This qualitative study employs Critical Disability Theory (CDT) to examine the role of fine arts in disability activism at Cyrene Mission in Southern Rhodesia from c.1930 to c.1960. The research interrogates archival sources, oral traditions, and secondary texts, and engages with critical art analysis to explain the use of handicrafts in activism. It examines the efficacy of fine arts in challenging societal norms and in advocating for inclusion and representation. The paper argues that the production of handicrafts by students with physical impairments at Cyrene Mission functioned as a form of disability activism. Through disability activism, students contested colonial and ableist norms, asserted social agency, and negotiated power, identity, and justice. The crafts reflected the lived realities of a social group seeking sanctuary within the two competing worlds of African tradition and European culture. By focusing on disability, creativity, and activism the article contributes to debates in colonial historiography on art, impairment, and activism.
Scholarly interpretations of Wole Soyinka's Death and the King's Horseman have predominantly emphasised its metaphysical, cultural, and colonial dimensions, particularly the ritual conflict between British authority and Yoruba cosmology. While existing studies have examined Elesin's tragic heroism and the disruption of indigenous rites, less attention has been paid to the Not-I-Bird song-chant as an independent political allegory. This study critically examines the Not-I-Bird song-text as a metaphorical commentary on leadership betrayal in postcolonial Nigeria. Anchored in postcolonial theory and interpreted through the lens of political allegory, the analysis adopts a qualitative textual approach to investigate how the chant reflects patterns of moral evasion and institutional failure. Two major thematic concerns guide the discussion: first, Not-I-Bird as a metaphor for leadership evasion, focusing on how symbolic characters such as the farmer, hunter, courtesan, priest, and diviner embody strategic avoidances of duty; and second, Elesin Oba as an allegorical figure of betrayed public trust, whose failure parallels post-independence leadership decay in Nigeria. The findings reveal that Soyinka constructs a scathing indictment of Nigerian elites who, like the characters in the chant, routinely evade sacrifice, accountability, and ethical responsibility. From the neglect of agriculture and increasing levels of insecurity to political hypocrisy and corruption, the play offers a sustained critique of Nigeria's postcolonial leadership ethos. The study concludes that the Not-I-Bird song-chant remains a potent literary metaphor for Nigeria's unresolved leadership crisis and recommends a re-engagement with cultural ethics and collective responsibility in contemporary governance discourse.
This study details a complementary set of performance-based research strategies for revitalising 'The Lost Fishermen' - arguably the most popular of Saka Acquaye's endangered folk operas. Acquaye's folk operas, which premiered in the 1960s in Ghana as part of a global Pan-African identity consciousness through the arts, were threatened with extinction by the mid-1990s. Their endangerment was occasioned, paradoxically, by the socio-political milieu that birthed and propped them up, as well as by incomplete documentation. The article conceptualises revitalisation as a set of performance-based interventions that include learning through apprenticeship, artistic reconstruction, teaching others to perform, and documentation. Beyond its preliminary documentation potential, the performance paradigm is intended to underscore the primacy of sound and praxis in the musical arts (folk operas) as well as function as both research method and outcome. The article argues that, where the applied initiative to revitalise an endangered artwork is in response to an unfair socio-political situation, it can invalidate the natural wax-and-wane life cycle argument presented by scholars, creating the grounds for revitalisation to be undertaken as an act of social justice. Secondly, the idea of documentation as a safeguard is premised on the understanding that if an art form is never performed again, it should be by choice rather than non-availability in any documented form. Cette & eacute;tude pr & eacute;sente un ensemble de strat & eacute;gies de recherche ax & eacute;es sur la revitalisation de & laquo; The Lost Fishermen & raquo; - sans doute le plus populaire des op & eacute;ras folkloriques de Saka Acquaye, menac & eacute;s de disparition. Les op & eacute;ras folkloriques d'Aquaye, pr & eacute;sent & eacute;s pour la premi & egrave;re fois au Ghana dans les ann & eacute;es 60, dans le cadre d'un mouvement mondial de prise de conscience identitaire panafricaine & agrave; travers les arts, & eacute;taient menac & eacute;s de disparition au milieu des ann & eacute;es 90. Paradoxalement, leur mise en p & eacute;ril a & eacute;t & eacute; provoqu & eacute;e aussi bien par le contexte sociopolitique qui les a vus na & icirc;tre et les a soutenus, que par l'insuffisance des documents disponibles. Cet article d & eacute;finit la revitalisation comme un ensemble d'interventions ax & eacute;es sur la pratique, comprenant l'apprentissage par l'apprentissage, la reconstitution artistique, l'enseignement de la pratique & agrave; d'autres et la documentation. Au-del & agrave; de son potentiel en tant que documentation pr & eacute;liminaire, ce paradigme de la performance vise & agrave; souligner la primaut & eacute; du son et de la pratique dans les arts musicaux (op & eacute;ras folkloriques), et & agrave; servir & agrave; la fois de m & eacute;thode de recherche et de r & eacute;sultat. L'article soutient que lorsque l'initiative visant & agrave; redonner vie & agrave; une oe uvre d'art menac & eacute;e de disparition est une r & eacute;ponse & agrave; une situation sociopolitique injuste, elle peut remettre en cause l'argument du cycle naturel de prosp & eacute;rit & eacute; et de d & eacute;clin avanc & eacute; par les chercheurs, ouvrant ainsi la voie & agrave; une revitalisation envisag & eacute;e comme un acte de justice sociale. Deuxi & egrave;mement, l'id & eacute;e selon laquelle la documentation constitue une garantie repose sur le principe selon lequel, si une forme d'art n'est plus jamais repr & eacute;sent & eacute;e, cela doit & ecirc;tre par choix et non par manque de documentation.
