The Role of Kenneth Kaunda’s Humanism in Fostering Higher Education for Social Responsibility in Post-colonial Zambia (1964-1991)

Kenneth Kaunda, Zambia’s first president from 1964 to 1991, advanced a Pan-African social-political ideology of humanism as a moral code to guide all human activities in the nation’s political, economic, and social spheres. Within education, humanism envisaged producing socially responsible and public good-oriented graduates equipped with humane values and capable of driving the national development agenda. This paper critically examines the nexus between Kaunda’s humanism and education by focussing on its role in fostering higher education for social responsibility in post-colonial Zambia. In addressing this, it focusses on the University of Zambia as a case study by drawing on secondary data sources through a systematic desktop review of related literature. It examines how the university endeavoured to produce socially responsible graduates in line with the national ideology of Zambian humanism. Situated within a post-colonial theoretical paradigm, the paper advances that Kaunda’s social-political thoughts on humanism offer an alternative framework for examining the role of higher education in fostering students’ social responsibility outcomes. In so doing, it contributes to the scholarship on human development and decoloniality in education. ________________

Nationalism and the Federal State’s Agricultural Policies; The Politics of Cassava in Zambia, 1953-1963

During the Federal era, cassava played an important role in political mobilisation in Luapula Province. Nonetheless, the crop has seldom received attention in the otherwise rich historiography on African nationalism and anti-Federation struggle in present-day Zambia. Drawing on archival sources and oral history, and a reading of secondary sources, this article attempts to contribute to the historiography of cassava in Zambia and its contribution to the nationalist cause. The article examines the position of cassava in political mobilisation by nationalist politicians. It explores the link between the politics of cassava and those of nationalism. This article’s key argument is that while nationalist leaders drew on the politics of cassava to garner support from the rural population in their campaign against the state, the dissatisfaction with the administration’s approach towards cassava provided the local people in Luapula with a compelling reason to join, and offer support to, the African National Congress (ANC), the party by which the anti-Federation campaign was led

Cultivating Teaching Assistants\u27 Professional Identities

In 2022, the American Bar Association (ABA) amended Law School Accreditation Standard 303(b) by adding an explicit requirement that law students have “substantial opportunities” for “the development of a professional identity.” In the years leading up to this change, several scholars stressed the importance of teaching professional identity—that is, of helping students begin to cultivate the personal and professional values appropriate to the practice of law. Yet one cohort of law students is surprisingly absent from the existing professional-identity literature: teaching assistants (TAs). Law-school TAs have responsibilities—from offering reasoned advice, to editing legal-style documents, to problem-solving with supervisors—that mirror many of the tasks they will assume as new attorneys. TAs inhabit a liminal space between student and professor, academia and legal practice. Thus, we argue in this article that TAs’ unique apprenticeship position provides an important opportunity for professors to help their TAs form strong professional identities.Lar

A New Reporter Confronts the Supreme Court’s Unpublished Decisions

In late January 2021, the Supreme Court of the United States issued a long list of orders. It concluded with a single sentence: “It is ordered that Rebecca Anne Womeldorf be appointed Reporter of Decisions of this Court . . . , effective January 25, 2021, . . . charged with the duty of reporting the decisions of the present Term which have not been reported prior to January 25, 2021.” The order was silent about the immense challenge facing the new Reporter in the form of unpublished decisions from prior terms. Actions taken by Ms. Womeldorf and her staff, in the three years since, demonstrate a clear awareness of that challenge and a serious effort to address it

FHFA Comment Letter Regarding FHLBS Mission

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (the “FHFA”) has requested Input regarding the regulatory statement of the Federal Home Loan Bank System’s (the “System”) mission to better reflect its appropriate role in the housing finance system. I commend the FHFA for being realistic about the System in its Request for Input; it acknowledges that there is a mismatch between its mission and its current operations. The System’s operations do not do nearly enough to support the System’s stated mission of supporting the financing of housing. The System should recommit to that goal in measurable ways or its name and/or mission should be changed to better reflect its current operations

“Just suffering. That’s it!”: Perspectives of Tobacco Farming Households on Tobacco Growing and Alternatives in Mozambique

Tobacco is viewed as an important cash crop for farmers in Southern Africa and many countries around the world. This analysis explores the perspectives of farmers who are growing tobacco in Mozambique. The main aim of this analysis is to describe the perspectives of tobacco growers on the conditions of tobacco growing and their perspectives on possible alternatives. This analysis is situated in relation to efforts by countries like Mozambique to implement Article 17 of the WHO FCTC, which outlines the need for governments to support alternatives to tobacco growing. This study applied a qualitative description methodology to explore the perspectives of farming households on tobacco growing and the conditions that shape their experiences. We conducted focus group discussions in four tobacco growing districts of Angonia, Cuamba, Macanga, and Mandimba in Tete and Niassa provinces . The number of focus group participants ranged from 10 to 24. In each district we conducted two sets of focus groups. One with men (n=4) and one with women (n=4). We organized our findings in two broad categories. The first category, perspectives on tobacco growing, presents the key features of tobacco growing as described by the participants across regions. Participants emphasized the economic hardships or ‘suffering’ that resulted from tobacco growing. The second category revolves around perspectives on alternatives to tobacco growing and the conditions necessary to switch from tobacco to another crop or other form of livelihood. This second category involved an exploration of the tension between existing alternatives and the inaccessibility of alternatives particularly in relation to alternative crops. Conclusions: The findings of this study are similar to those from other studies in the region. Small holder tobacco growers in Mozambique share similarities in terms of reason for growing tobacco, the factors that lead to contract farming, and their perspective on the economic challenges faced

The Late President Dr. Kenneth Kaunda’s Influence on Wildlife Conservation and Tourism in South Luangwa National Park of Zambia

Wildlife in Zambia’s Luangwa Valley has fascinated tourists from the pre-colonial era to date. Writings on the prolific beauty of the region describe the abundance of species and beautiful scenery of the valley. The late President Dr. Kenneth Kaunda declared South Luangwa a National Park in 1971. He further facilitated the Luangwa Integrated Rural Development Project (LIRDP) funded by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD) to support the management of the Park and engage local communities in conservation efforts and livelihood development. The South Luangwa National Park and adjacent Game Management Areas were Dr. Kaunda’s preferred destination for work and holidays. Dr. Kaunda was enthusiastic about wildlife conservation, National Park management, and the sustainable use of natural resources to improve local livelihoods. This paper reviews Dr. Kaunda’s significant role in promoting tourism and wildlife conservation in the South Luangwa National Park. Attention was focused on reviewing his words and influence on the Park’s sustainable development and growth. The methodology used included interview findings from ten (10) key informants associated with the Park’s development during the period of Dr. Kaunda’s presidency. The paper demonstrates that Dr. Kaunda’s love for South Luangwa National Park contributed to its present reputation and international recognition as a premier tourist destination