Ecological sustainability: reinvigorate and emulate African principles of life or cease to exist?

Abstract

This contribution presupposes that revitalization of African principles of life would significantly enhance ecological sustainability. It has argued that for ecological sustainability to be achieved there is need to revitalize and emulate African principles of life which appreciated and operated within nature’s limits, if the world is not to go extinct, as survival and a decent life depends on sustainable harnessing of nature and nature’s provision of stable resources. The paper concedes that leaving the African principle of life idle and latent is just as good as committing suicide as modern ways of life prove to be contrasting approaches to ecological sustainability. The paper also revealed that growing economies through competitive global capitalism with its associated model of development based on principles of individualism, greediness, competition, exploitation and inequality are proving unsustainable thereby necessitating a relook to the south for alternative approaches to development and ways of life that are equitable and sustainable. The paper creates a space for critical, innovative and reflexive deliberations, on new development models that incorporates African perspectives by contending that development models must strive to consolidate what was good in traditional Africa with present ideals if the future is to remain meaningful, certain and realistic It must be acknowledged however that the hallmark of this paper is reflexivity and not a recipe.