Optentia Research Programme 04
Inclusion and Decolonising Praxis
Advancing dignity, capability and valued choice through caring, enabling and inclusive contexts.
Programme focus
Dignity. Inclusion. Capability.
Research with diverse individuals, groups and institutions, grounded in African and Global South contexts.
About the programme
How can contexts enable every person to flourish?
This programme studies how the capabilities of diverse individuals, groups and institutions can be strengthened. It examines the strategies needed to create caring, enabling and inclusive contexts in which people can flourish.
The research engages with differences in national origin, age, race and ethnicity, religion and belief, gender, marital status, socioeconomic position, education, training, disability and personality.
Dignity is the programme's central principle. People are understood as ends in themselves and should have genuine opportunities to pursue the plans and goals they have reason to value.
01
Recognise
Understand the differences, histories and structures that shape people's opportunities.
02
Enable
Develop caring and inclusive environments that expand capability and participation.
03
Transform
Use decolonising praxis to question inherited assumptions and support valued choices.
Research community
Programme researchers
Meet the researchers contributing to work on inclusion, dignity, capability and decolonising praxis.
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Prof Blessed (Bee) Ngwenya
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Roxanne Mathobie
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Kile Nkani
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Dr Mariette Fourie-Jardim
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Dr Raymond Emekako
Extended expertise
Extraordinary professor
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Developing researchers
Postgraduate students
PhD candidate
PhD student
PhD student
Programme outputs
Research in action
Publications
Recent scholarship
A curated selection of recent programme publications will be added here, with links to the journal or NWU repository.
Projects
Current research and impact
Programme projects will be presented through their purpose, people, activities, outputs and practical contribution.
Connect with the programme
Interested in inclusion and decolonising praxis?
Contact Professor Blessed Ngwenya about research alignment, collaboration or postgraduate study.