Browsing by Author "Katola, Michael T."
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Item circumcision Contestation Among African Christians in the Advent of a Rejuvenation of African Cultural Practices(ijmart, 2024) Kamau, Patrick Maina; Katola, Michael T.; Waweru, Humphrey M.Circumcision among many African communities is a vital and common rite of passage. Traditionally the rite was performed on both male and female teenagers but with the coming of the Europeans and the conversion of African communities to Christianity, female circumcision was discarded and eventually outlawed. Male circumcision survived despite European pressure. Many Europeans viewed circumcision as a psychologically hazardous exercise that was detrimental to the initiates’ physical health and a waste of valuable time that could be better utilised economically. Missionaries associated circumcision rituals with paganism laced with many outdated practices, thus there was need to Christenize the rites. The missionary fashioned the circumcision rite of passage into what they felt was in line with Christian values. Most of the circumcision rituals were discarded. The circumcision rite changed from a communal affair to an individual family affair. In the beginning of the third millennium, the church took started organizing circumcision camps for boys in churches in a bid to align the traditional practice to Christian values. This became the norm as the Kikuyu community’s cultural practices had overtime been inclined to the Euro Christian culture. At the same time a rejuvenation of Kikuyu culture was taking shape. The rejuvenation was given the impetus it required by the promulgation of the 2010 Kenyan constitution. From then on Kikuyu elders started organising their own circumcision camps targeting teenage Christians that were also targeted by the church. This has caused discontent among Kikuyu Christians necessitating a search for possible remedies to the contestation in a bid to have a spiritually fulfilled Kikuyu Christian.Item Community integration for psychosocial well-being: building sustainable peace and strengthening identity through story- telling in the South Sudan(2015) Kamwaria, Alex N.; Katola, Michael T.In a war-ravaged country, a great need exists for community integration in order to heal the psychosocial wounds and to enable the process of development and reconstruction for peace. Even after settling in their villages and home, many communities South Sudan have stories that elicit their traumatized self-images and identities. When these people pass trauma stories to their children, this has long term effects on the community identity. Trauma stories can be catalysts for selective memories of trauma that create potential atmosphere for future conflicts. This paper shows how community integration can be used to bring together individuals, families, and villages in south Sudan that have been divided by war by strengthening the common threads that bind all members. By providing forums in which individuals, families, and villages can come together, trauma stories can be narrated for constructive dialogue and integration. The stories of family members, friends, colleagues, villagers, and members of other ethnic groups can help to build trust, common identity and overcome anxieties and misconceptions about othersItem Incorporation of Traditional African Cultural Values in the Formal Education System for Development, Peace Building and Good Governance(Progressive Academic Publishing, UK, 2014) Katola, Michael T.In contemporary Africa, formal education is recognized as a basic prerequisite for development. By implication, the school has become important as a socializing agent. In spite of this, schooling is based in institutions designed to impart specific knowledge and skills often unrelated to actual needs of the learners and communities to which they belong. It is for this reason, that need arises for traditional values to be incorporated in the present formal system of education. The values discussed in the paper are analyzed in the context of John P. Miller’s holistic education Theory. It is evident that if the values can be integrated in the Present education system. Africa would realize economic development, peace and good governance. The paper concludes that education should not only enable the learners to acquire certificates but to enable them to live as responsible and dependable members of the society.Item Integrating African values into the Institutionalised Education and its Implications for the Youth in Kenya(Scholars Academic and Scientific Publishers, 2015) Katola, Michael T.; Shisanya, Johnstone S.African countries have for a long time emphasized on the role of institutionalised education in promoting economic and social development. Indeed, education is considered a gateway to furnishing the continent not only with the future manpower but with inculcating values which contribute to the enrichment of peoples‟ lives. In Kenya institutionalised education has impacted both negatively and positively to the present generation. Globalized way of exchanging ideas, new opportunities and communication has come as a result of formal education which was received and domesticated as institutionalised system of education. This is a positive thing as people can share information and communicate freely and easily across the globe. In spite of this, the negative impact seems to outweigh the positive due to the emerging trends of unfulfilled goals. High rates of unemployment, cyber and electronic crimes, irresponsible parenthood and lack of integrity are just a few indicators of how institutionalized education is negatively impacting on the young generation in Kenya and Africa at large. Those who graduate from most educational institutions are not being fruitful to the society as expected. This paper discusses how traditional education in Kenya can be integrated with institutionalised education. The integrated education will develop the students morally, intellectually, emotionally, physically and sociallyItem Religious Approaches as Remedy to Violence in Africa(Contemporary Research Center, 2016-04) Nyandoro, Kefa Obondi; Nyabwari, Bernard Gechiko; Katola, Michael T.Violence is one of the causes of underdevelopment in Africa. Specifically, politically instigated violence in Africa has undermined social, economic, political and spiritual developments. This paper explains the route causes and consequences of violence in Africa. It investigates historical and present approaches to mitigate violence. The study singles out divisive, bigoted and myopic politics as principal causes of violence. The paper further suggests strategies African countries can use to end violence in order to have a united, peaceful and an integrated continent. Findings suggest that visionary, humane and selfless leadership well explained in the African Ubuntu Philosophy which recognizes the rule of law is paramount to realization of Africa’s hope and dream. The church which is a moral conscious voice of the society in this paper is portrayed as the key player in advocating peace, love and unity in collaboration with peacekeeping organizations within and without Africa. Data for this study were collected purposively through oral interviews with African scholars, leaders, sociologists, clergy and politicians from selected countries. Analyzed data discussed in this paper deduces that there is hope to restore the lost glory of Africa.