Beneficiaries are actors too.pdf - Southern Institute of Peace ...

education in this historical era that is dominated by high levels of
technological developments has to uphold the view that African
historical experiences yield fertile experience from which to
extract key scientific analytical concepts (Ramose, 2008b). It is
sad that the epistemological paradigm of colonial legacy still
continues to dominate the entire construction of knowledge in
African states, including Zimbabwe. The implications are far
reaching since whoever holds the key to the construction of
knowledge also has key to power. Besides, such a scenario points
to the fact that the former masters continue to be the points of
reference with regards the construction or even deconstruction of
scientific knowledge on the entire globe. As has already been
alluded to, the now being a period of incessant advancement in
science and technology, this has a far reaching implication: that
Africa in general and Zimbabwe in particular will never claim a
space in the global scientific advancement by virtue of the
people's failure to identify local or indigenous points of reference
from which to leapfrog into the digital highway. It is these points of
reference that should act as a springboard from which the local
communities and later the entire continent can register their
existence as well as their stake in the field of developing scientific
oriented knowledge and, therefore interventions to alleviate
challenges.
Every human society develops, for its own use, different ways of
coping with existence, experience and nature. We need the full
and active participation of highly educated citizenry. In order for
this to occur, we must begin to take action upon conditions that
persist for a significant percentage of the global population (Kyle,
2006). The secret of knowledge pre-eminence is grounded in a
value-based society (Kaw, 2011). According to Kyle (2006) the
following human conditions are most pertinent to science
educators engaged in socially transformative work in schools and
communities:
1. More than 10 million children under the age of five die
each year from preventable causes such as malnutrition,
unsafe water, and the lack of even the most basic health
care.
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