Title: Can a knowledge community situated in an African village create and advance human rights practices beyond love thy neighbour principle?

Authors: Mambo G. Mupepi; Jennifer Young Yim; Sylvia C. Mupepi; Kuda B. Mupepi

Addresses: Global Scholars Program, University of Michigan, 3145 North Quadrangle, 105 South State Street, Ann Arbor, 48109-1285, USA. ' Global Scholars Program, University of Michigan, 3145 North Quadrangle, 105 South State Street, Ann Arbor, 48109-1285, USA. ' Kirkhof College of Nursing, Grand Valley State University, Cook DeVos Center for Health Sciences, 301 Michigan Street NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49503-3314, USA. ' School of Public, Non-Profit and Health Administration, 2nd Floor DeVos Center Building, 401 West Fulton, Grand Rapids, 49504, USA

Abstract: This paper proposes a framework to create successful human rights practices using the platform of a knowledge community. The challenges which face human rights promotion are both theoretical and practical and will require community collaboration if they are to succeed. Theoretically, for the framing of human rights to be relevant to Africa, it has to be situated in a combination of international conceptions of local and international knowledge. However, efforts to formulate international perceptions on democracy are complicated because of the apprehension that they are seen as trying to supersede existing traditions outlook and the lack of clarity about what exactly they mean in situ. Local knowledge provided by a community of practice provides an avenue in which effective human rights can operate. The conclusion drawn is that human rights organisations are more likely to succeed if they collaborate with the local community in co-constructing a shared human rights vision.

Keywords: communities of practice; COP; human rights; entrepreneurs; activists; local knowledge; knowledge communities; vernacular; Africa; African villages; democracy; community collaboration.

DOI: 10.1504/IJKL.2011.044557

International Journal of Knowledge and Learning, 2011 Vol.7 No.3/4, pp.233 - 252

Received: 15 Apr 2010
Accepted: 02 Nov 2010
Published online: 31 Jan 2015 *

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