The management of knowledge: best practices learned from the people of the Great Lakes region of Africa

DriesVelt — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 07:13:55 -0600

Author: Dr Andreas Gerhardus (Dries) Velthuizen

Organizational Affiliation: Centre for African Renaissance Studies, University of South Africa (Academic Associate)

Contact Details: dries@africanwisdom.info - Mobile: +27834736478

ABSTRACT

The paper deals with the management of knowledge for conflict resolution and the innovation of Africa. After a brief discussion of the research methodology followed, feedback is provide on field studies conducted in from 2006 to 2008 in Northern Uganda, Rwanda and the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) in Arusha, Tanzania and in the DRC. As a result of the field study certain principles and practices were identified by which the challenges of Africa could be engaged. The author found five “realms” in which KM can take place and that traditional knowledge practices if merged with more modern KM practices provides a valuable framework for KM for conflict resolution and the innovation of Africa. Best practices that were identified include an intra-connected and collective knowledge production system and the production of tacit knowledge especially among the new generation or “youth”. Furthermore, the importance of intellectual capital in the form of value-driven leadership, competent managers, and expert knowledge workers and the activation of intervention into the continuous spiral of violent conflict, ultimately leading to the innovative transformation of African society, is discussed. Finally, some recommendations are offered as possible solutions for conflict resolution and the innovation of Africa.

INTRODUCTION

Today there is a need in Africa for knowledge for decision-making purposes. Information from official structures such as the African Union (AU), the structures of its member countries, trans-national organisations, business structures, civil society, and indigenous knowledge systems (IKS) should become usable knowledge. Furthermore, it is necessary for African structures to accommodate the perspectives of local communities, the content of IKS, and intellectual capital of society ('higher minds') to ensure understanding of the challenges, prompting active intervention to find solutions.

The question remains: How should African knowledge and knowledge in Africa be managed to resolve conflict and to ensure the innovation of the continent?

The specific aim of the paper therefore is to propose a solution for the management of knowledge, including indigenous knowledge, to achieve desired outcomes for Africa while promoting the “African Renaissance”. The crux of the paper is to present a knowledge management (KM) solution on how to accommodate the wisdom embedded in the indigenous knowledge systems, communities and 'higher minds' of Africa in decision-making and actions together with knowledge brought by the trans-national organisations in a collective middle ground to create a new holistic knowledge.

The paper is the outcome of an extensive literature study and research conducted in the Great lakes of Africa from 2006-2008. After a brief discussion of the research methodology that was followed in Northern Uganda, Rwanda and the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) in Arusha, Tanzania some good practices were identified for the innovation of Africa through the management of knowledge.

THE RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Research was done by following a multi-disciplinary, inter-disciplinary and trans-disciplinary systems approach, using a qualitative research methodology on trans-national level.

A review of literature on the philosophy of knowledge, the theory of knowledge management, knowledge in Africa and African knowledge alerted the researcher of a few important themes:

The production of tangible collective knowledge of indigenous society by means of an intra-connected knowledge system.
The creation of tacit understanding by establishing a culture of learning towards a synthesis of knowledge and a holistic understanding for a new generation to develop and to find solutions for the innovation of Africa.
Intellectual capital in the form of value-driven leaders, capable managers and facilitators as well as expert knowledge workers.
The activation of intervention by means of knowledge-driven policy frameworks, strategies, and action plans to stop the cycle of violence that prevents the revival of Africa.
The knowledge-driven innovative transformation of the normative foundation of African society.

The Great Lakes region of Africa (with specific reference to the DRC, Uganda, and Rwanda), was chosen as the general universum of the study because of the number of unresolved or managed conflicts in the area, and intense knowledge management activities related to conflict resolution.

A pilot study was conducted by means of content analysis of empirical literature related to KM for conflict resolution in the Great lakes region as well as preliminary exploration by means of travelling in the DRC, Uganda and Rwanda to make observations and to identify key informers and focus groups for the study.