This article interrogates the long-standing tension between aesthetics and politics in the South African literary landscape. Dominant institutional frameworks have historically privileged an apolitical conception of the aesthetic - art for art's sake - while dismissing politically inflected cultural expression as mere 'craft'. Against this backdrop, I argue that Black poetic production in South Africa, particularly in the work of Mzwakhe Mbuli (The Beat) and Modise Sekgothe (Zulu Helios), resists this bifurcation. Drawing on the conceptual and methodological intervention of the Black Archive, I show how their poetry stages an ontological protest - where art is not merely expressive, but functional, insurgent, and epistemically generative.Through close readings of both texts, I examine how poetic form operates as a vehicle of political critique and historical memory. Mbuli's performative cadence and thematic invocation of dispossession, alongside Sekgothe's cosmological lyricism and embodied poetics, demonstrate how Black artistic expression refuses the colonial separation of aesthetic form and political function. Rather than occupying the margins of literary value, these works call for a reconstitution of the literary canon - one that recognises the epistemic validity of performance, orality, and vernacular modes of knowing. The article thus contributes to ongoing debates in African and decolonial literary studies by offering a theoretical model for reading poetry as archival praxis. Cet article examine les tensions de longue date entre l'esth & eacute;tique et la politique dans le paysage litt & eacute;raire sud-africain. Les cadres institutionnels dominants ont historiquement privil & eacute;gi & eacute; une conception apolitique de l'esth & eacute;tique - l'art pour l'art - tout en rel & eacute;guant l'expression culturelle & agrave; connotation politique au rang de simple & laquo; artisanat & raquo;. Dans ce contexte, je soutiens que la production po & eacute;tique noire en Afrique du Sud, notamment dans l'oe uvre de Mzwakhe Mbuli (The Beat) et de Modise Segkhote (Zulu Helios), r & eacute;siste & agrave; cette dichotomie. En m'appuyant sur l'approche conceptuelle et m & eacute;thodologique du Black Archive, je montre comment leur po & eacute;sie met en sc & egrave;ne une protestation ontologique - o & ugrave; l'art n'est pas seulement expressif, mais fonctionnel, insurrectionnel et g & eacute;n & eacute;rateur de connaissances. & Agrave; travers une lecture attentive de ces deux textes, j'examine comment la forme po & eacute;tique sert de vecteur & agrave; la critique politique et la m & eacute;moire historique. La cadence performative et le th & egrave;me de la d & eacute;possession de Mbuli, associ & eacute;s au lyrisme cosmologique et & agrave; la po & eacute;sie incarn & eacute;e de Segkhote montrent comment l'expression artistique noire rejette la s & eacute;paration coloniale entre forme esth & eacute;tique et fonction politique. Plut & ocirc;t que de se cantonner aux marges de la valeur litt & eacute;raire, ces travaux appellent & agrave; une refonte du canon litt & eacute;raire - une refonte qui reconnaisse la validit & eacute; & eacute;pist & eacute;mique de la performance, de l'oralit & eacute; et des modes vernaculaires de connaissance. Ainsi, cet article contribue aux d & eacute;bats actuels dans les & eacute;tudes litt & eacute;raires africaines et d & eacute;coloniales en proposant un mod & egrave;le th & eacute;orique permettant d'aborder la po & eacute;sie comme une pratique archivistique.
This article critically examines the research on identity in Ethiopian history and anthropological research traditions. It discusses the epistemology of social sciences and intellectual discourse in Ethiopia and proceeds to analyze and synthesise such knowledge. Ethiopia's rich historical and cultural diversity has long been a subject of scholarly interest, contributing to one of Africa's most robust academic traditions. However, the anthropological focus has predominantly centred on 'subaltern' identification processes in the so-called 'peripheries', neglecting the northern regions' deeper historical and political dynamics. Meanwhile, historians have primarily concentrated on the Semitic north, known as 'Abyssinia', relegating the rest of Ethiopia to anthropological studies. This has led to the fragmentation of Ethiopian studies, resulting in a lack of theoretical application and emerging regional studies, with Oromo Studies being one example. Consequently, neither the prestigious Ethiopian studies nor the emerging regional studies produced critical knowledge to understand Ethiopia's long history and rich cultures. Given the country's intricate historical, cultural, and political landscape, there is an urgent need to shift towards a relational and critical approach to Ethiopian history and culture and to integrate historical and anthropological methods in the study of identification.
