Oblivion or Utopia: The Prospects for Africa - Softcover

Malunga, Chiku

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0761849866 ISBN 13: 9780761849865

Publisher: University Press of America, 2009

Synopsis

This book explains that efforts to reverse Africa's continuing underdevelopment have failed to date because they have not been consciously aimed at enabling Africa to turn its vast natural resources into wealth; here, Malunga proposes a five step strategy enabling the continent revolutionize and improve the system.

About this title

About the Author:

Chiku Malunga is an author and a consultant with many years of experience in organization development and development practice work among African, European and American non-profits, NGOs and civil society organizations. He holds a doctorate degree in development studies from the University of South Africa. He is currently the director of Capacity Development Consultants (CADECO), an organization that promotes African- centered organizational improvement models. Malunga's interest is in contextualizing European and American concepts of organizational/institutional development and development practice for more relevance in the developing regions of the world, and using Africa's indigenous wisdom to enrich the organizational and development theories and practice in the developed regions of the world. Malunga carries out this bridging mission through writing, consultancy and speaking engagements. His other books include: Understanding Organizational Sustainability through African Proverbs, Making Strategic Plans Work: Insights from African Indigenous Wisdom and Understanding Organizational Leadership through Ubuntu.

Review:

Oblivion or Utopia is strong in its portrayal of the effect of knowledge and culture on economic processes. The deficit in knowledge to transform natural resources into wealth is so severe that universities, think tanks and civil society need mobilising across the continent in the use of knowledge as an economic lever. The task he gives these actors is to identify and address economic issues in a language that people understand. The author peppers his works with African proverbs to make sure his point gets home to those he is writing for – the ordinary person in his or her community. The conviction is that “when a critical number of communities on the continent changes, the country changes and eventually the continent changes”. This is a bottom-up view of development reflecting the more rooted side of aid efforts. (Development in Practice)

About this edition

• Publisher: University Press of America
• Publication date: 2009
• ISBN 10: 0761849866
• ISBN 13: 9780761849865
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 148