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07 March 2011

Aligning Knowledge Production with Substantive Development: (re-) Assessing the Role of Intellectuals in Africa

Gcobani Qambela and Bose Maposa

The role of intellectuals in Africa's development has since the late 1950's occupied an ambivalent place in mainstream scholarly debate. Thembani Mbadlanyana in his article A conversation with Dr Kwame Nkrumah: Africans as Producers of Knowledge reminded us of the critical role and need for intellectuals to carve and churn out insightful narratives on and of Africa to respond to the old adage: "From Africa Always Something New" [Semperaliquid noviex Africa]. Indeed the task of African intellectuals in this era was primarily to restore Africa’s dignity at an era of imperial intellectual scholarship that supported the colonial domination by providing ‘scientific’ evidence of Africa’s inhumanity. Thereby African intellectuals were pillars of the colonial struggle, many of whom went on to become leaders of their independent nations.

A peculiar aspect of African intellectuals, since gaining their independence, has been the inability of these intellectuals to effectively apply the knowledge that they acquired to materially and substantively improve the lives of those served. From Ghana's Kwame Nkrumah's tragic Akosombe Dam/Volta Lake resettlement programs, to Tanzania's Julius Mwalimu Nyerere's failed African Socialism/villagisation initiative, and more recently South Africa's Thabo Mbeki catastrophic response and grasp of the HIV/AIDS in the African perspective. The argument here is that as thinkers and on paper, they excelled but as doers, not at all. All these great intellectuals, some of whom later gained the platform to implement their ideas in Africa’s highest offices of the presidency failed in applying their intellect despite sound and seemingly noble ideas. This is a flaw that appears to have penetrated and perpetuated even well into 2011. This is the task of our generation of African intellectuals - creating this bridge between knowledge production and implementation to improve African livelihoods.


Eusebius McKaiser, Associate at the University of the Witwatersrand Centre for Ethics and columnist for City Press in his piece No country for young intellectuals to spread their wings pointed to the devalued role of intellectuals in South Africa (and arguably Africa at large). While countries like the United States of America, the Republic of China and the United Kingdom have invested enormous amounts into their intellectuals most African countries have not emulated this model. One striking fact, even before we blame our leaders, is to note that McKeinser states that very few academics care little for public discourse, and hence "academics within the humanities and social sciences in particular, should be ashamed of themselves... [For] they have a social and intellectual obligation - partly because they get public funding - to make sure that their work speaks to and reaches the socio-political context within which their academic selves exist".


Yet, before we praise these countries, it is important to remember that unlike most African countries, these countries have a lot of universities (where many African intellectuals can be found), thus many intellectuals within their societies, many of whom then seek various avenues to unload their work and are also ready to engage their colleagues. Furthermore, not all these intellectuals manage to reach the public; the crucial role that they serve is to keep the ‘government’ accountable and intellectually engaged, in a manner that government decisions are scrutinized and explained, and thus their policies are a result of this exchange. In addition, those intellectuals that are valued by their communities have found different avenues to address and advice the public.

African governments should also support the ‘thinking class’ in an effort to place pressure on African intellectuals to produce knowledge that is culturally relevant. For as long as African research is supported elsewhere, its output will reflect the funders. The trend will continue to be an explanation of Africa and Africans to the rest of the world, instead of a work that helps Africans contest their historical and contemporary condition.

Indeed, if we take Cornel West as an example, his ‘blues’ and rap talk, his music albums his acting roles all are a part of casting the net and ensuring that the widest possible audience is reached. Perhaps African intellectuals ought to have an even deeper dialogue of who the knowledge is for. If the role of the African intellectual in the colonial era was restoring the image of the continent claiming it for the old civilization that it has always been to the world and primarily to Africans thereby; what is the role of the African intellectual in 2011?

What the paper argues therefore is that to truly have effective and socio-politically aware intellectuals in Africa, the disjuncture and vacuum that currently exists in Africa between the production of knowledge and the socio-application of that knowledge needs to be effectively bridged. For this to happen, we need to take time and look back into our own societies and their value systems. For most African cultures, it was never about just one person, but the community at large, and this in fact was how most ‘policy’ decisions were made- through a culture of engagement.

If the first half of a century of African independence tells us anything is that it is not enough for intellectuals in Africa to produce knowledge. If we are indeed going to develop our countries, sustainably, then we must realize that everyone has a role to play. Public space is not reserved for a select few, nor is this public space compartionalized. The urgency is therefore that intellectuals depart from their secluded spaces and as McKeinser states “keep the conversation alive”. They need to play an active role in the application of that knowledge in their respective contexts. Haroub Otham for instance notes that "an intellectual [is] not only a person who is able to analyze the present but is also able to articulate ideas that would have a lasting impact on those who receive them.”