The African whodunit is a haven for revealing the continent's critical social issues and exploring the tensions between competing ways of knowing. Yet there is a limited focus on how detective figures renegotiate scientific rationality and indigenous epistemology in their quest to unravel a crime. This paper explores this dialectic by examining how Nii Ayikwei Parkes's Tail of the Blue Bird (2009) and Kwei Quartey's Wife of the Gods (2009) reimagine crime-solving as an epistemological negotiation and a complementary interplay between plural ways of knowing rather than a purely scientific process. The paper introduces the concept of cognitive border-crossing to describe how these texts resist rigid binaries between tradition and modernity, rural and urban, and science and spirituality. The paper contributes to debates on epistemic decolonisation by advancing the need for context-responsive frameworks for supporting an understanding of knowledges in the postcolonial African state. Le roman policier africain est un terrain propice & agrave; la mise en lumi & egrave;re des enjeux sociaux critiques du continent et & agrave; l'exploration des tensions entre les modes de connaissance concurrents. Pourtant on s'int & eacute;resse peu & agrave; la mani & egrave;re dont les personnages de d & eacute;tectives ren & eacute;gocient la rationalit & eacute; scientifique et l'& eacute;pist & eacute;mologie autochtone dans leur qu & ecirc;te pour & eacute;lucider un crime. Cet article explore cette dialectique en examinant comment Tail of the Blue Bird (2009) de Nii Ayikwei Parkes et Wife of the Gods (2009) de Kwei Ouartey r & eacute;interpr & egrave;tent la r & eacute;solution d'& eacute;nigmes criminelles comme une n & eacute;gociation & eacute;pist & eacute;mologique et une interaction compl & eacute;mentaire entre des modes de connaissance pluriels, plut & ocirc;t que comme un processus purement scientifique. L'article pr & eacute;sente le concept de & laquo; franchissement des fronti & egrave;res cognitives & raquo; pour d & eacute;crire comment ces textes r & eacute;sistent aux oppositions binaires entre tradition et modernit & eacute;, milieu rural et milieu urbain, science et spiritualit & eacute;. Il contribue aux d & eacute;bats sur la d & eacute;colonisation & eacute;pist & eacute;mique en soulignant la n & eacute;cessit & eacute; de disposer de cadres adapt & eacute;s au contexte pour favoriser la compr & eacute;hension des savoirs dans l'& Eacute;tat postcolonial africain.
This paper investigates how the Bagisu of eastern Uganda can utilise tourism to revitalise isonja and bibiwoyo (singular shishiwoyo), a dance and music genre historically associated with imbalu circumcision rituals but relegated to the periphery in the 21st century. Research drew on in-depth interviews, participant observation, focus group discussions (FGDs), personal experiences, and secondary sources to identify resources the Bagisu in Bududa District can harness in tourist settings to revitalise these imbalu materials. I argue that, since it offers opportunities to generate income, the Bagisu around Iyerakha, Nalufutu, and Namasho sacred sites should utilise every available resource to embrace tourism as a means of revitalising isonja and bibiwoyo, items that are disappearing from imbalu rituals but could still make meaning for some youth. In doing this, isonja and bibiwoyo will not only be appreciated by the young generation as aspects of culture that define the identity of the Bagisu but also as items that could be exploited to sustain people's livelihoods. Cet article examine comment les Bagisu de l'est de l'Ouganda peuvent tirer parti du tourisme pour redonner vie & agrave; la danse isonja et aux chants bibiwoyo (shishiwoyo, au singulier), un genre musical et de danse historiquement associ & eacute; aux rituels imbalu de la circoncision, mais rel & eacute;gu & eacute; & agrave; la marge au XXIe si & egrave;cle. Cette recherche s'est appuy & eacute;e sur des entretiens en profondeur, une observation participative, des discussions de groupe, des t & eacute;moignages personnels et des sources secondaires afin d'identifier les ressources que les Bagisu du district de Bubuda peuvent exploiter dans le cadre du tourisme pour redonner vie & agrave; ce mat & eacute;riau imbalu. Je soutiens que, dans la mesure o & ugrave; cela offre des possibilit & eacute;s de g & eacute;n & eacute;rer des revenus, les Bagisu r & eacute;sidant autour des sites sacr & eacute;s d'Iyerakha, de Nalufutu et de Namasho devraient mettre & agrave; profit toutes les ressources disponibles pour faire du tourisme un moyen de redonner vie & agrave; la danse isonja et aux chants bibiwoyo, des & eacute;l & eacute;ments qui disparaissent peu & agrave; peu des rituels imbalu, mais qui pourraient encore rev & ecirc;tir un sens pour certains jeunes. Gr & acirc;ce & agrave; cette approche, la danse isonja et les chants bibiwoyo seront non seulement appr & eacute;ci & eacute;s par la jeune g & eacute;n & eacute;ration en tant qu'& eacute;l & eacute;ments culturels d & eacute;finissant l'identit & eacute; des Bagisu, mais aussi en tant qu'atouts pouvant & ecirc;tre mis & agrave; profit pour assurer les moyens de subsistance de la population.
Linguistic hierarchies in Kenya have impacted three categories of human rights: access to education, use of one's own language, and children's right to not suffer abuse. These hierarchies revolve around English, Kiswahili and (other) mother tongues. Many Kenyan families of different ethnicities have adopted Kiswahili and English as dominant languages at home, a consequence of creating a national language alongside a colonial language in a country where mother tongues abound. If Kiswahili is the language that marks Kenya as a nation, Kenyans have a right to it. However, Kenyan children also are entitled to their ethnic languages in line with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child requirements. We argue that access to education, use of one's own language and the right not to suffer abuse are interrelated, and that the recent history in Kenya needs to be reconsidered in order to grapple meaningfully with language hierarchies, and dismantle taken-for-granted practices that originated in a colonial regime.
