their interdependency is key in the African system. Rituals are ceremonies and ceremonies contain rituals. The purpose of this study was to examine rituals and ceremonies, their values and the point of convergence. The scope of this study will be limited to performative rituals ceremonies in some African societies. Keywords :Rituals, ritual, performance, performative, ceremonies, communal, values, development, interdependency, African context, standardization DOI : 10.7176/JAAS/57-04 Publication date : August 31 st 2019

Intellectual Property Protection of African Traditional Medicine within the Legal Framework of the Right to Development

In this article, we examine the prospect of securing intellectual property protection of African traditional medicine within the legal framework of the right to development in Africa. We do so with the aim to advance the right to development as an imperative to improving living standards for the peoples of Africa. Our analysis involves determining to what extent adequate protection could be secured to the benefit of the communities that engage in the practice of traditional medicine as a livelihood. Despite the imposition of western medicine, which has dominated traditional medicine since the colonial era, the latter has survived and, as we argue, deserves protection for gainful purpose as part of the common heritage, which the peoples of Africa are entitled by law to benefit from. With the renewed impetus directed towards re-establishing African value systems against the iniquities of imperial domination, our central focus in this article is to demonstrate that the practice of traditional medicine is deeply rooted in African culture, which under the African human rights system is granted as a human right. In essence, the advancement of African culture constitutes an integral aspect of the right to socio-economic and cultural development enshrined in the African Charter. Unlike other intellectual property regimes, which we argue are not sufficiently protective, we posit that the right development provides a sui generis framework within which intellectual property protection of African traditional medicine could effectively be claimed as a measure to secure redistributive justice, which the peoples of Africa have been deprived of over the decades.

“Ubuntu philosophy” for public leadership and governance praxis

PurposeLeadership and governance are all about “people” and the “common welfare”. Africans have an Ubuntu philosophy which culturally calls on individuals to promote the welfare of collective society. It is therefore paradoxical to note how African leaders and governance regimes perform poorly when it comes to the usage of public resources to create conditions for collective human welfare. Why do leaders instead of championing societal advancement rather advance their selfish, egoistic and sectional interests? This study aims to unpack a prevalent paradox and discuss a new approach of linking the rich Ubuntu philosophy to Africa’s governance and leadership discourse.Design/methodology/approachThis study discusses from secondary sources of data, mainly drawn from journal articles, internet sources and scholarly books relevant to leadership and public administration in developing African countries and how Ubuntu African philosophy can be deployed to ensure leadership ethos. In attempt to obtain a more comprehensive and systematic literature review, the search covered all terms and terminologies relevant to the objective of the study. The search process mainly comprised four categories of keywords. The first category involved the concept as approximately related to leadership: “leadership and civic culture”, “Ubuntu culture” and “African collectivist culture”. For the final category, words such as “crisis”, “failure” and “experiences” were used.FindingsThis study contends that the preponderance of corruption and poor leadership in Africa is anti-cultural, anti-human, anti-ethical and anti-African; hence, those individuals who indulge or encourage leadership paralysis are not “true Africans” by deeds but merely profess to be. Linking the African Ubuntu philosophy to public leadership, the study maintains that the hallmark of public leadership and governance is to develop the skills of all and caring for the society.Practical implicationsThis study draws attention to the need for leaders to espouse virtues so that leadership becomes a tool to promote societal welfare. The hallmark of public leadership and governance is to develop the skills of all and caring for the society. It involves weighing and balancing professional and legal imperatives within a democratic and ethical context with an ultimate responsibility to the people and public interest. It is not a responsibility to a particular set of citizens, but a commitment to be just and equitable to all. The preponderance of corruption and bad leadership is anti-cultural, anti-human, anti-ethical and anti-African; hence, individuals who indulge or encourage leadership paralysis are not true Africans by deeds but merely profess to be.Originality/valueThis study draws a clear link between indigenous African cultural value system and ethical public leadership. It draws congruence between Africa's Ubuntu philosophy of civic virtue and Africa's leadership/governance. This will bring about a renewal of thoughts and practice of public leadership on the continent, as it has been demonstrated that a true African seeks collective social welfare and not selfish interest.

