Philosophy of Poverty
Monday 20 April: 21.00-22.30
The Philosophy of Poverty and the Ethics of Ubuntu
During the month of philosophy the Lloyd Hotel & Cultural Embassy will contribute with an African perspective on poverty. The South-African philosopher Murray Hofmeyr gives a lecture on 'The Philosophy of Poverty and the Ethics of Ubuntu'. Ghanaian philosopher Toni Kofi will relate this to the Ashanti of Ghana. Hofmeyr is in The Netherlands on invitation by Prof. HeinzKimmerle, who established together with Prof. Mogobe Ramose the first Department of Philosophy at the University of Venda in 1997.
The evening will be led by philosopher Renate Schepen.
Future of development aid
Development aid does more harm than good in Africa says Zambian economist and author Dambisa Moyo, so we should stop it. The Dutch journalist Linda Polman describes in her book 'crisis caravan' how development organisations often do more harm than good. Analysing the world behind the aid industry, she describes how large, wealthy aid organisations come pouring into relatively small and poor areas when there is a disaster, often creating imbalance. Another Dutch journalist reporting from Uganda, Marcia Luyten, recently published (NRC, 21 March 2009) an article on how Western development aid keeps looking from a Western perspective, measuring only concrete numbers, like the amount of people being able to have free education and health care, without taking into account the quality and often deterioration of these services. There seems to be a trend to strongly criticise Western development aid, but what is the solution?
Ubuntu and Poverty eradication
The South-African philosopher Murray Hofmeyr researches the possibility of working from the ethics of 'Ubuntu', the African community based philosophy, in aim of combating poverty.
He concludes that the ethics of ubuntu does not really have a chance to be mainstreamed when the philosophy of poverty has to reckon with the fact that the multinational corporation is the dominant institution of our time. Referring to a specific poverty eradication project he investigated (Pela Nambu), he concludes that for the project to succeed 'first economy' participation needs to be in the form of partnership and not charity. Toni Kofi (Ghana) will react on this thesis.
Exhibition contemporary and traditional South-African art
From 11 t 26 April an African art exhibition can be visited in the public spaces of the Lloyd Hotel with photos by Dale Yudelman from the series Reality Bites and work from Nontobeko Mabongi Ntombela (multi-panelled pieces on traditionally "feminine" materials)curated by artist Carina Claassens.
At the same time traditional Venda artworks will be shown from the collection of the Foundation for Intercultural Philosophy and Art at Zoetermeer.
Dale Yudelman , Reality Bites
Lloyd Times on Monday's are public events on Monday night. This is an ad hoc program,
related to what goes on in Lloyd Hotel as well as on the street and in the news.
Lloyd Time On Monday's and the exhibition have free admission
Language: English
Monday 20 April from 21.00 to 22.30 h
Lloyd Hotel & Cultural Embassy, Oostelijke Handelskade 34, Amsterdam
Supported by the Prince Claus Fund
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