Ubuntu, Natural Law & Human Rights Congress

Most repeated words in the most influential papers on natural law

This conference will bring together more twenty experts from South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, Ghana, Portugal, India, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Hungary, and the United States, to talk about African philosophy and international law.

The event will be blended. It will take place in Strathmore University (Nairobi) & virtually from February 23-25, 2022.

Ubuntu

Ubuntu is a cornerstone of African philosophy that places emphasis on ‘being self through others’. It is a form of humanism which can be expressed in the phrases ‘I am because of who we all are‘ and ubuntu ngumuntu ngabantu in Zulu language.

Natural Law

Natural Law considers that the law should be human and reasonable, and put the value of the human being at the center of social, legal and political debate. The African view emphasizes the community dimension.

Human Rights

The African Charter of 1981 takes expressly into consideration “the virtues of their historical tradition and the values of African civilization which should inspire and characterize their reflection on the concept of human and peoples’ rights.”

Wednesday, February 23, 2022 RELATIONS BETWEEN UBUNTU & NATURAL LAW

13.00	Registration
14.00	Opening session. Vincent Ogutu, Vice Chancellor of Strathmore University	p
14.30	Juan Carlos Riofrío, Strathmore University (Kenya) & Center for Studies of Law and Religion – Emory University (U.S.). Relations between Ubuntu & Natural Law in the academic literature. A mutual benefit relationship	p
15.00	Ernest Beyaraza, CUEA (Kenya). Ubuntu, Natural Law and Human Rights in Light of Positive Law	p
15.30	Break
16.00	Tom Angier, University of Cape Town (South Africa). The prospects for natural law theory in the 21st century	p
16.30	Habtamu Girma Demiessie, Jigjiga University (Ethiopia). The Moral & Philosophical Foundations of a Prosperous Society	v
17.00	Abiola Olukemi Ogunyemi, Lagos Business School (Nigeria). Anthropology and Ethics in HEIs: Ways and Means; Frameworks and Action	v
17.30	Vincent Lloyd, Villanova University (United States). The Connection Between Black Dignity and Black Natural Law	v

Thursday, February 24, 2022 UBUNTU, THE HUMAN PERSON AND ITS DIGNITY

14.00	Callum D. Scott, College of Human Sciences, School of Humanities (South Africa). Becoming and being a person through others: the intersection of Ubuntu and Thomistic friendship through comparative discourse	v
14.25	Elizabeth Gaghenga. Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Strathmore University (Kenya). Theorizing customary law: Protection of community-based governance systems for water	p
14.50	Nadja El Beheiri, Catholic University Pázmány Péter (Hungary). The Recovery of an undue payment by a manumitted Slave in Ancient Rome	v
15.15	Kwame Frimpong, Founding Dean of the University of GIMPA, UPSA (Ghana). Our humanity as an instrument to transform our world	v
15.40	Uchora Ezinwa Udoji, Lagos Business School (Nigeria). Effective Togetherness, Ubuntu, Natural Laws and Human Rights	v

16.05 Break SPECIFIC APPLICATION OF THE THEORY TO DIFFERENT TOPICS

16.30	Denis Bikesha, Dean of the School of Law at University of Rwanda. Violation of the Law of Nature in Rwanda: The Case of the Genocide against the Tutsi	v
16.55	Tihamér Tót, Pázmány Péter Catholic University (Hungary). Competition rules through the lenses of natural law	v
17.20	Jennifer Gitahi, Strathmore University (Kenya). Towards a conceptualisation of ‘Family’	v
17.45	Ugo Stefano Stornaiolo Silva, Universidad Internacional SEK (Ecuador). Family, Property & Inheritance: Institutions for Civilization and their Enemies	v

Friday, February 25, 2022. NATURAL LAW & OTHER NORMATIVITIES

14.00	Santiago Legarre, Notre Dame University & Pontificia Univ. Católica de Argentina. Distinguishing Natural Law from Other Normativities	v
14.25	Manuel Fontaine, Universidade Católica Portuguesa (Portugal). Natural Law and Public Law in a multilevel context	v
14.50	Samson Ayobami Joshua, Adekunle Ajasin University (Nigeria). Relevance of the Doctrines of Natural Law, Human Rights and International Law to the Principle of Self-Determination: The Case of Nigeria	v
15:15	Anthony Kakooza, Makerere University (Uganda). Rethinking Traditional Knowledge protection in the Intellectual Property Arena: The use of Trademarks and Geographical Indications	p

15.40 Break UBUNTU & NATURAL LAW IN THE AFRICAN CONTEXT

16.10	Njeri Kang’ethe, Dean of CUEA (Kenya). Ubuntu in context: The agĭkũũyũ of central Kenya’s notions, concepts and nuances of justice and their impact on the community’s indigenous governance and public administration praxis	p
16.35	Andy Cons, Prema & Friar Matthias, CUEA (Kenya). Ubuntu, Natural Law and Human Rights in the context of Legalization of Culture and the Enculturation of Law	p
17.00	Manjeet Kumar Sahu, Judicial Officer Jhakhand (India). Principle of Natural Justice in South Africa	v
17.25	John Wamwara, Moi University (Kenya). The Concept of Justice in (Select) African Traditional Societies	p
17.50	Closing of the event and announcements	v