Multi-Culturalism in Education: A Critical Assessment of the Impact of Colonization and Globalization on Indigenous Africa Values

This paper undertook a philosophical assessment of the impact of colonization and globalization on the indigenous African value systems. It focused on the problem of acculturation resulting from the introduction of alien and alienating philosophy of education by colonial authorities, and lately that of globalization. The objective of this study is to examine the impact of colonial education, and globalization with their attendant cultural dynamics on contemporary Africa. Our method is non empirical but critical in nature and as such uses no quantifiable data. Findings revealed that the colonial imposition of western culture through western education in Africa has brought about a cultural paradigm shift resulting in the bastardization of African cultural values. The paper further highlighted that the forces of globalization, though highly beneficial in some respects, are quite inimical to indigenous cultural values that were transmitted through traditional education. It concluded that multicultural education has a latitudinal effect on our thought patterns with the tendency of creating pluralistic value perspectives and moral crisis. The work recommended some remedial measures that could help curriculum planners in Africa promote an Afro-centric, value-based educational system. It suggested, for example, the principle of moderate liberalism which implies the sifting of wheat from the chaff when it comes to multicultural education and cultural values, by taking into consideration the relevant contemporary existential needs of the various African peoples. You should mention the adopted theoretical framework in your abstract. Key Words: Multiculturalism, education, colonization, globalization, philosophy

Digital Media and Cultural Globalisation: The Fate of African Value System

The study set to examine digital media and globalisation in order to determine the fate of African value system. Digital media can be used to change social practices as well as societal-level transformation. If countries all over the world use the same technology, then they will gradually converge as the technologies shape them and they slowly lose their distinctiveness. Globalization on the other hand is a continuation and expansion of western imperialism. It is a fresh phase of recolonization of African societies which attempts to continue the promotion of western linguistic heritage and literacy canons at the expense of African indigenous languages and literature. Globalization tends to diminish the value of cultural practices of Africa. The culture of the developed economy has obviously taken over the local culture. African societies are directly or indirectly forced to accept uniform moral principles of what is right and wrong within global cultures. In order to achieve the objective of the study, qualitative research method is adopted whereby relevant literature, documents and records are consulted and analysed in order to underscore digital media or globalisation and the fate of African value system. To locate the study within the context of theoretical framework, Media Imperialism Theory is employed. The findings of the study revealed that digital media and globalisation are exerting significant influence on the production and consumption of media products and acculturation. The study concludes that the challenges digital media and globalization pose to Africa are nothing more than challenges for Africans to adopt development policies that are rooted in their cultural value systems. The study recommends that Africans should imbibe the positive tenets that come with technology and neglect the negative aspects. Again, there is need for researchers to develop interest in this area so as to expand the body of literature and knowledge.

African Views of Just War in Mandela and Cabral

ABSTRACT In this article, I will carry out an epistemic and interpretative project, drawing out the implications of African values for the morality of war. More precisely, I wish to interpret the African value system and tease out some conclusions as to what this value system entails in terms of the following: the morality of when to enter war, how to act in war, and what to do after war. I carry out this inquiry by articulating the African value of Ubuntu in light of the actions and speeches of two prominent African leaders, Nelson Mandela and Amilcar Cabral.