Reference:
(1) Othman, Haroub. "Mwalimu Julius Nyerere: an intellectual in power" in Chachange, C and Cassam, A. 2010. Africa's Liberation: The Legacy of Nyerere. Pambazuka Press: Uganda

2 comments:

Estelle said...

(Just note that the City Press misspelt Eusebius' surname. It is McKeiser, not McKeinser...or I think it is at least...)

I think it’s great that you are engaging a topic like this becaus...e I agree with you and Eusebius that South Africa (and, as you say, many other African countries) do not have enough intellectuals (both academic and public). I do, however, disagree with Eusebius that the Humanities and Social Sciences need to 'sort themselves out' (my words, not his) and that academics are not interested in social engagement. Although public intellectuals do not necessarily have to go to university, many do. Think of journalists, writers, researchers etc - many of them studied journalism, literature, politics and the likes. I cannot speak for other African countries but in South Africa, critical thinking is often discouraged, not just by the government who is frequently only interested in 'policy relevant' research and commentary, but also by universities themselves, the one place where critical/independent thinking should be encouraged and protected. Lecturers within the Humanities/Social Sciences are under pressure to teach 'relevant' courses and produce relevant research which do serve a purpose but do not always inspire young people to think outside of the box or to be critical. I know of many academics who have been repremanded or fired because they spoke out against clamp downs on academic freedom, prescribed (non-negotiable) coursework, mismanagement etc. If your academics are not actively encouraged to be critical, innovative and independent, how do you expect universities to produce socially aware and politically conscious young intellectuals? This is just one way of explaining why we have a lack of public intellectuals in SA (and Africa). There are many other reasons. But for me, the most important thing is to encourage and give a platform to not only young intellectuals but intellectuals in general. They must not be muted, chastised, threatened or fired because they speak 'truth to power'. And as the public we also have a responsibility to value and encourage intellectuals and the work they do. Eusebius is correct to say that we do not value them enough.

I also think that although it is true that there is a disconnect between the knowledge Africa produces and its implementation, one must be careful not to over-glorify 'relevant' or 'policy relevant' knowledge. It is necessary, yes, BUT we cannot understand our future if we do not understand our history and how it determined the limits in which we function. To do this, we need historians, sociologists, psychologists, anthropologists, linguistics etc. to engage in deep study so that we can understand who and why we are. These types of studies, however, often struggle to get funding – they are judged as not 'relevant' or 'economically viable' enough. So, in my mind there has to be a balance between relevant knowledge production and knowledge production which is intellectually curious and open.

Estelle :)

Estelle said...

(Just note that the City Press misspelt Eusebius' surname. It is McKeiser, not McKeinser...or I think it is at least...)

I think it’s great that you are engaging a topic like this becaus...e I agree with you and Eusebius that South Africa (and, as you say, many other African countries) do not have enough intellectuals (both academic and public). I do, however, disagree with Eusebius that the Humanities and Social Sciences need to 'sort themselves out' (my words, not his) and that academics are not interested in social engagement. Although public intellectuals do not necessarily have to go to university, many do. Think of journalists, writers, researchers etc - many of them studied journalism, literature, politics and the likes. I cannot speak for other African countries but in South Africa, critical thinking is often discouraged, not just by the government who is frequently only interested in 'policy relevant' research and commentary, but also by universities themselves, the one place where critical/independent thinking should be encouraged and protected. Lecturers within the Humanities/Social Sciences are under pressure to teach 'relevant' courses and produce relevant research which do serve a purpose but do not always inspire young people to think outside of the box or to be critical. I know of many academics who have been repremanded or fired because they spoke out against clamp downs on academic freedom, prescribed (non-negotiable) coursework, mismanagement etc. If your academics are not actively encouraged to be critical, innovative and independent, how do you expect universities to produce socially aware and politically conscious young intellectuals? This is just one way of explaining why we have a lack of public intellectuals in SA (and Africa). There are many other reasons. But for me, the most important thing is to encourage and give a platform to not only young intellectuals but intellectuals in general. They must not be muted, chastised, threatened or fired because they speak 'truth to power'. And as the public we also have a responsibility to value and encourage intellectuals and the work they do. Eusebius is correct to say that we do not value them enough.

I also think that although it is true that there is a disconnect between the knowledge Africa produces and its implementation, one must be careful not to over-glorify 'relevant' or 'policy relevant' knowledge. It is necessary, yes, BUT we cannot understand our future if we do not understand our history and how it determined the limits in which we function. To do this, we need historians, sociologists, psychologists, anthropologists, linguistics etc. to engage in deep study so that we can understand who and why we are. These types of studies, however, often struggle to get funding – they are judged as not 'relevant' or 'economically viable' enough. So, in my mind there has to be a balance between relevant knowledge production and knowledge production which is intellectually curious and open.

Estelle :)

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