University of Malawi (UNIMA) students have been challenged to rethink how Africa tells its own story, not through borrowed Western models, but through Ubuntu.
On Thursday, Students in Strategic Communication at UNIMA got more than just a lecture rather a reminder of who they are as Africans.
Visiting North West University scholar, Dr Musara Lubombo, challenged the students in Zomba to rethink how Africa communicates change, not through imported Western models, but through Ubuntu.
Speaking to a packed room at the University, Dr Lubombo said true communication for social change must be rooted in relationality, community dialogue, storytelling and genuine participation.
“Ubuntu is anchored in the metaphor that ‘I am because we are, and since we are, therefore I am,” he told the students.
For Associate Professor Anthony Gunde, who is Head of the Media and Communication Studies department, the message came at the right time.
Gunde said his department is currently hosting its first cohort of Master’s students in Strategic Communication, who are grappling with how to make communication more relevant to Malawian communities.
The lecture also mirrors the spirit of a recently published book, “Communication for Social Change in Sub-Saharan Africa: Amplifying Marginalized Voices,” co-authored by Dr Chavinda.
The Ubuntu approach, which critiques Western approaches to development communication, left many students reflecting on the power of their own stories and communities as tools for change.
By Mathews Kennedy