Drawing on the extensive resources of the International Library of African Music (ILAM) in Makhanda, South Africa, this article examines the African Musical Arts Programme at Rhodes University as a case study in decolonial music education. Established in 2017, the programme integrates the knowledge systems of African musicians and teachers with ethnomusicological scholarship to address the structural and epistemological challenges of transformation within higher education. Through a narrative qualitative approach, the study draws on data gathered between 2017 and 2024 from students, lecturers, and community musicians involved in the programme. It critically analyses the programme's evolution, highlighting both its successes and ongoing challenges. The findings show how Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) and community-based participation have been central to curricular design, teaching strategies, and assessment models. The programme demonstrates how embodied learning, participatory and performance-based pedagogies, and transgressive approaches can contribute to more sustainable and inclusive music education practices. At the same time, it reveals persistent institutional constraints related to the recognition of community knowledge holders, the development of African theoretical frameworks, and the implementation of non-traditional assessment methods. By situating the Rhodes University case within broader continental debates on sustainability, revitalisation, and decolonial pedagogy, the article contributes to the themes of the Mapping Africa's Musical Identities special issue. It illustrates how locally rooted and globally relevant African musical arts education can challenge Eurocentric models while advancing the preservation and creative renewal of African musical traditions. In doing so, it offers a framework for sustainable knowledge transfer that supports the ongoing transformation of African music education in the 21st century. S'appuyant sur les vastes ressources de la Biblioth & egrave;que internationale de musique africaine (ILAM) & agrave; Makhanda, en Afrique du Sud, cet article examine le programme d'arts musicaux africains de l'Universit & eacute; Rhodes, en tant qu'& eacute;tude de cas dans le champ de l'& eacute;ducation d & eacute;coloniale. Cr & eacute;& eacute; en 2017, le programme int & egrave;gre les syst & egrave;mes de connaissances des musiciens et enseignants africains & agrave; la recherche ethnomusicologique afin de relever les d & eacute;fis structurels et & eacute;pist & eacute;mologiques li & eacute;s & agrave; la transformation de l'enseignement sup & eacute;rieur. Gr & acirc;ce & agrave; une approche qualitative narrative, l'& eacute;tude s'appuie sur des donn & eacute;es recueillies entre 2027 et 2024 aupr & egrave;s d'& eacute;tudiants, d'enseignants et de musiciens communautaires impliqu & eacute;s dans le programme. Elle analyse de mani & egrave;re critique l'& eacute;volution du programme, mettant en avant & agrave; la fois ses succ & egrave;s et les d & eacute;fis qui restent & agrave; relever. Les r & eacute;sultats montrent comment les syst & egrave;mes de connaissances autochtones (IKS) et la participation & agrave; assise communautaire ont jou & eacute; un r & ocirc;le central dans la conception des programmes d'& eacute;tudes, les strat & eacute;gies d'enseignement et les mod & egrave;les d'& eacute;valuation. Le programme d & eacute;montre comment l'apprentissage incarn & eacute;, les p & eacute;dagogies participatives et bas & eacute;es sur la performance, de m & ecirc;me que les approches transgressives, peuvent contribuer & agrave; des pratiques d'& eacute;ducation musicale plus durables et inclusives. Dans le m & ecirc;me temps, il r & eacute;v & egrave;le des contraintes institutionnelles persistantes, li & eacute;es & agrave; la reconnaissance des d & eacute;tenteurs de connaissances communautaires, au d & eacute;veloppement des cadres th & eacute;oriques africains et & agrave; la mise en oe uvre de m & eacute;thodes d'& eacute;valuation non traditionnelles. En situant le cas de l'Universit & eacute; Rhodes dans le cadre plus large des d & eacute;bats continentaux sur la durabilit & eacute;, la revitalisation, et la p & eacute;dagogie d & eacute;coloniale, cet article contribue aux th & egrave;mes abord & eacute;s par le num & eacute;ro sp & eacute;cial consacr & eacute; & agrave; la cartographie des identit & eacute;s musicales africaines. Il illustre comment l'enseignement des arts musicaux africains ancr & eacute;s localement et pertinent & agrave; l'& eacute;chelle mondiale peut remettre en question les mod & egrave;les eurocentriques, tout en favorisant la pr & eacute;servation et le renouveau cr & eacute;atif des traditions musicales africaines. Ce faisant, il offre un cadre pour un transfert durable des connaissances, qui soutient la transformation en cours de l'& eacute;ducation musicale africaine au XXI & egrave;me si & egrave;cle.
