Using African knowledge to promote positive outcomes in conflict situations
Submitted by DriesVelt on 8 July 2009 - 11:43am.
An overview of conflict using African conflict resolution initiatives as a case study of KM for conflict resolution, revealed that the methods used by African institutions are not adequate to manage knowledge to eradicate the causes of conflict, provide early warning of conflict, or produce a synthetic knowledge product for wise decisions and successful actions. However, the literature alerted the researcher to a few important themes related to the research problem that will serve as focus for field research to learn additional KM principles and practices that could be applied to conflict resolution. The following themes were identified to investigate how knowledge of Africa should be managed to promote positive outcomes for Africa:
- Theme 1: The Use of African Knowledge Systems to Prevent Conflict. The indigenous knowledge systems of Africa present KM practices that could be used for conflict prevention and learning. Especially the value system of Ubuntu provides valuable principles to prevent and resolve conflict.
- Theme 2: The Finding of Collective Middle Ground (CMG) through KM. In Africa, the collective middle ground between civil society, trans-national organisations and state structures implies the merging of global knowledge with indigenous knowledge in a horizontal power relationship of equal sharing and control, in the spirit of Ubuntu, to find solutions to and prevent conflicts in Africa. Especially the way in which African knowledge systems and knowledge systems from outside the continent develop an equal complementary relationship to resolve conflict, is of vital importance.
- Theme 3: A Universal Network of Collective KM. The desired KM situation in Africa is a sphere of interactive networks, chains and formal centres of knowledge linking intellectual and social capital of global, continental structures, regional structures, state structures, civil society, traditional communities (with special emphasis on the empowerment of historically marginalised communities), community organisations and public citizens. The network is founded on the relationship of horizontal power equilibrium in the spirit of an "universal Ubuntu" The purpose is to blend knowledge, to learn from the new blend of indigenous knowledge as a method of self-empowerment to prevent conflict and overcome the other challenges of Africa. This includes equal participation in the dynamic trans-national environment to empower and restore the power equilibrium and convergence between the north and the historically marginalised Africa, maintaining the choice to collaborate or not, especially in ventures such as conflict prevention.
- Theme 4: Constraints to Collective KM. In Africa, the constraints of collective KM that need to be removed are continued reluctance to share because of exclusive objectives, the notion to protect because of distrust, the persisting vertical power-relationship between major powers and Africa, lack of objectivity in the merging of insights, time management, limitations on enabling capacity and communication (including language differences). These challenges need to be addressed by the intervention of visionary leadership, capable managers and innovative experts, facilitating the timely blending of all resources (human and physical) to prevent conflict or to support longer-term peace plans.
- Theme 5: Policy Frameworks, Strategy, Plans and KM. Policy frameworks, strategies, and action plans must be in place to enable KM in both society and business. KM is part of long-term visions such as Ubuntu, the African Renaissance philosophy, medium-term sector strategies of NEPAD and trans-national business, and the operational and business plans of all entities. The management of knowledge for specific programmes is monitored with suitable instruments to ensure timely and wise decisions for action. Consciousness of human rights and security, and conflict prevention, which is the podium for all other ventures that may lead to an African Renaissance, persists. These frameworks must provide for the protection of all knowledge including indigenous knowledge. Instruments must be developed to ensure a realistic trade-off between the responsibility for sharing and protection, ensuring tangible compensation or advantages for African society for participation in collective KM.
- Theme 6: Knowledge Production. The ideal knowledge product contains a synthesis of indigenous African knowledge (including information that is the result of tacit knowledge in oral or symbolic format that was processed to be tangible) and tangible knowledge inputs from as many other participants in the network that reflect all possible worldviews. The new holistic product must be subjected to interpretation by a panel of wise people and disseminated to effect timely and defendable decisions and actions to change a situation, e.g. a conflict situation.
- Theme 7: A Culture of Learning. In Africa, intellectual capital is developed through a culture of learning and reconstructing the approach to education, which develops wise leaders, capable managers, and facilitators as well as expert knowledge workers who understands the interrelatedness and interdependence of knowledge systems. Relevant learning empowers and enhances trans-disciplinary insight, cultural understanding, knowledge awareness and positive perceptions about others. Intellectual capital includes people who can work together in multi-disciplinary groups, COPs and knowledge centres and the creative utilization of ICT and traditional methods for effective communication to enhance networking, including communication with centres situated on the periphery of states and in historically marginalised communities. People must be able to gather data, process it into explicit information, analyse it and jointly interpret knowledge.
This work is (c)opyright to Dr Dries Velthuizen African Wisdom site and is used with permission.
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