Consequently, samples within the following units of analysis were selected that meets the criteria for selection

The Traditional Acholi Conflict Resolution System in Uganda
The Gacaca Court System in Rwanda
The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda in Arusha

The main investigation was conducted in these “samples” through:

Content analysis of literature available in East Africa and published by East Africans on indigenous conflict prevention methods.
Interpretative interaction with people involved in the selected cases during fieldwork in Kampala, Gulu, Kigali and the ICTR.
Qualitative semi-structured in-depth interviews with selected key informers (specialists, professionals, and members of the communities and organisations) focussing on KM activities related to the specific conflict management cases.

The result of this research is some important concepts that can be serve as best practices for the management of knowledge for the innovation of African society.

THE INTRA-CONNECTED AND COLLECTIVE KNOWLEDGE PRODUCTION SYSTEM

Research revealed a 'trans-dimensional KM paradigm’ that involves collective knowledge including knowledge claims from the African village (the traditional knowledge realm), the religions of the community (a religious knowledge realm), official structures (formal knowledge realm), judicial structures (judicial knowledge realm) and trans-national organisations involved in the community (global knowledge realm). Collectively these knowledge claims forms the indigenous knowledge of African society, when collective middle ground is found in the context of social capital of the community involved.

According to Dia (1996, 241), the first requirement for knowledge production is the need for a new participatory process that focuses on building convergences between formal and informal institutions, empowering beneficiaries and local communities. Reconciliation between indigenous groups and formal institutions brings together dominant societal values of indigenous cultures as well as technical and organisational ideologies supporting modern institutions. Convergence begins when both formal and indigenous recognise the need for sustained interaction. Renewing, informal institutions need to create relationships with adaptive formal ones, revolving around programmes and projects, releasing synergy between the interacting institutions and achieving institutional convergence.

Nabudere (2006a) concludes that nowadays business, communities and several non-academic settings, where groups of people from different disciplines and institutions come together, are centres of learning. Boundaries that used to exist between academic and non-academic learning is becoming blurred, as the ‘excluded middle’ is increasingly included. Policies must work towards a new convergence, which recognises that knowledge is necessary for production, and that other communities seek interlocking networks of economic and social relationships globally as Africa moves into a 'learning economy'.

The pilot study in the Great Lakes region disclosed the following knowledge management “realms” related to a collective and intra-connected knowledge production system.

The African Traditional Knowledge Realm. On this level the traditional knowledge of Africa, including the knowledge embedded in collective memory and articulated in African language narrative is accessed in a spirit of Ubuntu2 to gather data on how to prevent or resolve violent conflict.
The Indigenous Knowledge Realm. In this realm, the unique tacit or explicit normative knowledge and scientific/empirical knowledge claims embedded in the political, religious and traditional African society, including the universal knowledge claims that originate from outside Africa and that became indigenised in African society, is gathered and processed in a central point with new knowledge for decisions and actions as an output.
The Collective Knowledge Realm. This realm involves the finding of collective middle ground where the indigenous knowledge claims of Africa and the knowledge claims of entities outside Africa (sometimes represented by trans-national organisations such as multi-national corporations and the UN) complement each other equally in a formal and informal way, through the implementation of good KM practices.
The Social Capital Realm. In this realm social capital in the form of intricate trans-national and intra-societal networks of individuals and knowledge centres intra-act in a supportive dynamic trans-realm where knowledge is shared and renewed in a horizontal relationship, continuously seeking new synthesis and holistic perspective of the causes, development and consequences of conflict and opportunities to prevent or resolve it.

The new paradigm emerged that can be illustrated as follows:

The manifestation of the paradigm was found during field research in Gulu, Northern Uganda. It was found that the traditional system of the Acholi people enjoys an intra-connected relationship with broader society during which new knowledge is created. It was found that traditional knowledge is used extensively by organisations in Gulu to manage the consequences of internal conflict (with specific reference to the activities of the Lords Resistance Army during three decades of internal war). In contrast, it was found that an organisation such as the International Criminal Court (ICC) does not succeed in contributing to KM for conflict resolution in a similar way or with similar impact and the challenge remains in finding common ground between the indigenous society and the trans-national institution.

