Knowledge, Indigenous Knowledge, Peace and Development

Without knowledge, there can only be marginal development. Knowledge is essential for survival, as well as for improving the quality of life and escaping from poverty. This paper seeks to understand the nature of knowledge, introduce the concept of indigenous knowledge, provide some idea of the status of Indigenous Knowledge (IK) in Tanzania, explore how IK is linked to peace and consider the way ahead, recognizing some of the obstacles and discussing how knowledge may be used for accelerating development. IK is by the people, with the people and for their own well-being, and yet it has been much maligned. African professionals, scholars, researchers, policy makers and activists attempting to understand or promote IK run the risk of a cool reception, ridicule or even outright opposition, because IK could be an obstacle to many vested interests. However, the new dawn of the African Renaissance will only be a reality when we use knowledge fully, including African indigenous and local knowledge, in partnership with modern scientific knowledge.