The role of ancestral knowledge in the transformation of contemporary Africa: Insights from the Merian Centre MIASA

How can local knowledge that has evolved over the centuries be useful in dealing with contemporary challenges in Africa such as environmental degradation, social inequalities and economic instability? This was the topic of this year's Anton Wilhelm Amo Lecture at the Merian Institute for Advanced Studies in Africa MIASA.

people at a lecture

Anton Wilhelm Amo lecture series

Kojo Ayeh (Ayeh Photography)

Interview with: MIASA-Directors Prof. Grace Diabah (Director-Ghana) and Prof. Mamadou Diawara (Director-Germany)

The Anton Wilhelm Amo Lecture is organized annually by MIASA in collaboration with the Institute of African Studies and the Department of Philosophy and Classics at the University of Ghana. What is the aim of the Amo Lectures and who gave it its name?

Prof. Grace Diabah, Co-Director Ghana at MIASA

Prof. Grace Diabah, Co-Director Ghana at MIASA

Kojo Ayeh (Ayeh Photography)

The Anton Wilhelm Amo Lecture is an initiative of the University of Ghana. It is named after the 18th-century Ghanaian philosopher (Anton Wilhelm Amo) who grew up in what is today part of Germany. Since MIASA is an institute which is based on a collaboration between Ghana and Germany, establishing the Amo Lecture as a prominent event at the University of Ghana holds special significance.

The lecture series not only promotes awareness of Amo’s ideas and his experiences as an African in European society, but it also confronts broader questions about how the humanities and social sciences can contribute to the decolonization of knowledge and the pursuit of epistemic justice. Exploring the complex processes and challenges of knowledge production in an unequal world is, therefore, the major theme of the Amo Lecture. This also aligns with MIASA’s commitment to highlighting the relevance of African thinking in global discourses.

You noted that the lecture series promotes MIASA’s commitment to highlighting the relevance of African thinking in global academia and addresses questions of decolonizing knowledge production and epistemic justice. What experiences have you gained so far?

Prof. Mamadou Diawara, Co-Director Germany at MIASA

Prof. Mamadou Diawara, Co-Director Germany at MIASA

Kojo Ayeh (Ayeh Photography)

The Amo lecture series has been an invaluable initiative in affirming MIASA’s commitment to amplifying African intellectual contributions in global academia. Through the four lectures organized since 2021, we have gained a clearer perspective on the transformative potential of African-centered approaches to knowledge production. Together, these lectures have underscored the critical role of African voices in shaping global academic discourse. Each presentation has sparked in-depth discussions, inviting scholars to reconsider dominant narratives.
Additionally, the lecture series has highlighted the need for continuous dialogue on epistemic justice. By spotlighting scholars like Josephat Obi Oguejifor, Sylvia Tamale, Felwine Sarr, and Toyin Falola, we have gained insight into how African intellectual traditions can inspire a shift toward a more inclusive academic landscape, where knowledge is not merely extracted but cultivated collaboratively. These experiences have reinforced our commitment to fostering spaces that elevate African voices and methodologies, emphasizing the value they bring not only to African contexts but to global discourse and problem-solving efforts.

The 2024 Amo Lecture focused on the role of ancestral knowledge in the transformation of contemporary Africa. What do you think is the key takeaway from this year's event?

Prof. Toyin Falola

Prof. Toyin Falola

Kojo Ayeh (Ayeh Photography)

During the 2024 Amo Lecture, Prof. Toyin Falola foregrounded how African ways of knowing, which are historically sidelined by colonial and post-colonial academic frameworks, could be a lever for a new academic field called "African Ancestral Knowledge”, which focusses on two things.

The first is about history and "Africa's self-understanding". It goes beyond any distorted image of the continent that is fed by deep-rooted colonial and post-colonial prejudices. It is about Africa's capacity and potential to 'build communities', to 'interdepend' and to 'respect nature'. Africa's cosmologies and spiritual practices need to be seen beyond nostalgia, but to be examined in the dynamics that have characterised them throughout the continent's history.

The second aims at mobilizing this potential in a Pan-Africanist context, bringing together the continent and its Diaspora. The aim of this new field of study is to engage the entire diaspora and the continent in a fruitful dialogue on the basis of history and culture. In the face of today's burning global issues - environmental degradation, social inequality, increased consumption and individualism - this will be a great resource.
One might wonder how this new programme differs from classic disciplines taught critically in modern contexts like history, anthropology, heritage studies. Prof. Falola's answer would be straightforward: That is precisely the difference.

dancing people

Anton Wilhelm Amo event

Kojo Ayeh (Ayeh Photography)

people at a lecture

Anton Wilhelm Amo lecture series

Kojo Ayeh (Ayeh Photography)

The Merian Institute for Advanced Studies in Africa MIASA

MIASA was created in 2018 at the College of Humanities at the University of Ghana, Legon campus. It is based on a collaboration between the University of Ghana and a consortium of German partners – the University of Freiburg, Goethe University Frankfurt, the German Institute for Global and Area Studies (GIGA), and the German Historical Institute Paris (DHIP).
MIASA is dedicated to the topic of ‘Sustainable Governance’. We define ‘governance’ as the interplay of informal and formal rules for steering public affairs, embedded in historically contextualized social, material and cultural practices of everyday life. MIASA’s three research foci are: sustainable environmental transformation, sustainable conflict management, and sustainable democracy. The Institute also covers intersectional topics like landownership and acquisition, migration and mobility, restitution of colonially acquired cultural objects, African cities, and human rights.
MIASA offers fellowships for senior and junior postdoctoral researchers from the Humanities and Social Sciences. MIASA’s programmes are funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), with cofunding from the University of Ghana.