The observation in Uganda was confirmed during field research in Rwanda. It was found that the Gacaca court system3 allows for a structured way of maintaining an intra-connected relationship with broader society during which new knowledge is created. It also appeared sufficient common ground exist between the practices of Gacaca and the modern KM practices represented by the ICTR in Arusha4. However, it was found that traditional and indigenous knowledge inputs are only used by both systems as evidence, and do not result in production of sufficient knowledge for decision-making in contributing to KM for conflict resolution to such and extent that it would assist in the eradication of conflict.

Furthermore, it was found that the social networks and intellectual capital of Rwanda, together with a system based on traditional Gacaca practices, provides sufficient opportunity for peace and restorative justice. The challenge is in finding common ground not only between Gacaca and the ICTR, but also with actors in the global community in an equal and complementary fashion.

THE CREATION OF A NEW HOLISTIC UNDERSTANDING BY A NEW GENERATION

The research found that both tacit knowledge and tangible knowledge products, produced in knowledge centres created for that purpose as part of an indigenous knowledge system, could contribute to better understanding in the form of knowledge synthesis and holistic perspective, especially among the youth and an emerging new generation of leaders. In these centres knowledge production takes place through the processing of information (including indigenous knowledge) into tangible innovative knowledge products that provides early warning of conflict, lessons learned from conflict resolution initiatives and recommends specific solutions, as well as the creation of tacit understanding by means of skills development, formal courses, mentoring programs, coaching, counselling, and distance learning, including the use of information and communication technology (ICT) platforms to collaborate through the communication, storage and display of knowledge.

Nonaka (1998, 21) discussed the 'knowledge creating company' and proposed that the creation of new knowledge depends on tapping the subjective insights, intuitions and ideals of workers. He uses the example of 'holistic knowledge creation' as a tool for innovation in Japanese society. Garvin (1998) described the 'learning organisation' by saying that before people and companies can improve, they must first learn. People must be skilled at systematic problem solving, experimentation with new approaches, learning from experience and best practices, accompanied by quick and efficient transfer of knowledge through the whole organisation. Pelissier (2001) found that if the organisation is knowledge-based, it means that knowledge and business intelligence are competitive weapons in a borderless environment.

Gutto (2006, 306-320) argues that 'the primary purpose of education, formal or non-formal, is the development of interrelated and interdependent sets of human capacity to think, to know and to act by honing social consciousness or awareness, values and skills. This requires understanding of the interrelatedness and interdependence of knowledge systems, creative utilization of ICT, enhanced networking and distance learning.

According to Nabudere (2002b), African epistemology starts with the recognition that all knowledge is valid within its own cultural environment. Conditions must be created for communication and recognition of the contribution of each entity. This hermeneutic approach requires an African contribution that concurs with the needs of self-emancipation, while drawing on cultural heritage, taking into account new developments. Therefore tools must be developed to draw on the deeply embedded indigenous knowledge systems of Africa, including its practical knowledge, and build on it technical knowledge that can be of value in a global world.

These findings were reinforced by solutions proposed by ESCOM during a workshop on 17 and 18 February 2009 in Midrand, South Africa. Organisational learning should take place through mentoring programs, capturing of “lessons learned” and staff collaboration in communities of practice. Learning can be facilitated by “Grey Beard Mentors” (experienced people who already left the organisation) or by employees that will soon leave the organisation. Tools can be used to transfer best practices such as the design and development of courses, the use of case-study templates and collaborative technological platforms to do e-learning. The output should be to create understanding of the system by people on “grass-roots” or “coal-face” level.

During the pilot study in the DRC, Uganda and Rwanda the good practice of production of knowledge in knowledge centres in the form of early warning and foresight of the probability of incidents that might occur in the short term (such as genocide), or in the long-term, the probability of conflict in and among societies. Furthermore, it could deliver a more tacit knowledge product in the form of a person with a new vision of the future, learning new values, understanding of the causes and consequences of conflict and changed behavior, including managerial excellence and vocational skills.

