HARARE – Zimbabwe, 19 September 2024, Midlands State University’s School of Social Work hosted the Professor R Mupedziswa Annual public lecture. This year’s lecture focused on exploring the missing link on Africa’s realisation of social development goals set at the global summit held in Copenhagen, Demark in 1995.
Themed, “Repositioning Social Development within a Changing Environment in Africa: Ubuntu the missing link,” the public lecture had the acclaimed researcher Professor Rodreck Mupedziswa as its guest honour.
Speaking during the public lecture, MSU Harare Campus Director, Dr. T. Mashingaidze said that the public lecture was an invaluable opportunity to explore the critical role played by Ubuntu in social development.
Whilst delivering the welcome remarks, MSU School of Social Work Director, Dr. Noel Muridzo, avered that the public lecture was a decolonial expose set on inaugurating an epistemic rupture from Eurocentric epistemologies of social development towards approaches centred on Ubuntu as the defining worldview.
Whilst giving his remarks, Acting Executive Dean – Faculty of Social Sciences, Professor Thomas Marambanyika indicated that the lecture offers an opportunity to position Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) and Ubuntu in social work practice and education.
Professor Marambanyika further stated that Ubuntu can strengthen social work theory and practice in its global aims of supporting community systems of social protection, social justice, and social development within a changing environment in Africa.
In his presentation, guest speaker, Professor Mupedziswa explored the extent to which Africa has managed the realisation of social development goals that were set at the first ever global summit held in Copenhagen, Denmark in 1995.
He further mentioned the 3 goals of social development of conquering poverty, realising full employment and fostering social integration while avering that there is a missing link that Africa needs to infuse into its development initiatives.
Highlighting Ubuntu as the missing link, Professor Mupedziswa, compelled African leaders and nations to rope in IKS to craft a more effective framework for fighting poverty, unemployment and to foster social integration.
In the discussion session, MSU Registrar, Mr. Tinashe Zishiri said that the call for Ubuntu needs to start at the family level because family intergration is at the core of Ubuntu.
In her vote of thanks, MSU Social Work lecturer, Dr. Mildred Mushunje thanked Professor Mupedziswa for his presentation which was shown to be in line with Education 5.0.
The public lecture highlights the University’s dedication to its core values of Ubuntu as a force of driving social development in Africa.
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