Conceptualizing the Idoma Alekwu Tradition as an African Philosophy of Peace

Abstract

The African philosophy of peace and human coexistence is a single piece of thread that weaves the fabric called Africa despite the continent’s multi-ethnic composition. The culture of shared goodness, communal justice and collective prosperity is present in the lived reality of the African people, no matter where they are located on the map. The larger portion of Southern Africa refers to this phenomenon as the concept of Ubuntu, but it is a fact that every true African society has always practised this brotherliness, albeit under different conceptualizations. The Alekwu traditional system of the Idoma people of North Central Nigeria is one such system. This article intends to project Alekwu, an often-misinterpreted moral code of conduct, as an elaborate way of life that sets out to uphold the good of all within the typical Idoma community. This paper presents a detailed review of existing scholarly works to conceptualise the richness of Alekwu as an African philosophy of peace within the framework of the African Indigenous Knowledge Systems (AIKS). First, the historical background to the Alekwu Traditional System was presented, followed by a discussion on the African philosophy of peace. Next is a detailed examination of the Alekwu system. Afterward, there is a justification of Alekwu as a philosophy of peace for Africa. The implications of this conceptualisation for AIKS were considered with a call for further scholarship on reshaping African identities through coloniality, popularising hybrid and evolving identities rooted in African contexts.

Keywords

• African Indigenous Knowledge Systems (AIKS)
• Alekwu
• Idoma
• African Philosophy
• Peace
• Ubuntu
• Teraanga

İdoma Alekwu Geleneğinin Afrika Barış Felsefesi Olarak Kavramsallaştırılması

Abstract

Afrika’nın barış ve insan birlikte yaşama felsefesi, kıtanın çok etnikli yapısına rağmen “Afrika” denilen kumaşı dokuyan tek bir iplik parçası olarak değerlendirilebilir. Paylaşılan iyilik, topluluk temelli adalet ve kolektif refah kültürü, harita üzerinde nerede yer alırlarsa alsınlar Afrika halklarının yaşanmış gerçekliğinde mevcuttur. Güney Afrika’nın büyük bir bölümünde bu olgu Ubuntu kavramı ile ifade edilmektedir; ancak her gerçek Afrika toplumunun, farklı kavramsallaştırmalar altında da olsa, bu kardeşlik biçimini her zaman pratiğe döktüğü bir gerçektir. Nijerya’nın kuzey-orta bölgesinde yaşayan Idoma halkının Alekwu geleneksel sistemi de bu örneklerden biridir. Bu makale, sıklıkla yanlış yorumlanan bir ahlaki davranış kodu olan Alekwu’yu, tipik Idoma toplumu içinde herkesin iyiliğini gözetmeyi amaçlayan kapsamlı bir yaşam biçimi olarak görünür kılmayı amaçlamaktadır. Çalışmada, Afrika Yerli Bilgi Sistemleri (African Indigenous Knowledge Systems, AIKS) çerçevesinde Alekwu’nun zenginliğini bir Afrika barış felsefesi olarak kavramsallaştırmak üzere mevcut akademik çalışmaların ayrıntılı bir incelemesi sunulmaktadır. İlk olarak Alekwu Geleneksel Sistemi’ne ilişkin tarihsel arka plan ortaya konulmakta, ardından Afrika barış felsefesi üzerine bir tartışma yürütülmektedir. Bunu Alekwu sisteminin ayrıntılı bir çözümlemesi izlemektedir. Daha sonra Alekwu’nun Afrika için bir barış felsefesi olarak temellendirilmesine yer verilmektedir. Son aşamada ise bu kavramsallaştırmanın AIKS açısından anlam ve sonuçları ele alınmakta; sömürgeden arındırma (dekolonyalite) yoluyla Afrika kimliklerinin yeniden biçimlendirilmesi, Afrika bağlamlarına köklenen melez ve dönüşen kimliklerin yaygınlaştırılması üzerine yapılacak yeni akademik çalışmalara çağrı yapılmaktadır.

Keywords

• Dijital gerçeklik denetimi
• Dezenformasyon
• Çevrimiçi haber
• Çevrimiçi gazetecilik
• Medya
• Teknoloji

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