This article examines the NE 51/ series 'matchbox' houses in Dolam, a suburb of the township Katutura, in Windhoek, Namibia - structures originally built during the late 1950s and early 1960s as a part of the Apartheid government's social engineering project to instil the values of 'Western style' Modernist living. Through a case study of three houses, the article explores how residents have redefined these colonial-era spaces. The study reveals that these homes, often owned and headed by women, have undergone significant renovations to accommodate multi-generational living. Moreover, the relationships between neighbouring households form a 'configuration' that transcends the physical boundaries of individual houses. The presence of a shared gate and the continuous exchange of resources and support illustrate how kinship networks extend beyond singular dwellings. Drawing on extensive ethnographic fieldwork, this article contributes to broader discussions on the intersection of housing, kinship, and urban life in post-Apartheid Namibia. It challenges conventional understandings of township houses as isolated units, instead positioning them as interconnected spaces where social ties are actively maintained and reconfigured. Cet article examine les maisons & laquo; matchbox & raquo; de la s & eacute;rie NE 51/ & agrave; Dolam, un quartier du township de Katutura, & agrave; Windhoek, en Namibie - des structures initialement construites & agrave; la fin des ann & eacute;es 1950 et au d & eacute;but des ann & eacute;es 1960 dans le cadre du projet d'ing & eacute;nierie sociale du gouvernement d'apartheid visant & agrave; inculquer les valeurs d'un mode de vie moderniste & laquo; & agrave; l'occidentale & raquo;. & Agrave; travers une & eacute;tude de cas portant sur trois maisons, l'article explore la mani & egrave;re dont les r & eacute;sident & centerdot;e & centerdot;s ont red & eacute;fini ces espaces h & eacute;rit & eacute;s de l'& eacute;poque coloniale. L'& eacute;tude r & eacute;v & egrave;le que ces habitations, souvent poss & eacute;d & eacute;es et dirig & eacute;es par des femmes, ont fait l'objet de r & eacute;novations importantes afin d'accueillir une cohabitation multig & eacute;n & eacute;rationnelle. En outre, les relations entre les m & eacute;nages voisins forment une & laquo; configuration & raquo; qui d & eacute;passe les limites physiques des maisons individuelles. La pr & eacute;sence d'un portail partag & eacute; et l'& eacute;change continu de ressources et de soutien illustrent la mani & egrave;re dont les r & eacute;seaux de parent & eacute; s'& eacute;tendent au-del & agrave; d'un seul logement. S'appuyant sur un important travail ethnographique de terrain, cet article contribue aux d & eacute;bats plus larges sur l'articulation entre habitat, parent & eacute; et vie urbaine dans la Namibie post apartheid. Il remet en question les conceptions conventionnelles des maisons de township comme unit & eacute;s isol & eacute;es, en les pr & eacute;sentant plut & ocirc;t comme des espaces interconnect & eacute;s o & ugrave; les liens sociaux sont activement entretenus et reconfigur & eacute;s.
Numerous calls have been made to move beyond decolonisation towards the indigenisation of video games in Africa. This paper examines how African mythological creatures, particularly the tokoloshe, can be incorporated into video game development to preserve and promote African cultural narratives. By focusing on three student-developed video games, this study highlights the tokoloshe's adaptability in enriching gameplay and storytelling across various genres, including adventure, horror, and farming simulations. The findings demonstrate the potential of African mythological creatures to educate global audiences, motivate local developers, and challenge Western-centric storytelling norms in the gaming industry. Moreover, this paper advocates for the indigenisation of video games as a transformative approach to empowering African game studios and reshaping global perceptions of African heritage. The study underscores the tokoloshe's value in addressing contemporary issues while remaining rooted in its cultural significance, paving the way for a more inclusive and diverse gaming landscape. De nombreux appels ont & eacute;t & eacute; lanc & eacute;s pour aller au-del & agrave; de la d & eacute;colonisation et s'orienter vers l'indig & eacute;nisation des jeux vid & eacute;o en Afrique. Cet article examine comment les cr & eacute;atures mythologiques africaines, en particulier le tokoloshe, peuvent & ecirc;tre int & eacute;gr & eacute;es au d & eacute;veloppement des jeux vid & eacute;o afin de pr & eacute;server et de promouvoir les r & eacute;cits culturels africains. En se concentrant sur trois jeux vid & eacute;o d & eacute;velopp & eacute;s par des & eacute;tudiants, cette & eacute;tude met en & eacute;vidence la capacit & eacute; d'adaptation du tokoloshe d'enrichir la jouabilit & eacute; et la narration dans divers genres, notamment l'aventure, l'horreur et les simulations agricoles. Les r & eacute;sultats d & eacute;montrent le potentiel des cr & eacute;atures mythologiques africaines pour & eacute;duquer le public mondial, motiver les d & eacute;veloppeurs locaux et remettre en question les normes narratives occidentales dans l'industrie du jeu vid & eacute;o. De plus, cet article plaide en faveur de l'indig & eacute;nisation des jeux vid & eacute;o comme une approche transformatrice visant & agrave; autonomiser les studios de jeux vid & eacute;o et & agrave; remodeler les perceptions mondiales du patrimoine africain. L'& eacute;tude souligne l'int & eacute;r & ecirc;t du tokoloshe pour aborder les probl & egrave;mes contemporains tout en restant ancr & eacute; dans sa signification culturelle, ouvrant ainsi la voie & agrave; un paysage vid & eacute;oludique plus inclusif et diversifi & eacute;.