During field studies, specific examples of these practices were found. Several centres of knowledge production and learning initiatives were found in the small town of Gulu. The traditional structures and culture of learning of the Acholi manifest in extensive social capital in local, regional and international context, nurtured by supportive organisations and individuals throughout the years of conflict. Coupled with the capacity to use modern ICT to disseminate knowledge to and receive knowledge from other centres, the social capital of the Acholi yields suitable conditions for knowledge production.

Observation and interviews on the Gacaca Court System in Rwanda revealed that epistemologically the procedures on village level are of value to create an understanding of the forces at play before and during the genocide. Especially when the intellectual capital of a jury as a form of community of practices is applied, an accurate view of actual events may emerge. Although not directly and immediately useful to eradicate ideologies such as racism and genocide, it may lead to a complete understanding of the underlying causes and consequences, an understanding that will be useful for actions to prevent similar events from recurring.

During the main study at the ICTR in Arusha it was found that involvement in the trans-national organisation means entering a culture of learning. The opportunity presents itself to African society to enhance professional and managerial competence, become multi-skilled and adaptable, and to learn from a culture that promotes managerial excellence, performance value-based learning, and the maintenance of standards required for service to others.

In 2007 and 2008, after ten-month long training projects under the auspices of the security sector reform initiative in the DRC it was concluded that value-based transfer of knowledge, following a trans-disciplinary (as opposed to specialisation) and multi-platform approach (training specialists but as part of a system) in a practical environment ensure lasting skills and capacity. The tacit outcomes of the training is a new generation of middle-level managers and specialists who understand the values of peace (as opposed to violence), self-emancipation (as opposed to domination), professional conduct (as opposed to corruption), justice (as opposed to impunity), national pride, trust, respect and the importance of becoming part of peaceful solutions in the region.

THE INTELLECTUAL CAPITAL OF AFRICA: VALUE-DRIVEN LEADERSHIP; COMPETENT MANAGERS AND EXPERT KNOWLEDGE WORKERS

During research in the Great Lakes region, it was found that intellectual capital in the form of value-driven leaders, competent managers and facilitators, expert knowledge workers (including ICT experts) work together in multi-cultural working groups or communities of practice to share worldviews and learn from each other. Together they form an intellectual capital pool of people with trans-disciplinary insight, holistic knowledge, cultural awareness and innovative thinking. The opportunities exist for the empowerment of Africans to participate equally as value-driven leaders in the production of new knowledge.

A recent study by the Department of Industrial Psychology, University of Stellenbosch (Du Toit, Engelbrecht and Pooven 2006) revealed that traditional African values, although in congruence with many universal ethical values, place more emphasis upon collectivism, collaboration, caring, dignity and respect. It is argued that these values should underlie a value-based leadership style to enhance team performance in modern organisations through better integration and understanding of a multi-cultural workforce and the management of diversity with a focus on teams.

In the ICTR it was found that value-driven leaders, competent managers and facilitators, expert knowledge workers representative of society (not only governments) are involved in joint working groups where they can participate in an equal relationship. Leadership is strongly value driven, especially concerning the universal values of justice, peace, respect and dignity. This environment creates an opportunity for Africans to participate and leadership role in modern trans-national institutions for not only the immediate purpose of seeking justice done and preventing further conflict, but also to exert positive African values such as self-emancipation and competitiveness toward a convergent relationship with the rest of the global community.

A further good practice that was found at the ICTR is the concept of an 'inter-disciplinary and representative knowledge pool' of intellectual capital consisting of productive leaders, managers and experts from within African society. Because KM supports the 'common cause', the identification of capable people from a knowledge pool is the ideal situation. The criteria for belonging to the pool include diversity in terms of geographical origin and the advancement of women. Specific expert skills like those of translators, security staff,' and base administrators' with multiple skills and inter-disciplinary ability, are needed. Leaders with an understanding of the system who are adaptable to a trans-national environment and innovative thinking must be in key positions. The ideal person should be an innovator with a will to meet targets.

