African Philanthropy Conference

𝗥𝗲𝗳𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗦𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 | The speakers on the "Philanthropy and Technology" plenary session offered real-world examples of how AI and robotics can be effectively adopted and leveraged by philanthropic entities for impact. Click to watch the full plenary session: https://bit.ly/3BnJOUy Ezekiel Takam Diana Banda Wanjiku Jean Munyaka Oswald Jumira #5APC #nextfrontiers #keynoteaddress #technology

𝗥𝗲𝗳𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗦𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 | Panellists of the plenary session on "Climate Justice: Climate Change, Just Transition and Green Resourcing" shared several informed insights on matters of climate change impact while unpacking how philanthropy's role of enabling proactive climate action can be redefined. Click to watch the full plenary session: https://bit.ly/3XV7ass This discussion was eye-opening and informative and stirred a myriad of questions and comments from the participants both in-venue and on the conference livestream. #5APC #nextfrontiers #keynoteaddress #climatechange Masego Madzwamuse Ikal Ang'elei James Murombedzi Melanie Chiponda

𝗥𝗲𝗳𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗦𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 | Following Naila Taji Farouky's frank and progressive keynote address, panellists of the plenary session discussed the need for the philanthropy sector to rethink how it can influence society while also considering tools that enable this, such as advocacy, policymaking and resource mobilisation. Click to watch the full plenary session: https://bit.ly/3TRDtY8 #5APC #nextfrontiers #keynoteaddress #globalorder Gerard ("Gerry") Salole, Benjamin Bellegy, Ewelina Oblacewicz, Priscilla Boiardi

𝗥𝗲𝗳𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗦𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 | Following Tade Aina's high-level analysis of trends relevant to the next frontiers, panellists of the plenary session explored emerging trends and discussed the values that are needed to enable meaningful development and change in the sector. Click to watch the full plenary session: https://bit.ly/47chbp6 #5APC #nextfrontiers #keynoteaddress #enablingdevelopment Halima Mahomed Afrobarometer Kole Shettima Ali Awni

The week ends with me reflecting on the importance of community partnerships “If we want to help people in a way that does no harm to them and their capacities, then the best place to start with what is strong within their communities and not what is wrong” Corman Russel As I reflect on this, I think that in as much as we are referred to as a “developing” continent, we have a rich undocumented experience as Africans. It is our responsibility to also partner on the documenting of these experiences and contributing to literature. We have enough skills to articulate our own experiences. Our vocabulary suffices as is. Grateful for the learning experience @AfricanPhilanthropyConference.

𝗥𝗲𝗳𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗸𝗲𝘆𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗲 𝗮𝗱𝗱𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 | Godwin Murunga offered a scholarly analysis of the role of African vs. global philanthropic aid and how the next frontiers should challenge the development sector to re-strategise its efforts towards a continental ecosystem that is deliberate in how it taps into sustainable and collaborative development. Watch the full recording of her address: https://bit.ly/3ALzZ2t Here are some key takeaways from his presentation: - Vibrant criticism of foreign aid should continue to enable African-birthed solutions - There should be consideration of the numerous calls for transformation that continue to be led by young people - African development can build a stronger domestic resource mobilisation ecosystem, which will decrease reliance on foreign aid #5APC #nextfrontiers #keynoteaddress #enablingdevelopment CODESRIA

𝗥𝗲𝗳𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗸𝗲𝘆𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗲 𝗮𝗱𝗱𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 | Abeba Birhane presented a deep dive into the context and nuances of AI, how this technology has developed since launching, and what it potentially means for the development sector. Watch the full recording of her address: https://bit.ly/4e8IhjA Abeba presented social and scientific cases of how AI is and remains limited, with numerous drawbacks bringing about an unequal yet widely relied-on technology. She offered practical recommendations for institutions, AI developers, and regulators based on the context of the sector and the next frontiers that are on the horizon. #5APC #nextfrontiers #keynoteaddress #enablingdevelopment #AI Mozilla

𝗥𝗲𝗳𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗸𝗲𝘆𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗲 𝗮𝗱𝗱𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 | In her keynote address, Makoma Lekalaka reflected on the gaps that African philanthropy has the opportunity to fill to respond to climate change and climate justice matters progressively. Watch the full recording of her address: https://bit.ly/47eeR0X Her address also highlighted the role that women continue to fulfil in climate protection, the need to consider ecological debt on the agenda of climate change discussions, and the systems that can facilitate equitable impact in efforts to tackle climate justice. #5APC #nextfrontiers #keynoteaddress #enablingdevelopment #climatechange

𝗥𝗲𝗳𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗸𝗲𝘆𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗲 𝗮𝗱𝗱𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 | Brian Kagoro's keynote address was a fitting guide and direction under the topic 'Reimagining Africa's Global Leadership of Giving Revolutions.' Watch the full recording of his address: https://bit.ly/4e3FO9W His address outlined the inseparability of capitalism and kleptocracy with philanthropy while emphasising the strategic role that Africa could play through institutions as centres of knowledge production without reproducing the models of giving and perpetuating the exclusion of citizens across the continent. #5APC #nextfrontiers #keynoteaddress #enablingdevelopment

One of the greatest lies the West has had us believe is in the sanctity of the “nuclear family.” It’s a form of oppression to convince us that our way of life is uncivilized and uncouth. It’s the reason 2-income families are necessary, even though they’re not actually enough to fulfill the requirements of life under capitalism. We are social animals. We require and desire the company of other human beings. When we live these isolated lives, we forego the experience of learning to be tolerant, to be compassionate, to be patient. We learn to negotiate the complex layers of inter-generational relationships - grandparents who are not as tech-savvy, younger cousins who are not as verbal - these are skills that lead to more open, empathetic, and supportive human beings. Apart from the completely incomprehensible obsession with the Second Amendment, 14-year old kids in America - the beacon of the nuclear family - shoot up their schools and murder their peers partly because they don’t know how to care about anyone or anything but themselves and their own entitlement. When you’re raised to only see yourself in the sequence of consideration - what do I want, what do I need, what do I like, who don’t I like? Me, me, me - there’s no surprise when you don’t care about your classmates, much less about babies and their innocent parents who are murdered oceans away. This isn’t a huge leap of logic. It’s almost as if it was designed to be this way. Especially when these governments and their media and propaganda machines have you living in a constant state of anxiety and fear that “those” people are not only out to get you and to demolish your way of life (as if), but they’re also barbaric, savage, and foaming at the mouth monsters. Forget that most Americans are one medical emergency away from being homeless and on the street because this system that’s had you believing you’re so exceptional can’t be bothered to provide you with affordable and reliable healthcare, but can spend BILLIONS of dollars to arm a genocidal ethno-state an ocean away whose citizens have subsidized healthcare because of YOUR tax dollars, by the way. We’ve spent years trying to replicate this model, only to realize that, ACTUALLY, our messy, often chaotic model of life - with extended families, our neighbors, our COMMUNITY - THAT is the treasure of our civilization. Once we uncouple ourselves from these fallacies and begin to understand the deliberate form of oppression this model has created, we can begin to recognize the insidious patterns that rule our society. We can begin to see that this political duopoly we’ve been forced to accept as “democracy” is just another way to subjugate us into enabling the proliferation of Western, imperial hegemony. I spoke on this and other issues at the African Philanthropy Conference.