In order to explore the connections between the social sciences, imperialism, colonialism, and the urgent need to decolonise academic discourses and practices, this article highlights the often overlooked contributions of African and Black scholars in the development of decolonial critiques. The author addresses two key challenges within decolonial critiques in the field of African studies. First, on positionality, it analyses the implications of the shift from asking 'who is speaking' to determining 'who can legitimately speak.' Second, it investigates the confusion between epistemological hegemony and the intrinsic value of the hegemonic epistemology. By disentangling these complex issues, the aim is to contribute to the decolonisation of the social sciences and encourage a more inclusive approach to various forms of knowledges. This, without simply deserting academia at a time when many proponents of educational neo-liberalism would be delighted with the outright disappearance of the social sciences. Afin d'explorer les liens entre les sciences sociales, l'imp & eacute;rialisme, le colonialisme, et l'urgente n & eacute;cessit & eacute; de d & eacute;coloniser les discours et les pratiques universitaires, cet article met en lumi & egrave;re les contributions souvent n & eacute;glig & eacute;es des universitaires africains et noirs dans le d & eacute;veloppement des critiques d & eacute;coloniales. L'auteur aborde deux d & eacute;fis majeurs pos & eacute;s par les critiques d & eacute;coloniales dans le domaine des & eacute;tudes africaines. Premi & egrave;rement, en ce qui concerne la positionnalit & eacute;, il analyse les implications du passage de la question << qui parle >> & agrave; celle de la d & eacute;termination de << qui peut l & eacute;gitimement parler >>. Deuxi & egrave;mement, il examine la confusion entre l'h & eacute;g & eacute;monie & eacute;pist & eacute;mologique et la valeur intrins & egrave;que de l'& eacute;pist & eacute;mologie h & eacute;g & eacute;monique. En d & eacute;m & ecirc;lant ces questions complexes, l'objectif est de contribuer & agrave; la d & eacute;colonisation des sciences sociales et d'encourager une approche plus inclusive des diff & eacute;rentes formes de savoir. Ceci, sans pour autant d & eacute;serter le monde universitaire & agrave; un moment o & ugrave; de nombreux partisans du n & eacute;olib & eacute;ralisme & eacute;ducatif se r & eacute;jouiraient de la disparition pure et simple des sciences sociales.
This paper maps the ways in which contemporary South African traditional healers describe the spirit dynamics that shape their praxis. Drawing on a thematic analysis of a selection of healer-produced online video teachings, and interviews with the healers who created them, I illustrate how both knowledge and health are expressed in terms of the flows of information across vital, relational human-spirit networks. This relational emphasis, which integrates ontological, epistemological, and axiological considerations, informs an emergent vernacular expressive strategy that challenges dominant western knowledge traditions and thus aligns with broader efforts of epistemological decolonisation. Accordingly, I suggest that by revealing, in their own words, the relational complexities of their worldview, healers are publicly reclaiming their image from lingering reductive narratives. Cet article cartographie la mani & egrave;re dont les gu & eacute;risseurs contemporains sud-africains d & eacute;crivent les dynamiques spirituelles qui fa & ccedil;onnent leur pratique. En m'inspirant d'une analyse th & eacute;matique d'une s & eacute;lection de vid & eacute;os p & eacute;dagogiques en ligne produites par des gu & eacute;risseurs, et d'entretiens avec les gu & eacute;risseurs qui les ont cr & eacute;& eacute;es, j'illustre comment la connaissance et la sant & eacute; s'expriment toutes deux en termes de flux d'informations & agrave; travers des r & eacute;seaux vitaux et relationnels entre l'humain et l'esprit. L'accent mis sur cette relation, qui int & egrave;gre des consid & eacute;rations ontologiques, & eacute;pist & eacute;mologiques et axiologiques, inspire une strat & eacute;gie expressive vernaculaire & eacute;mergente qui remet en question les traditions dominantes du savoir occidental, et ainsi, s'aligne sur les efforts plus larges de d & eacute;colonisation & eacute;pist & eacute;mologique. En cons & eacute;quence, je sugg & egrave;re qu'en r & eacute;v & eacute;lant, dans leurs propres mots, les complexit & eacute;s relationnelles de leur vision du monde, les gu & eacute;risseurs se r & eacute;approprient publiquement leur image face aux r & eacute;cits r & eacute;ducteurs persistants.
