African Knowledges and Sciences
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African knowledges and sciences Understanding and supporting the ways of knowing in Sub-Saharan Africa David Millar, Stephen Bugu Kendie, Agnes Atia Apusigah and Bertus Haverkort (Editors) Compas series on Worldviews and sciences 3 This book is the third in the Compas series on Worldviews and sciences Other volumes are: 1. Educación Intra e Intercultural: Alternativas a la Reforma Educativa Neocolonizadora (Intra- and intercultural education: Alternatives for neo-colonialist educational reforms) Edition Plural, La Paz Bolivia 2006 Editors: Freddy Delgado B. and Juan Carlos Mariscal C. 2. Diálogo Intercultural e Intercientífico para el Fortalecimiento de las Ciencias de los Pueblos Indígenas Originarios (Intercultural and interscientific dialogue for strengthening the sciences of the original peoples in the Americas) Edition Plural, La Paz 2006 Editors: Freddy Delgado B. and César Escóbar V. 3. African Knowledge and Sciences: a potential for endogenous development UDS/Compas/CTA 2006 Editors: David Millar, Stephan Bugu Kendie, Agnes Atia Apusiga and Bertus Haverkort 4. Moving worldviews: Reshaping sciences, policies and practices in Europe ETC/Compas, Leusden 2006 Editors: Bertus Haverkort and Coen Reijntjes 5. Traditional knowledge and sciences of India and Sri Lanka (in preparation) 6. Endogenous development and bio-cultural diversity: the interplay between worldviews, globalisation and locality Compas/CDE (in preparation) AFRICAN KNOWLEDGES AND SCIENCES Understanding and supporting the ways of knowing in Sub-Saharan Africa Papers and proceedings of an International Conference on African Knowledges and Sciences October 23 to 29 2005, Bolgatanga U/R Region Ghana. Editors: David Millar Stephen Bugu Kendie Agnes Atia Apusigah Bertus Haverkort ISBN-10: 90-77347-11-9 ISBN-13: 978-90-77347-11-9 AFRICAN KNOWLEDGES AND SCIENCES Understanding and supporting the ways of knowing in Sub-Saharan Africa © COMPAS/UDS/UCC (2006) The editors and authors of this book reserve the rights of this publication. However, readers are encouraged to copy and circulate this information and to translate it into other languages as long as it is not done for commercial purposes. For more information, contact: Research and Postgraduate Centre University for Development Studies (UDS) P.O. Box 24, Navrongo, UER, Ghana Tel: +233-742-22449 E-mail: [email protected] Centre for Development Studies University of Cape Coast (UCC) P. O. Box 01, Cape Coast, Ghana Tel: +233-42-32983 E-mail: [email protected] Gender Programmes Unit University for Development Studies (UDS) P. O. Box 24, Navrongo, UER, Ghana Tel: +233-742-22449 E-mail: [email protected] Centre for Cosmovision and Indigenous Knowledge (CECIK) P. O. Box 607, Bolgatanga, UER, Ghana Tel: +233-72-23500 Fax: +233-72-23501 E-mail: [email protected] Compas P.O. Box 64, 3830 AB Leusden, the Netherlands Tel: +31-33-4320000 Fax: +31-33-4940791 E-mail: [email protected] Printing BDU, Barneveld, the Netherlands Layout Désirée Dirkzwager CONTENTS PART I Conference papers Introduction 8 D. Millar and B. Havertkort, African knowledges and sciences: Exploring the ways of knowing of Sub-Saharan Africa 11 B. Haverkort, Discourses within and between different sciences 38 D. Millar, Ancestorcentrism: A basis for African sciences and learning epistemologies 53 S. Batuuka and D. Nkanda, Obuntu concept in Uganda: The case of the Basoga of Eastern Uganda 64 J.A. Fanou, D. Vodouhe and A.T. Kouevi, Vodoun as a socio-economic development factor in Benin 76 A.A. Apusigah, F. Issaka and D. Afegra, Africans return to the village: Reconstructing identities and engendering praxis 86 J.R.S. Tabuti, Traditional knowledge in Bulamogi County – Uganda: Importance to sustainable livelihoods 98 S.B. Kendie, B.Y. Guri, Indigenous institutions as partners for agriculture and natural resource management 106 J.P. Kirby, The earth cult and the ecology of peacebuilding in Northern Ghana 129 J.P. Kirby and Gong Shu, Culture-drama: A new enactment genre for peacebuilding 149 PART II Proceedings 164 List of participants 172 Acronyms 176 5 6 Conference papers PART I Conference papers 7 African Knowledges and Sciences Introduction African Traditional Knowledge (ATK), variously called rural peoples’ knowledge, indigenous knowledge, or cultural knowledge, among others, is as old as the existence of the African peoples themselves. This knowledge base has provided sustenance for Africans in a diverse, complex, and risk-prone environment. Spirituality is the bedrock of this knowledge system that makes it remarkably different from other knowledges/sciences. Bio-cultural diversity is another feature that characterises African traditional knowledges. Non-Africans and so-called “educated Africans” have often