Kenyan and Ethiopian Sages on Good Governance and Conflict Resolution
Presenter's country
United States
Start Date
August 2014
End Date
August 2014
Submission type
Presentation
Abstract
Kenyan and Ethiopian Sages on Good Governance and Conflict Resolution H. Odera Oruka, a Professor of Philosophy at University of Nairobi, started a project (1974-1995) of interviewing Kenyan wise elders on topics of philosophy in general as well as applied ethics questions. One topic he covered was good governance. He interviewed Jaramogi Oginga Odinga (former Vice President of Kenya and Presidential candidate) at length in 1982 and again in 1992 on the topic of good governance. Oruka claimed that Oginga Odinga was a person committed to ethical and truthful behavior in his political roles. Odinga's philosophy was that politics should not be about power and prestige but rather about serving the masses. Few people so far have analyzed Oruka's interviews with Odinga. I will argue that they are full of insights for the present moment. I will also draw upon insights regarding the topic of good governance found in other interviews I have undertaken with both Kenyans and Ethiopians. As Bekele Gutema articulates, sages have helpful insights regarding conflict resolution. I will share insights on this topic of conflict resolution and its intersection with good governance.
Keywords
Ethics, Political Philosophy, Kenya, Ethiopia, Oginga Odinga, Odera Oruka, sage philosophy, governance, Africa
Kenyan and Ethiopian Sages on Good Governance and Conflict Resolution
Kenyan and Ethiopian Sages on Good Governance and Conflict Resolution H. Odera Oruka, a Professor of Philosophy at University of Nairobi, started a project (1974-1995) of interviewing Kenyan wise elders on topics of philosophy in general as well as applied ethics questions. One topic he covered was good governance. He interviewed Jaramogi Oginga Odinga (former Vice President of Kenya and Presidential candidate) at length in 1982 and again in 1992 on the topic of good governance. Oruka claimed that Oginga Odinga was a person committed to ethical and truthful behavior in his political roles. Odinga's philosophy was that politics should not be about power and prestige but rather about serving the masses. Few people so far have analyzed Oruka's interviews with Odinga. I will argue that they are full of insights for the present moment. I will also draw upon insights regarding the topic of good governance found in other interviews I have undertaken with both Kenyans and Ethiopians. As Bekele Gutema articulates, sages have helpful insights regarding conflict resolution. I will share insights on this topic of conflict resolution and its intersection with good governance.