Unshackling the chains of coloniality: Reimagining decoloniality, Africanisation and Reformation for a non-racial South Africa

Racial divisions, polarisation and tensions are on the rise in South Africa today. A democratic dream of a rainbow nation remains just a dream with racism continuing to raise its ugly head in the democratic South Africa, to the detriment of the rainbow dream of a united South Africa. This article seeks to probe whether South Africans should continue to sing the song of racial reconciliation in the light of the continued racial tensions and post-colonial and post-apartheid legacies and stereotypes that continue to manifest in our private and public spaces. Based on an examination of the decoloniality project, Africanisation and Reformation, through literature study, the article calls for the decoloniality of faith in an effort to craft a vision for a non-racial society. This vision not only takes the importance of the redeeming memories of the 500 years of Reformation seriously, but also the notion of Africanisation and, in particular, the use of the African value systems in shaping and reconstructing a non-racial South Africa. This article taps into the resourcefulness of the Reformed faith in South Africa, as articulated in the theologies of Snyman, Tshaka and Botha, and applies them to South African discourses of decoloniality.

Interpreting Proverbs 22:1 in light of attitude to money in African perspective

Prov 22:1 gives premium to ‘a good name’ above riches. The book belongs to the OT wisdom tradition which has been adjudged as most suitable for character teaching. Hence, this study examines the text in light of the concept of character, with specific focus on attitude to money in Africa, using the Nigerian context as an illustration. The work proposes that Prov 22:1 is relevant in contemporary Africa where the loss of regard for reputation has led to corruption and the concomitant unemployment and poverty. Recent events in Nigeria, for instance, have shown a total break-down of respect for the age-long African value system so much that ex-convicts of corruption are actually celebrated on release from jail. The work therefore calls for a reawakening of the traditional African value system in which theft was more or less a taboo as people aspired for the ideals of ‘a good name.’ To achieve this there is a need for African leaders to engender policies that would enforce the traditional values to be inculcated in their subjects. More importantly, leaders at all spheres of the African community must lead by example in the aspiration for the ideals of ‘a good name.’

Strengthening Domestic Corporate Activity in Global Capital Markets: A Canadian Perspective on South Africa's Corporate Governance

As a Canadian corporate law scholar who recently had the opportunity to visit South Africa, I was humbled by both the profound challenges and the immutable positive spirit of the South African people when it comes to thinking about their economic and social future. Hence while this paper is a reflective discussion on the kinds of challenges that exist and the strategies that could be deployed to enhance corporate governance in South Africa, it must be emphasized at the outset that it is for Sub-Saharan African nations to develop their own governance models. They are best positioned to adopt strategies that align with their social, economic and political goals, and it is not for the West to impose Anglo-American conceptions of corporate and securities laws on developing nations. While there are lessons, both positive and negative, from the North American governance experience, self-determination of optimal governance strategies for emerging economies will allow them to take account of both domestic needs and global capital markets. This paper is divided into four parts. The first part sets a context for the discussion, including an overview of the corporate law regime in South Africa and more generally, the challenges faced by Sub-Saharan Africa in terms of economic development. Corporate governance cannot be discussed without at least some appreciation of the challenges posed by foreign direct investment, the level of debt of these nations and broader development concerns. Much of the wealth of Sub-Saharan Africa has been mortgaged previously, creating enormous barriers to becoming independent in their economic policy choices. Part II then sets out a framework for thinking about corporate governance in Sub-Saharan Africa, briefly analyzing both shareholder wealth maximization and stakeholder models of governance. Part III shifts into a more specific discussion of corporate governance developments in South Africa. In this respect, South Africa shares much in common with Canada in terms of its capital structure, corporate law and challenges of being a host nation for many multinational enterprises (MNEs) headquartered elsewhere. The King II Report on corporate governance is examined in terms of its influence on shaping corporate governance policy in South Africa. A more fulsome conception of corporate governance for South Africa includes empowerment, equity and the inclusion of African value systems. Finally, Part IV looks forward, examining the possible benefits and limits of socially responsible investing through the new Johannesburg Stock Exchange SRI Index. It also briefly discusses areas of further research that may provide assistance in enhancing domestic corporate activity in South Africa.

