EQUILIBRATING KNOWLEDGE SYSTEMS IN DEVELOPMENT PROCESS FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: A CALL TO HARNESS AND DEPLOY THE INEVITABLE.

Abstract

Indigenous knowledge developed as a response to the discontent, dissatisfaction, and shortcomings of the modernization approach as a theory and in development practice as a way of improving the living standards of the poor especially in the global south. Prior to this, indigenous knowledge was rarely used in development programs and documents in development practice until in 1998 when the World Bank, in response to the quest for collaborative partnership and inclusion of localized knowledge launched the indigenous knowledge for development program in partnership with several donor agencies. Even with this effort, Indigenous knowledge has not been positioned as a fundamental challenge to scientific development rather it is regarded as little more than a list of easily identifiable, mostly technical, and discrete knowledges. This creates a tension in development practice between the use of scientific knowledge and indigenous knowledge. A tension between the supposed rational, controlled, rigorous and universal system and the irrational, imbued with folklore and too place-specific to offer any meaningful solution to underdevelopment. The loophole with this position is that modern western science is located at one end of the development spectrum, indigenous knowledge is located at the other as if they are in parallel lines, never to meet. The central challenge of development practice today is how to achieve a symmetry of both scientific and localized knowledge for sustainable development. This paper relying more on analysis of secondary data to explore the discussion and employing Tania Li’s concept of the ‘rendering technical’ and Participatory development theory pointed out that for effective and efficient equilibration of knowledge systems in development process, the best option is the mutual synthesis of the two systems through mutual dialogue than mere integration, incorporation, or inclusion of indigenous knowledge in development process.