Reviving the practice of “iju ora” in Igbo culture as a key factor for violence prevention, peace and fraternity among families neighbourhoods and communities: implications for Igbo philosophy and education.

Abstract

The paper investigated the reviving of “iju ora” in Igbo culture as a key factor for violence prevention, peace and fraternity among families, neighbourhoods and communities, and its implications for Igbo philosophy and education. Five research questions were formulated to guide the study, while analytic survey was adopted as the design of the study. The study was carried out in the South-East Nigeria. The target population for the study was 23, 634,086 (consisting of 2,546,777 and 21,087,309 elderly people and youth respectively). The sample size for the study was 1,890, obtained using multistage sampling technique. For data collection, researcher-developed structured questionnaire and oral interviews were used as instruments. To answer the research questions, a computation of the mean ratings given to each of the item statements was carried out. Means and standard deviation methods were used to analyze the results. The findings showed that “iju ora” is means much more than ordinary greetings among the Igbo people, and that it has various roles to play in peace preventing violence and enthroning peace among the people. It was also discovered that the practice of “iju ora” is waning among the Igbo people today due to a number of reasons, including social media influence. Some implications of “iju ora” for Igbo philosophy and education were also revealed, especially with regard to value clarification and moral education. Some strategies, such as going back to the early education of the child in the context of families and communities and engaging in self-introspection and critical thinking, were found to be able to enhance the practice of “iju ora”. Based on the findings, the paper concluded that “iju ora” is a veritable factor for violence prevention and peace building, and that strategies discussed can really help in enhancing its practice. The paper, therefore recommended, among others, that stakeholders, including Igbo philosophers and educators, should collaborate to see that the practice of “iju ora” is revived among the Igbo people of today.