Increasing evidence shows global food systems are not functioning sustainably, contributing to malnutrition, environmental degradation and increased vulnerability. This raises stakes for policy-makers and activists to develop coherent, sustainable policies and programmes to build resilience. However, insufficient understanding of food systems complexity, combined with persistent faith in modernisation as development paradigm, has led to interventions that inadvertently undermine sustainability. This article examines how well-intentioned government policies and development programmes often exacerbate food system dysfunction. It contributes to scholarly debates about neoliberal development approaches' effectiveness and linear modernisation theories' limitations in addressing complex food system challenges. Through analysing food systems theory, Zimbabwe's national food system trajectory, and detailed investigation of local food systems in the Gokwe districts, we explore why development interventions frequently fail. Using mixed methods including stakeholder workshops, focus groups, interviews, and market surveys, we reveal how colonial legacies of land appropriation, technological imposition, and knowledge suppression established patterns that post-independence policies and contemporary NGO programmes have largely perpetuated, supporting scholars who argue donor-driven neoliberal policies undermine African food system sustainability. De plus en plus d'& eacute;l & eacute;ments montrent que les syst & egrave;mes alimentaires mondiaux ne fonctionnent pas de mani & egrave;re durable, contribuant ainsi & agrave; la malnutrition, & agrave; la d & eacute;gradation environnementale et & agrave; une augmentation de la vuln & eacute;rabilit & eacute;. Cela rend d'autant plus important pour les d & eacute;cideurs politiques et les activistes d'& eacute;laborer des politiques et des programmes coh & eacute;rents et durables pour renforcer la r & eacute;silience. Cependant, une compr & eacute;hension insuffisante de la complexit & eacute; des syst & egrave;mes alimentaires, combin & eacute;e & agrave; une foi persistante dans la modernisation comme paradigme du d & eacute;veloppement, a conduit & agrave; des interventions qui nuisent par inadvertance & agrave; la durabilit & eacute;. Cet article examine comment les politiques gouvernementales et les programmes de d & eacute;veloppement bien intentionn & eacute;s exacerbent souvent le dysfonctionnement des syst & egrave;mes alimentaires. Il contribue aux d & eacute;bats scientifiques sur l'efficacit & eacute; des approches n & eacute;olib & eacute;rales du d & eacute;veloppement et les limites des th & eacute;ories de modernisation lin & eacute;aire dans le traitement des d & eacute;fis complexes des syst & egrave;mes alimentaires. En analysant la th & eacute;orie des syst & egrave;mes alimentaires, la trajectoire du syst & egrave;me alimentaire du Zimbabwe et une enqu & ecirc;te d & eacute;taill & eacute;e sur les syst & egrave;mes alimentaires locaux dans les districts de Gwoke, nous explorons les raisons pour lesquelles les interventions en mati & egrave;re de d & eacute;veloppement & eacute;chouent souvent. & Agrave; l'aide de m & eacute;thodes mixtes, notamment des ateliers avec les parties prenantes, des groupes de discussion, des entretiens et des enqu & ecirc;tes sur les march & eacute;s, nous r & eacute;v & eacute;lons comment l'h & eacute;ritage colonial de l'appropriation des terres, l'imposition technologique et la suppression des connaissances, a & eacute;tabli des mod & egrave;les que les politiques postind & eacute;pendance et les programmes contemporains des ONG ont largement perp & eacute;tu & eacute;s, soutenant ainsi les chercheurs qui affirment que les politiques n & eacute;olib & eacute;rales d & eacute;termin & eacute;es par les bailleurs de fonds compromettent la durabilit & eacute; des syst & egrave;mes alimentaires africains.
Over the last two decades, the United Nations, the African Union and Regional Economic Communities have conducted various stabilisation interventions to establish secure environments during crises and advance stabilisation activities in different parts of Africa. However, while these organisations and other actors work to resolve crises, the progress made in addressing existing conflicts that threaten overall security is also at risk due to the impact of climate change in various regions of the continent. This has led to significant challenges for vulnerable local communities, particularly in the Sahel and Lake Chad Basin, as they face the effects of climate change -,such as floods, droughts and land degradation. This article explores the understanding and implementation of stabilisation and Climate, Peace and Security (CPS) across Africa. We find that there is a need to rethink how we tackle challenges such as climate, peace and security in African-led stabilisation contexts. We argue that existing models are inadequate for dealing with emerging challenges in stabilisation contexts, and provide fresh thinking on addressing African peace and security challenges from a holistic perspective. We propose a conceptual framework that integrates the rationale of stabilisation and CPS to address the emerging 21st-century CPS challenges in Africa. This proposal aims to enhance our understanding of how stakeholders can stabilise situations in the presence of climate change challenges, thereby better equipping communities and stakeholders to manage risks.
Kenyan indigenous music is increasingly losing its cultural significance as its utility diminishes in favour of dominant genres such as rhumba, benga, and genge. Traditionally rooted in oral traditions, indigenous music was performed within specific social and cultural contexts. However, the transformations in these contexts in the contemporary world have posed challenges for its preservation. As a result, the value of indigenous music has been threatened, prompting stakeholders within the industry to engage in research, composition, and performance initiatives aimed at ensuring cultural continuity. Consequently, Kenya has witnessed a notable growth in events, activities, and organisations that contribute to the revitalisation and sustainability of indigenous music. A collective sense of responsibility has emerged, particularly regarding the preservation of indigenous musical traditions in the face of forces that threaten their existence. One such initiative is the Kenya Music Festival (KMF). While KMF is primarily recognised as a competitive platform for educational institutions vying for various awards, its role in the revitalisation of indigenous music remains largely unexplored. This study aims to elucidate the mechanisms by which indigenous