News Archive

Dr. Duncan Ojwang, Ph.D., LL.M. ’11, recently published a book titled Converging Child Identity and Culture with Right to Self Determination – Converging Child Identity with the Tribe’s Right to Self Determination: The Native American and Africa child identity.  

Ojwang says his book discusses “the right to self-determination and right to culture and identity of Native America children adopted by non-natives.” In addition, Ojwang “included a chapter on the Africa Peoples Charter that answers what in my view confirms that something good can come from Africa.” The African Peoples Charter, he said, “looks at the child as belonging to community and duty of care is shared by the society. The child right is merged with collective rights of the community as a guarantor of individual rights.” In addition, Ojwang said he “reviewed `troublesome´ international adoption, like the case of Madonna adoptions in Malawi contested by the child's grandmother.”

Ojwang also presented a paper titled “Using Ubuntu Principles to Reform Corporate Social Responsibility to Protect the Right of Indigenous Communities” at the “International Conference on Indigenous Knowledge Systems and Environmental Ethics: Implications for Peace-building and Sustainable Development.” It was held at the University of KwaZulu Natal, Durban, South Africa.

Ojwang is a member of the faculty at the University of Nairobi School of Law. He supervises five Master of Laws students working on their dissertations focusing on indigenous rights.