The Contribution of Southern Theory for Sustainable Development in Africa

Dr. Upendo P. Biswalo
St John’s University of Tanzania
Email: upendopsix@yahoo.uk

Abstract: For years, knowledges from non-western contexts have been under-represented in the both Western and nonWestern contexts. This study argues that, for African region to achieve sustainable development, African indigenous values, customs and practices need to be considered/ privileged, and not to be marginalised. This reviewed study, therefore, uses Southern theory (Connell, 2007), to challenge Western ideologies that what counts as rational knowledge comes from the West. Southern theory, therefore, challenges this dominant discourse, this Eurocentric belief that African societies are backwards and incapable, and paves the way for the possibility for change in finding and using knowledge from an African perspective. The application of Southern theory therefore makes it possible for knowledge originating from non-Western contexts to be recognised and legitimated. On the other hand, Southern theory is employed to suggest ways of making knowledge from Western contexts more responsive to Southern contexts. In other words, it suggests the deconstructions of Western knowledge to fit into non-Western contexts, such as Tanzania. Drawing in some postcolonial ideas, the study suggests that it is high time for people in Africa to embrace African ways of thinking, their ways of living, and their languages to ensure sustainable development in Africa.