music is revitalised, employing a qualitative methodology. The research included interviews with festival participants as well as direct observation of music performances during the festival. Drawing on the concepts of 'holistic preservation' as articulated by Janet Topp Fargion and 'sustainability' as proposed by Huib Schippers, the findings reveal that the adaptation of both historic and contemporary indigenous styles for broader audiences, coupled with their arrangement for events like KMF, positions the festival as a pivotal arena for promoting revitalised indigenous music. Furthermore, the study highlights KMF as a unique space where cultural beliefs are temporarily suspended, allowing music to be experienced and appreciated beyond its traditional cultural contexts. La musique autochtone kenyane perd de plus en plus sa signification culturelle & agrave; mesure que son utilit & eacute; diminue en faveur des genres dominants tels que la rumba, le benga et le genge. Traditionnellement ancr & eacute;e dans les traditions orales, la musique autochtone & eacute;tait interpr & eacute;t & eacute;e dans des contextes sociaux et culturels sp & eacute;cifiques. Cependant, les transformations de ces contextes dans le monde contemporain ont pos & eacute; des d & eacute;fis pour sa pr & eacute;servation. En cons & eacute;quence, la valeur de la musique autochtone a & eacute;t & eacute; menac & eacute;e, incitant les parties prenantes du secteur & agrave; s'engager dans des initiatives de recherche, de composition et d'interpr & eacute;tation ayant pour objectif d'assurer la continuit & eacute; culturelle. Ainsi, le Kenya a connu une croissance remarquable des & eacute;v & eacute;nements, des activit & eacute;s et des organisations qui contribuent & agrave; la revitalisation et & agrave; la p & eacute;rennit & eacute; de la musique autochtone. Un sentiment collectif de responsabilit & eacute; a & eacute;merg & eacute;, en particulier en ce qui concerne la pr & eacute;servation des traditions musicales autochtones face aux forces qui menacent leur existence. Une de ces initiatives est le Kenya Music Festival (KMF). Si le festival est principalement reconnu en tant que plateforme concurrentielle pour les & eacute;tablissements d'enseignement en lice pour divers prix, son r & ocirc;le dans la revitalisation de la musique autochtone reste largement inexplor & eacute;. Cette & eacute;tude vise & agrave; & eacute;lucider les m & eacute;canismes par lesquels la musique autochtone est revitalis & eacute;e, en s'appuyant sur une m & eacute;thodologie qualitative. La recherche comprenait des entretiens avec des participants au festival, ainsi que l'observation directe des performances musicales au cours du festival. S'appuyant sur les concepts de << pr & eacute;servation holistique >>, tels que formul & eacute;s par Janet Topp Fargion, et de << durabilit & eacute; >> propos & eacute; par Huib Schippers, les r & eacute;sultats r & eacute;v & egrave;lent que l'adaptation des styles autochtones historiques et contemporains & agrave; un public large, associ & eacute;e & agrave; leur organisation dans le cadre d'& eacute;v & eacute;nements tels que le KMF, positionne le festival comme une ar & egrave;ne centrale de la promotion d'une musique autochtone revitalis & eacute;e. En outre, l'& eacute;tude met en lumi & egrave;re le KMF comme un espace unique o & ugrave; les croyances culturelles sont temporairement suspendues, permettant ainsi de d & eacute;couvrir et d'appr & eacute;cier la musique au-del & agrave; de ses contextes culturels traditionnels.
Research as witnessing requires a profound attentiveness to and transformation by the difficult surroundings in which individuals and communities navigate their realities through creative modalities such as song, dance, and storytelling. The Acholi concept of wer underscores the significance of artistic expression in shaping one's understanding of the world and place within it. Through wer, individuals and communities convey complex emotions, experiences, and ideas, and create new meanings and interpretations of their reality. By acknowledging the palimpsestic nature of stories, where narratives intersect and build upon one another, research as witnessing reveals multifaceted, partial, and resilient ways of interpreting war, memory, loss, and the meanings of being alive. We draw on two decades of research in the aftermaths of war in Acholi to explore these claims and as resistance to the coloniality of knowing. La recherche en tant que t & eacute;moignage exige une attention profonde et une transformation par les environnements difficiles dans lesquels les individus et les communaut & eacute;s vivent leurs r & eacute;alit & eacute;s par le biais de modalit & eacute;s cr & eacute;atives telles que le chant, la danse et la narration. Le concept acholi de wer souligne l'importance de l'expression artistique dans la formation de la compr & eacute;hension de chacun du monde et de la place qu'il y occupe. & Agrave; travers le wer, les individus et les communaut & eacute;s expriment des & eacute;motions, des exp & eacute;riences et des id & eacute;es complexes, et cr & eacute;ent de nouvelles significations et interpr & eacute;tations de leurs r & eacute;alit & eacute;s. En reconnaissant la nature palimpsestique des r & eacute;cits, o & ugrave; les narrations se croisent et se construisent les unes sur les autres, la recherche en tant que t & eacute;moignage r & eacute;v & egrave;le des fa & ccedil;ons multiples, partielles et r & eacute;silientes d'interpr & eacute;ter la guerre, la m & eacute;moire, la perte et le sens de la vie. Nous nous appuyons sur deux d & eacute;cennies de recherche sur les cons & eacute;quences de la guerre dans la r & eacute;gion d'Acholi afin d'explorer ces affirmations et r & eacute;sister & agrave; la colonialit & eacute; du savoir.
The ambivalence of the junior rank Rwandan army deserter's journey to exile is that it gives the army deserter a sense of freedom and heightened expectation of leading a safe and peaceful post military life beyond the reach of the military institution, while also marking the beginning of a myriad of physical, psychological, political, socio-economic and even embodied transitional realities for those forced into this state. Drawing from the narratives of thirty junior rank Rwandan army deserters living as exiles in South Africa, I argue that the journey to exile is a complex, fragmented and rhizomic movement from imminent danger towards presumed safety and freedom. Experiences of army deserters living in exile are usually understood from the vantage point of either their places of origin or the places where they would have settled. Their experiences of their journeys to exile remain under recognised.
