How do we pick our experts? | Ramya Kumar | TEDxLusaka

Key Concepts

• Epistemicide: The killing or erasure of local knowledge, replaced by colonizer ideas.
• Epidemiology: The study of how diseases spread in populations and how to control them.
• Community-driven solutions: Solutions to problems that are developed and implemented by the people most affected by them.
• Unlearning: The process of questioning and discarding previously accepted knowledge, especially when it perpetuates colonial narratives.
• Local knowledge: The knowledge and expertise that exists within indigenous communities and is often overlooked or undervalued.
• Variolation: An ancient practice of inoculation against smallpox by introducing infected pus into a healthy person's skin.

Rewriting History and the Erasure of Local Knowledge

The video begins by challenging the conventional narrative of "discovery," using the example of David Livingstone and Victoria Falls. While Livingstone is credited with "discovering" the falls, the local Toala and Sosi people had long known it as Shungu Namutitima and Mosi-oa-Tunya, respectively. This highlights how colonial narratives often erase pre-existing indigenous knowledge. The speaker argues that history is often rewritten to benefit colonizers, leading to the neglect of valuable local expertise. This erasure is termed "epistemicide," defined as the killing of knowledge, where colonizer ideas take over and local knowledge is erased or ignored.

Challenging the "Father of Epidemiology" Narrative

The video then questions the traditional narrative surrounding John Snow, often credited as the "father of epidemiology" for his work on the 1854 cholera outbreak in London. While acknowledging the importance of Snow's methods, the speaker asks whether he was truly the first to use data to study disease spread. This prompts reflection on what other stories and contributions have been lost or overlooked.

The Power of Community-Driven Solutions

The speaker shares their decade-long experience working with the Zambian Ministry of Health and local communities to strengthen the country's public health response. This experience has taught them the importance of partnerships between local experts and communities, emphasizing that the best solutions come from those closest to the problem. The example of people living with HIV shaping the research agenda and driving real change since the 1980s is cited as a powerful illustration of community-driven solutions.

Epistemicide: The Killing of Knowledge

The video delves deeper into the concept of epistemicide, defining it as the erasure or ignoring of local knowledge in favor of colonizer ideas. The example of Dr. Jean-Jacques Muyembe-Tamfum, who co-discovered Ebola in 1976 with Congolese communities, is presented. Despite his early discoveries leading to effective treatments, he faced decades of delayed recognition because Western scientists were initially credited. This illustrates how Western bias can overshadow and delay recognition of crucial contributions from non-Western scientists.

Ancient Wisdom and Public Health

The video challenges the notion that scientific and medical knowledge primarily originates from the West. It highlights Great Zimbabwe, an ancient civilization with advanced public health practices, including massive stone structures to control movement of people and animals, preventing disease spread, and an indigenous practice of digging Dhaka water pits to capture surface water and store groundwater, ensuring a stable and clean water supply even during dry seasons. This demonstrates that ancient civilizations possessed sophisticated public health knowledge long before colonization.

The Global History of Vaccines

The video discusses the history of vaccines, specifically smallpox variolation. It emphasizes that this practice was not a Western invention but had been practiced for centuries in Africa, Asia, and Arabia. Enslaved Africans like Onesimus brought this practice to the Americas and Europe, and Edward Jenner later built upon this knowledge to create the first smallpox vaccine. This example underscores the importance of recognizing the global origins of scientific advancements and crediting the contributions of diverse cultures.

Conclusion: Unlearning and Collaboration

The video concludes by urging viewers to reflect on what they think they know, dig deeper to find the true origins of knowledge, and value local expertise. It emphasizes that everyone is an active contributor to knowledge production and has the power to drive solutions in their communities. The speaker stresses the importance of crediting local knowledge to preserve indigenous ways of knowing and being. The challenges facing the world today, such as climate change, food insecurity, and emerging diseases, require collaboration and the valuing of diverse perspectives. The video is dedicated to Dr. Owen Kaluwa, a Zambian public health leader, highlighting the importance of mentorship and recognizing those who have paved the way. The main takeaway is that true expertise comes from collaboration and sharing knowledge, and that unlearning colonial narratives is essential for creating a more equitable and effective approach to problem-solving.