Towards A Better World Order: The Family As The Basic Building Block

In pursuance of their mandate (the Department of philosophy,
University of Ibadan, Nigeria and the Osigwe Anyiam-Osigwe
Foundation, Nigeria with its affiliate Africa Institute for
Leadership, Research and Development, South Africa, to employ the
original thoughts of Osigwe Anyiam-Osigwe for the construction of a
coherent and plausible development philosophy that would serve as a
viable foundation for sustainable development in Nigeria and other
developing societies) the Department of Philosophy, University of
Ibadan in conjunction with Osigwe Anyiam-Osigwe Foundation is
organizing the 2nd International Conference on the Development
Philosophy of Osigwe Anyiam-Osigwe, with the central theme:

Towards A Better World Order: The Family As The Basic Building Block.

The Conference would take place between 5th – 7th February, 2014
Venue: Conference Centre University of Ibadan, Ibadan - Nigeria

Synopsis of the Conference Theme

Osigwe Anyiam-Osigwe’s reflections, rich in philosophy, revolve
around his concept of a Holistic Approach To Human Existence and
Development. According to him, an adequate understanding of the
universe must be preceded by a prior knowledge of the inviolable fact
that human beings are a function of the spiritual, the economic and
the socio-political principles.

This is what he refers to as the Three Constituents of Existence,
which undergird the architecture of knowledge of his treatises on the
family, youth, economic empowerment, democratic governance, culture,
education, peace advocacy, development, science and technology, etc.
These issues, as espoused by Anyiam-Osigwe, are being examined and
interrogated by African philosophers and other scholars from
different persuasions and disciplinary divides.

For the sake of brevity, Anyiam-Osigwe’s views are categorized into
three broad areas namely:
- Personal Values, Personal Awareness and Self-Mastery;
- Enhancement of Socio-political Existence and Order;
- Economic Existence, Awareness and Responsibility

The family, which is the central theme of the conference, is located
in the first triad. Anyiam-Osigwe acknowledges the centrality of the
family and kinship in regulating human behavior and conduct as well
as in engendering good social order.

For him, the family is the first port of call for the child at birth
where the core values of the society like honesty, humility,
sincerity, reciprocity, courage, truth-telling, hardwork, are
imparted to the child. Anyiam-Osigwe appreciates the progress brought
to humanity by science and technology, but worries about the callous
neglect and erosion of family values and morality as a result of
globalization. Now, what we witness in both developed and developing
countries is a spiritual and moral collapse with its untoward
consequences like drug addiction, gangsterism, violent conflicts,
terrorism, corruption, rape, ritual killings, witchcraft, cultism and
other forms of criminalities.

Thus, Anyiam-Osigwe advocated, for the amelioration of the human
condition, a return to the pristine family values. This is anchored
on his belief that the “family is a manifestation of Divinity as
Divinity is indeed a family as it bears on the Quadrants Principle of
the God Phenomenon”. In sum, Anyiam-Osigwe avers that “if we get it
right at the family level, it will translate to a better community
which in turn would impact on the larger society thereby contributing
to a better world order”.

Sub-Themes

Participants at the conference are expected, in preparing their
papers, to address but not necessarily limit themselves to any of the
following sub-themes:

- African Traditional Family System
- Modern African Family Unit
- Christian Perspective of Family
- Family and Islam
- Ifa on Family
- Family, Youth and Education
- Family and Confucius Teachings
- Family and the Media
- Family, Homelessness and Vulnerable Persons
- Family and Environmental Issues
- Family and Public Health Education
- Family and Kinship Bond
- Family, and Gender Issues
- Family and Technology
- Family, Production and Consumerism
- Family, Education and Child rearing
- Widowhood, Single Parenthood and Child Rights
- Family and Nation-Building
- Family and Sustenance of Core Societal Values
- Family and Poverty Alleviation
- Family and the Culture of Peace
- Family and Career in modern world
- Family and Literature
- Family and Afrocentricism

Local Organising Committee

Dr. C.A. Udefi
Head of Department
Department of Philosophy
University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
e-mail: [email protected]
+2348035036401

Professor Dipo Irele
Department of Philosophy
University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
e-mail: [email protected]
+2348153131442

Dr. I.E. Ukpokolo
Department of Philosophy
University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
e-mail: [email protected]
+2348076555252

Dr. (Mrs) Bolatito Lanre-Abass
Department of Philosophy
University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
e-mail: [email protected]
+2348060643545

Mr Michael Anyiam-Osigwe
Co-ordinator-General
Osigwe-Anyiam-Osigwe Foundation, Lagos-Nigeria
+2348054475029
Email: [email protected]

Conference website: