Chapter 14. Leveraging spiritual intelligence in the development of sustainability mindset: An African nuance

Ecological protectionism is a must, and a mindset change may be the ingredient that stimulates positive change that achieves this. As scholarship into what facilitates the development of this mindset grows, it becomes pertinent to understand the role of indigenous practices and how this nuances the intelligence that effects change. Examining five indigenous African groups from Ghana (West), Tanzania (East), Cameroon (Central), Morocco (North) and Zimbabwe (South), this chapter sheds light on how African communities utilise indigenous knowledge systems (IKSs) as a facilitator of spiritual intelligence. It is apparent that while beliefs and taboos proactively protect sacred areas from exploitation; rituals seek to enforce the reverence accorded to ancestorial spirit and non-human species (including animals and plants). Combined, these two result in an African-nuanced spiritual intelligence that produces environmental gains. Although a nonwestern approach to combatting ecological challenges, these indigenous practices have proved credible and deserve recognition as a nuanced form of African spiritual intelligence.