TITLE:
“Community of Wounded People” and (W)Holistic Healing Reimagined: Rethinking Rehabilitation and Community Engagement through Spiritual Intelligence (SI), Pastoral Counselling and Skills Training
AUTHORS:
Joseph Arinze Okeke, Felix Ifeanyi Okoye, Ejike Ibeabuchi
KEYWORDS:
Community Healing, Brokenness, Woundedness, Community-Based Engagement, Self-Help Therapy, Economically Deprived Community, Community Peace
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Access Library Journal,
Vol.11 No.5,
May
27,
2024
ABSTRACT: This article discusses the findings of a qualitative study conducted in South Africa on the healing memories, brokenness and wounding. The aim of this article is to stimulate conversation and debate on how to promote (w)holistic healing of the community and individual from brokenness and woundedness of African society today. This article makes recommendations on how various stakeholders, such as the government, education and training institutions, as well as the church, can contribute to the healing of society through Spiritual Intelligence (SI). To substantiate the recommendations made in this paper, the authors conducted an informal interview with street dwellers, locals and knowledgeable persons in the area of SI. The information gathered from the interview was analysed, synthesised, organised, and cross-referenced with the study’s findings to craft this article. The authors also examined relevant literature on informal sector upliftment vis-à-vis street lifestyle regarded as “para” in this article, youth unemployment, skills training and socio-economic development lacuna to support the claims made in this article. The article recommends that relevant actors should join forces to overcome the scarcity of development ideas, local resources mobilisation and partnerships. The governments of African states should support social policies that favour the informal economy through funding of small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs), facilitate the construction of rehabilitation facilities for street dwellers, corridors to benefit rural dwellers, reinforce ethical leadership in the continent, promote practical skills in primary and secondary school curriculum, and reinforce informal economy.