denied recognition for this knowledge base since colonial times. Except in the field of health sciences and particularly for herbal medicine, music, culture and arts, very little has been done by science-based scholars on African knowledges. In recent time, there has been an increased and renewed interest in African Knowledge Systems. A few scholars of so-called ‘hard sciences’ and development work have made token gestures at this knowledge base. Yet, a lot remains unknown, unexplained, and, in some cases, misunderstood. For those scholars who embrace and project African knowledges as an alternative form and source of knowledge, the challenge of legitimacy is often an issue. This challenge is often directed to forms of proof and legitimacy. Much as we cannot discredit Western science, we resist any attempts to use Western standards to measure ATK, for, African sciences, ancient as they are, have their own unique forms of proof and legitimacy. As African scholars who project and claim an Afrocentric science, we find ourselves being increasingly challenged to provide evidences of our own traditional knowledge system in the same way as being done by our colleagues from Asia and Latin America. African science based scholars find a lot of empirical evidences to consider their knowledge as African Science. But for this we should be prepared to listen, see, learn, and feel. A conference on African Sciences was held in October 2005 in Bolgatanga, Ghana, to bring together various experiences and positions (from traditional people, scholars, and practitioners) as a way to understand, develop, and consolidate African Sciences. This Conference provided a platform for the the ‘scientification of the African knowledges’ and in so doing motivate interest and challenge actions. It is our hope that the papers in this collection will illuminate, the unique ways that Africans generate and share knowledge. The authors come from varied backgrounds and include University Professors, development workers, social critics, religious practitioners and African traditionalists. They have worked with varied African peoples in rural and urban, community and University, and formal and informal places to produce these knowledges, which we are privileged, in this volume, to pass on to diverse audiences. 8 Introduction Conference approach Various approaches were adopted in the organization of the conference, the delivery of the papers and the discussions thereof. Some participants presented research papers on topical issues. The presentations were immediately followed with plenary questions, comments and suggestions. Later in the day, syndicate group discussions were organized with thematic areas and guided questions to review the papers presented. The groups then made plenary presentations and these were subsequently discussed by all the participants. Given the complexity of the issues under discussion and the fact that many participants were venturing into the field of African Sciences for the first time, some papers were still incomplete and ‘in progress’. These were discussed during the group sessions. A number of already published materials on the issues that contribute to the debate were given out as reading materials. Because these papers were pertinent to the deliberations, they were read up-front and these informed subsequent discussions of some of the papers. Layout of this book This book is a compilation of papers and proceeding of the conference. The first couple of chapters are overview papers that are dedicated to debates about the globalisation of knowledge, focusing on science in general and African Science in particular. Critical issues and unanswered questions are raised in these articles to challenge, further, action by scholars. Thereafter, the subsequent articles discuss the gnoseologies, epistemologies, and ontologies of African wisdoms/knowledges/ sciences and the notion of ‘Essence’ as reflected in concepts like Ubuntu, Saakumnu, Nyaba-Itgo, and Vodoun. The book concludes with case studies of African knowledges with respect to current developmental concerns in gender, sustainable livelihoods, natural resources management, conflict management and peace building. Acknowledgements The Editors wish to pay tribute to all eminent Chiefs, women and men leaders, dignitaries from South Africa, Benin, Togo, Uganda, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Burkina Faso, Ghana and the Netherlands for attending, participating and contributing in diverse ways to the Conference, which has resulted in this publication. A special acknowledgement is extended to the Vice Chancellor of UDS, Professor J. B. Kaburise, for not only agreeing to host the International Conference but accepting to chair the opening session and the then Pro-Vice Chancellor, Professor Saa Dittoh for sitting