It became evident that value-driven leadership, supported by a pool of capable managers and experts, is vital to activate innovative solutions to complex challenges facing Africa.

THE ACTIVATION OF INTERVENTION TO RESOLVE CONFLICT

One of the main conclusions of the research indicated that to activate intervention in conflict, knowledge-driven adjustment of policies, strategy and contingency planning are necessary to resolve conflict and to maintain peace. To this end collectiveness and the finding of common ground among conflicting parties as a first step towards peace and growth are vital.

One of the first steps towards the achievement of this objective was the 2004 AU Summit, which adopted a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the AU and the Regional Economic Communities (RECs) on KM responsibilities. According to the MoU, RECs should maintain a database and transmit quarterly reports to the PSC of the AU. Regular networking must be ensured, including visits by officials charged with implementation and REC representatives must attend AU meetings. Focal points must be created for liaison between regional mechanisms and the mechanisms within the AU. A guideline that was given is that conflict situations on the continent should be monitored by gathering information based on specific indicators.
Perhaps the most important integrated project for creating a peaceful and secure environment for African development is the establishment of a Continental Early Warning System (CEWS) of the AU. According to the Protocol of the Peace and Security Council (PSC), timely information collected through a CEWS will be used by the Peace and Security Council on potential conflicts and threats to peace and security in Africa. The CEWS is linked to regional situation rooms. Decisions on the best course of action will be based on this intelligence, and should preventive diplomacy fail, peacekeepers may be deployed to prevent violence. (AU 2005).

Neuland & Venter (2005, 25) assert that policy measures of governments and governmental institutions to deal with conflict resolution in the NEPAD context should be complemented by a public peace process and a convergence of the roles of citizens, public organisations and NGOs with the role of government during conflict resolution. The causes of many conflicts are outside the reach of government-based diplomacy and the role of citizens and public organisations is crucial in building positive political relationships between people in conjunction with official peace processes, focussing on systematic dialogue among individuals, transformation to end violence and to build peace.

During field research in Gulu, it was found that the traditional justice system of the Acholi provides a valuable framework of KM practices that can be used for conflict resolution. The traditional initiative proved to be a knowledge driven process providing for the gathering of empirical data from the memory and narrative of the exact original observer or participant, and for context unique to the specific culture. It was found that traditional practices are reconcilable with modern KM practices, even to the point where the keepers of traditional knowledge can participate in modern collective knowledge activities where tangible knowledge is produced, lending a particular indigenous character to the knowledge product. Furthermore, it was found that traditional and indigenous knowledge inputs are used extensively by organisations in Gulu to produce a synthetic renewable knowledge because of intra-connectedness and convergence in a collective middle ground with the traditional community as part of broader Acholi society. It is especially in Gulu where the trend towards equal complementary nature of IKS and modern knowledge systems were discovered. The intra-action between the church leaders and traditional leaders can be considered as a good example of a traditional system that allows for extending traditional structures towards an intra-connected relationship with broader society during which new knowledge is created.

On the contrary, it was found that institutions such as the ICC and ICTR do not succeed in contributing to KM for conflict resolution to such and extent that it would assist in the eradication of conflict. The gathering of evidence to prosecute within a modern legal framework, serve mainly the prosecution strategies and corporate interests of the organisation and produces very little current knowledge that could be used for early-warning and planning purposes.

KNOWLEDGE-DRIVEN INNOVATION OF AFRICAN SOCIETY

During the field studies in the Great Lakes of Africa, it was found that it is in the realm of the African Renaissance where the totality of a holistic knowledge foundation serves to eradicate the causes and consequences of conflict. It was found that productive growth, competitiveness, self-emancipation, empowerment of the marginalised and restoring of equilibrium between African society and the global economy can only be attained through the innovative transformation of thinking away from negative values that drives conflict, to be replaced by a new thinking driven by values such as peace, freedom, and the spirit of Ubuntu.

