Abstract
Conventional economic theories hold that science and culture are not bedfellows in achieving development goals. One of the reasons for these repetitive failures is the ‘one-size-fits-all’ model of growth and development that international initiatives promote in non-Western communities: sustainable development is endogenous. For the Nso peoples of western Cameroon, sustainability is intrinsically defined by their worldview, belief system and traditions, and by their identity which is shaped by the belief in a cosmic totality: the interdependence and symbiotic relationship between the visible and the invisible realms. Thinking about the homemade nature of sustainable development acknowledges the cultural parameters and mechanisms of economic growth, which engage the environment both as a refuge of the sacred and as a provider that ensures the sustainance of the entire community. The fundamental and traditional figure of sustainable development in Nsoland is Ngonnso, the Queen Mother and Founder of the Nso community which plays a significant role in agricultural rituals and practices, the performance of which are believed to ensure productivity of the land and the subsistence of the Nso people. Looted and preserved in German museums, engaging with museums as community collaborators can lead to recovering scattered ancestral heritages and technologies for perennial designs of development models that are respectful of the community’s worldview. This study asks the following questions: What is the nature of the mutually beneficial influence of material cultures on community growth and museum reformation? How do these mechanisms inform inclusive and tailored sustainable development models adapted to specific communities?
Presenters
Murielle Sandra Tiako DjomatchouaPhD Student, Humanities, Princeton University, New Jersey, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
INTERSECTIONALITY, SDGS, INCLUSION, REPRESENTATIONS, SUSTAINABILITY