English

Ubuntu is a value system that is known to be found in African communities. Like other values within African communities, it is perceived to have transcended the colonialist rule which changed the landscape of Africa including its socio-cultural makeup. Although KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) is credited for the initiation of Ubuntu, the erosion of certain cultural values has been found to be more acute in KwaZulu-Natal. That being the case, an empirical study into the existence of Ubuntu in rural KZN, Umgungundlovu District, was conducted and the results revealed that Ubuntu is an important cultural value in the community which is however perceived to be losing its importance in the younger generation. Key words: Ubuntu, African value system, patriarchy, African worldview, African epistemology.

Pursuing the agenda of Africanising philosophy in Africa: Some possibilities

The question about the existence or non-existence of African philosophy has almost died a natural death in the past few years. It is now a question of African and non-African thinkers putting their attention on actually doing African philosophy instead of “flogging the dead horse” by continuing to grapple with the question about whether African philosophy exists or not. However, in that quest for doing African philosophy, only recently has there been some growing consensus on the thinking that the content and curriculum of philosophy in Africa ought to be transformed and Africanised. In this article, I critically interrogate the question of what Africanising philosophy ought to reasonably entail. Much of the discussion on Africanisation eventually leads towards somewhat anthropological and ethno-philosophical interpretations of African cultural heritage. However, I transcend these interpretations as I seek to critically situate African philosophical thinking within universal philosophical discourse. Although I admit the danger of romanticising African indigenous value systems in the pursuit of the agenda of Africanisation of the philosophy curriculum, I seek to argue that the idea of Africanising philosophy ought to be understood as being compatible with, and consistent with, the requirement of philosophy as a critical discourse. Also, I argue that an Africanised philosophy curriculum must be relevant to the African condition. Overall, I propose some possibilities and ways by which the agenda of Africanising the current philosophy curriculum in Africa could be pursued.

Ubuntu translanguaging: An alternative framework for complex multilingual encounters

Multilingual education practices worldwide are still characterised by monolingual bias that can be tracked as far back as the European Enlightenment period. Yet the majority of learners employ meta-discursive regimes that are versatile, mobile and fluid in response to transnational mobility and blurring of boundaries between nation states in the 21st century. Taking account of African sociolinguistic contexts predating European colonialism, I draw attention to the obsolete nature of one-ness ideology and its sequential, linear and positivist methods in African classrooms. I argue for the African value system of ubuntu as a heuristic to theorise infinite relations of dependency between languages and literacies and how this system reflects a cultural competence upon which literacy practices need to be anchored. Useful pedagogic recommendations for teaching literacy from the ubuntu perspective are provided for adaptation in related contexts.

The Ethics of Introducing GMOs into sub-Saharan Africa: Considerations from the sub-Saharan African Theory of Ubuntu.

A growing number of countries in sub-Saharan Africa are considering legalizing the growth of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Furthermore, several projects are underway to develop transgenic crops tailored to the region. Given the contentious nature of GMOs and prevalent anti-GMO sentiments in Africa, a robust ethical analysis examining the concerns arising from the development, adoption, and regulation of GMOs in sub-Saharan Africa is warranted. To date, ethical analyses of GMOs in the global context have drawn predominantly on Western philosophy, dealing with Africa primarily on a material level. Yet, a growing number of scholars are articulating and engaging with ethical theories that draw upon sub-Saharan African value systems. One such theory, Ubuntu, is a well-studied sub-Saharan African communitarian morality. I propose that a robust ethical analysis of Africa's agricultural future necessitates engaging with African moral theory. I articulate how Ubuntu may lead to a novel and constructive understanding of the ethical considerations for introducing GMOs into sub-Saharan Africa. However, rather than reaching a definitive prescription, which would require significant engagement with local communities, I consider some of Ubuntu's broader implications for conceptualizing risk and engaging with local communities when evaluating GMOs. I conclude by reflecting on the implications of using local moral theory in bioethics by considering how one might negotiate between universalism and particularism in the global context. Rather than advocating for a form of ethical relativism, I suggest that local moral theories shed light on salient ethical considerations that are otherwise overlooked.