@article{ajphr20261443,
author={Dugassa, Begna Fufa},
title={Breaking the Cycle: Applying Systems Thinking to Violence Prevention in Africa},
journal={American Journal of Public Health Research},
volume={14},
number={4},
pages={90--102},
year={2026},
url={https://pubs.sciepub.com/ajphr/14/4/3},
issn={2327-6703},
abstract={<b>Background: </b>African populations continue to grapple with the cumulative impacts of the slave trade, colonialism, and ongoing neocolonialism. This violence¡ªencompassing epistemic, physical, psychological, and economic dimensions¡ªis both intergenerational and interconnected, manifesting in complex systems of ongoing harm. <b>Objectives:</b> To identify the root causes of violence in Africa by examining the racist knowledge system and to highlight Indigenous African knowledge systems, specifically <i>Oromummaa</i>, as vital counter-epistemes. <b>Methods: </b>Utilizing a systems thinking framework, this paper investigates the structural drivers and social determinants of contemporary violence in Africa. The analysis maps the root causes and examines the interplay between positive and negative feedback loops that sustain cycles of conflict. <b>Findings: </b>Through a public health lens, violence is conceptualized as a contagious, predictable, and preventable phenomenon with a distinct incubation period. This study identifies a "racist episteme" as the foundational driver of systemic violence. This framework underpinned the colonial and neocolonial exploitation of African human and natural resources, directly resulting in societal fragmentation, poverty, and climate vulnerability. These stressors¡ªspecifically food and water insecurity¡ªact as catalysts that intensify competition and trigger further violence. <b>Conclusions: </b>Breaking the cycle of violence requires delegitimizing the racist episteme and advancing Afrocentric knowledge systems, such as <i>Oromummaa</i>, which emphasize social justice, gender equity, and ecological harmony. True progress demands transformative education for healing and policy frameworks that are intersectional: just, environmentally sustainable, and culturally grounded.},
doi={10.12691/ajphr-14-4-3}
publisher={Science and Education Publishing}
}