The African Renaissance philosophy, which is about developing Africans and Africa, is a call for the rebirth, renewal, reinvention and repositioning of Africans and Africa in a globalizing world. The African Renaissance is seen as the rebirth of the continent after centuries of suppression, correcting negative images. Rebirth must be through rediscovery of Africa's past, reversing the downfall into chaos. It is about planning for the future based on a new knowledge framework accommodating the ideas and philosophies that created the great empires of Ghana, Monomotapa, Songhai and Mali. (Gutto 2006).

According to Nabudere (2002b, 13) the African renaissance has to be a globally humanizing experience involving whole masses of people under the enlightenment of 'global Ubuntu', which enables people to struggle for humanism and emancipation alongside oppressed humanity. Ubuntu does not seek to dominate and exploit; it can only seeks to liberate the African as a means of humanizing the world. The objective is to bring about social transformation in African societies. Research in Africa must seek to liberate and empower the marginalised to fight for their rights for self-transformation.

During field research, it was found that the immediate expectation of the people of the Great Lakes are that the continuous spiral of violent conflict must change into peace and reconciliation, before an African renaissance or any development initiatives can be possible. A first step after peace appears to be a need for justice, taking into account the need to restore normality where dysfunctions in society persist, and to reconnect people where connections were destroyed by conflict. The expectation is that this will lead to psychological healing, replacing the psychological causes of the conflict with the principles of Ubuntu, characterised by interconnectedness, togetherness, humaneness, respect and dignity. Only after restoration, reconnection and healing can the expectations of lasting human security, freedom to exercise human rights, production to relieve poverty and improved quality of life be fulfilled. The ultimate expected outcomes are self-emancipation from domination, transformative socio-economic growth, innovation in all aspects of life, towards a situation where African countries can project competitiveness in a global context in order to restore the historic disequilibrium and reach a new convergence with the rest of the world.

CONCLUSIONS

The first realm of knowledge management in Africa, as learned from field studies in the Great Lakes of Africa, involves collection of information based on confessions and investigation on village level, both in the cases of Gacaca and the traditional practices of conflict resolution of the Acholi. What is distinct here is the public nature of hearings as effective checks to determine the truth. The practices of traditional justice embedded in society and combined with modern practices, were observed. What is especially significant is that a new awareness has to be created of traditional practices to resolve Cold War- related conflicts and impunity.

The second realm of indigenous knowledge involves the broader context of society, visible in both Acholiland and Rwanda. Conventional modern justice systems are already formally integrated with the traditional system, political system and religions as part of one process. An advanced synergy has already been reached involving most actors with knowledge claims originating from traditional culture, religion, politics and modern justice. Traditional knowledge and the norms of Ubuntu complement knowledge brought by the pillars of modern society.

The third realm of collective knowledge management in a middle ground, reflecting the importance of intra-action and interaction among centres, was identified. The role of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) and the government of Rwanda and relations between the traditional leaders of Acholi and the rest of Ugandan society are examples of these. Since the inception of Gacaca and the revival of the traditional system of Gacaca, the importance of intra-active communication has been realised. Communication between Arusha and Kigali and between Gulu and the ICC appeared to be problematic for various reasons. It is in these challenges that the need for principles and practices on how to develop as complementary epistemological relationship, formal or informal, in a common ground between entities to resolve conflict, were identified.

The fourth realm of social capital manifested itself as a complicated network of 'stake-holders' who are involved in the quest for justice and reconciliation (e.g. the ICC and the ICTR). It is concerning the use of social capital for conflict resolution that the need for good practices for intra-active relationship among global, regional and local entities was detected.

A fifth realm of innovative transformation of post-conflict societies through the fusion of knowledge was identified. The expectation of lasting peace in both Uganda and Rwanda and the resulting transformative growth and reconciliation, calls for effective intervention to prevent continued conflict. Apart from the current temporary solution of military intervention, learning interventions and the development of intellectual capital by institutions outside the conflict, targeting the next generation of leaders, promises to have a more lasting effect on the peaceful transformation of the Great Lakes society.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Based on the conclusions, the following practical solutions are recommended:

Government and organisations should refine processes involving gathering of data from the realm of the ‘lawn’ or village, the processing of information in community-based information centres, synthesis of interpretation in a an intra-connected and collective community of practice where vital decisions are made that would activate intervention and innovation.

