John Dewey states that “no man and no mind was ever emancipated merely by being left alone” and that knowledge cooped up in private consciousness is nothing but a myth. Several people in Malawi think that AIDS is caused by witchcraft, and as a result, it is never talked about in public. In relaying these two messages to the HIV/AIDS problem CHDI is addressing in Malawi, it is clear to see that freedom of speech, shared experiences, and the dissemination of intellectual energy is necessary to spark positive social change in this light. Dewey speaks a lot about the importance of knowledge, and even more specifically the importance of sharing and exchanging this knowledge with others. It is by sharing knowledge with other engaging individuals that the public begins to emerge from its shadow and move towards the “free and enriching communion” which is true democracy.
Fortunately, the Malawian Government (the entity which claims political responsibility for this problem) allows for the healthy education and dissemination of knowledge about HIV/AIDS in schools, communities, clinics, etc. Primary schools in Malawi are now teaching children about HIV/AIDS as an important science topic of study. CHDI, PIH, and the Malawian Government are all working together to hold educational training sessions for community members about HIV/AIDS, tests, counseling, treatment, etc. This wide dissemination of knowledge and sharing has been made possible by the collaborations of CHDI, PIH, and the Malawi Ministry of Health, and it is extremely helpful in achieving social change related to the public problem of HIV/AIDS. Generating knowledgeable and meaningful exchanges between people ushers in that feeling of a fraternally shared experience which deeply bonds people on a positive level. These bonds created between people solidify the desire for influential communication, shared knowledge, and a strong identity, thus moving them towards true democracy, bringing into existence the arena for positive social change to occur—to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS in Malawi.
The dissemination of knowledge, sparked by PIH, CHDI, and the Ministry of Health will also hopefully create a transcendental collective interest of everyone in Malawi to achieve social change related to HIV/AIDS. Dewey argues that the only possible solution to a public problem such as this one is “the perfecting of the means and ways of communication of meanings so that genuinely shared interests in the consequences of interdependent activities may inform desire and effort and thereby direct action”. Public opinion comes from a common understanding and shared interests emerging from citizen conversations. The dissemination of knowledge and the creation of a transcendental collective interest will hopefully move these citizen conversations in Malawi from silent to public, from mythical to educational.
No comments:
Post a Comment