A Response to Steven Feierman's 'Writing History: Flow and Blockage in the Circulation of Knowledge'

This article examines the historical forces that have impeded the flow of knowledge from the global South to the global North and vice versa. Such forces are underlain by the asymmetry of power between the two sides, characterized by unequal access to economic resources to find research and knowledge exchange, and the dominant position of scholars in the global North in taking key decisions on what form of knowledge will be allowed to circulate globally. It suggests two solutions to such global inequity in an attempt to promote a greater flow of knowledge globally. First, there is a need to enhance resource flows to assist academic institutions and scholars in the global South in research and publication. Second, the international scholarly community should foster greater participation of scholars from the global South in the decision making process relating to publication of books and journal articles meant for the global audience.