An African Cultural Perspective on the Discourse on Development and Justice: Critical Reflections on the Developmentality Approach

Abstract

Our aim in the paper is to answer the question: In what way can justice best be captured in the quest for development? When the relationship between justice and development is addressed, justice is often considered within the purview of security and the rule of law. This is largely a negative approach to justice and while it is necessary for development, it is not sufficient to accomplish it. As an alternative, we turn to the idea of positive justice as a more robust approach to justice for development. This approach is distinctively African, given that it is developed from the traditional resource of Ummuna Uwa in the Igbo social setting. This approach to justice deviates from dispensing punishment for crimes committed and seeking compensation for previous offences to appropriately apportioning capacities and goods bearing in mind the ultimate benefit of society. The sense here is in the fact that most times, proper apportioning of capacities can be a way of forestalling avenues or reasons for offence in the future.