Sankofa and the Environment: Indigenous Communitarian Values and Knowledge Systems For Sustainable Development and Pan-African Solidarity

• In Event: Examining the Sankofa Principle in Action

Abstract

African philosophical traditions emphasize environmental management through a communitarian framework, connecting past, present, and future generations in their relationship with nature. This approach has been instrumental in enhancing biodiversity and ecological systems through cultural and spiritual lenses. Although colonial resource extraction disrupted Indigenous knowledge systems, revisiting communal values is important for addressing contemporary resource exploitation and environmental challenges. Indigenous philosophy and environmentalism hold a pivotal place in African environmental history. Grounded in the Akan concept of Sankofa, this paper reviews past communal knowledge to inform future progress. The paper explores Indigenous philosophical and environmental knowledge systems to provide insights for addressing resource exploitation and environmental challenges on the continent. The paper argues that embracing Sankofa, rooted in communitarian values, can guide African countries in implementing effective resource conservation policies. The integration of Indigenous communal and environmental knowledge systems would promote sustainable development while strengthening Pan-African solidarity.

Keywords: African Philosophy, Environmental History, Communitarianism, Sankofa and Pan-Africanism

Authors

• Gideon Yeboah Asante, Ohio University

• Mariam Pandam Pandam, Ohio University