The leaders of African society must continue to build trust, respect and cohesion between African Society and its partners that are involved in or support reconciliation efforts in order to plug into the wealth of knowledge offered by the global community.
The leaders of African society should involve the whole society, on not only organisational level but also accommodating the right of every citizen to contribute to the creation of knowledge. The managers of modern knowledge systems must adopt good practices from the traditional culture of Africa to solve modern problems in contemporary situations.

Service providers in education, training and development should develop a culture of learning among the new generation with the focus on creating a holistic understanding of the causes and consequences of conflict and measures to prevent the cycle of violence to continue. Moreover, it would require knowledge-driven transformation of society by means of learning interventions and value-driven development of intellectual capital to eradicate the thinking of class-consciousness, racism and impunity replacing it with universally accepted positive values.

African communities and organisations involved in Africa should establish inter-disciplinary and “Representative Knowledge Pools” of intellectual capital consisting of value-driven leaders, capable managers and expert knowledge workers as drivers of knowledge management in Africa.

Instruments such as the Gacaca court system and the international criminal justice system promised to be suitable instruments to ensure lasting peace. Whatever instrument is chosen would require the eradication of boundaries with local communities allowing for the management of knowledge in the specific episteme according to best practices, focussing on the use of social capital, transcending artificial boundaries between people towards sufficient common ground for lasting peace, productivity, socio-economic growth and competitiveness in the international arena.

REFERENCES

African Union. 2003. Report of workshop on the establishment of the AU Continental Early Warning System (CEWS). Unpublished official document. Addis Ababa: AU Headquarters.
African Union. 2005. Communiqué of the second periodic meeting of the African Union (AU) and the Regional Economic Communities (RECs) on peace and security. Unpublished document. Addis Ababa: AU Headquarters.
Dia, M. 1996. Africa’s management in the 1990s and beyond. Reconciling indigenous and transplanted institutions. Washington: World Bank.
Du Toit, M.K., A.S. Engelbrecht and N.Poovan. 2006. The effect of the social values of Ubuntu on team effectiveness. South African Journal of Business Management, Vol.37, no. 3, September 2006.
Garvin, D.A. 1998. Building a learning organisation. In Harvard Business Review on Knowledge Management, ed. P. Drucker, Boston: Harvard Business School Publishing.
Gutto, S. 2006. Towards a new paradigm for Pan-African knowledge production and application in the context of the African Renaissance. International Journal for African Renaissance Studies. Vol.1, No. 2. Centre for African Renaissance Studies, Pretoria:.UNISA.
Nabudere, D.W. 2002a. NEPAD: Historical background and its prospects. Paper presentation at the African forum for envisioning Africa in Nairobi, Kenya, 26 – 29 April 2002. www.hollerafrica.com/pdf/vol1AfricanRenSep_Oct_2004.pdf, retrieved March 2007.
Nabudere, D.W. 2002b. The epistemological and methodological foundations for an all- inclusive research paradigm for “field building” and inter-subjective accommodation. Mbale: Africa Study Centre.
Nabudere, D.W. 2006. The developmental state, democracy and the global society in Africa Paper for DBSA/HSRC/Wits NEPAD Conference 'Investment Choices for Education In Africa', 19-21 September 2006, Johannesburg.
Neuland, E and D.J.Venter. 2005. Conflict and governance: Nepad, South Africa and Africa. University of Pretoria: Institute for Business Innovation.
Nonaka, I. 1998. The knowledge creating company. In Harvard Business Review on Knowledge Management ed. P. Drucker. Boston: Harvard Business School Publishing.
Pellissier, R. 2001. Searching for the quantum organization. Midrand: IPG.

KM & Governance

African Knowledge