Listening and Learning in Africa
This evening I’ll be joining members of ONE’s board, along with a few staff and advisers, on a flight to Africa to begin a ten day journey of listening and learning. We approach this trip with humility, eager to hear from a range of Africans and eager to apply their advice to our work. We do this so we can better serve and support those living in extreme poverty as they seek a better life.
To help set the stage for our journey, a couple of us attended a lecture today in New York by Archbishop Desmond Tutu, ONE’s International Patron and one of the most important voices in the world today. As usual, we were inspired by his compassion and provoked by his wisdom (we are also very grateful for the blessing he bestowed as we begin this journey). Archbishop Tutu reminded us of the great African concept of “Ubuntu”, which speaks to oneness of all humanity. As he described this concept not long ago:
“One of the sayings in our country is Ubuntu – the essence of being human. Ubuntu speaks particularly about the fact that you can’t exist as a human being in isolation. It speaks about our interconnectedness. You can’t be human all by yourself, and when you have this quality – Ubuntu – you are known for your generosity. We think of ourselves far too frequently as just individuals, separated from one another, whereas you are connected and what you do affects the whole world. When you do well, it spreads out; it is for the whole of humanity.”
This powerful African idea will guide us on our journey and will continue to shape our everyday work.
We embark on this trip at a critical moment in Africa’s development, a time of dramatic changes in thinking and citizen action across the diverse countries on the continent. It is also a vibrant time of new and innovative thinking about development assistance and economic development more broadly. ONE is in the middle of these intellectual currents.
When ONE began its work, there was a critical need to prove that investments in development could deliver results. Fortunately, global efforts to respond to the AIDS crisis and the scourge of malaria, as well as efforts to put children in school, have resulted in remarkable successes. During this period, knowledge and evidence related to the programs we’ve worked to support have grown, as has ONE as an organization. We always strive to know better what works and what doesn’t, and we want to hear ideas for how to continue to improve our work and further our mission to effectively combat extreme poverty and preventable disease.
The backdrop for our visit is dynamic; 2010 is a pivotal year that will put Africa – as the host of the World Cup – on the global stage, with an opportunity to reintroduce the continent to viewers around the world. At the same time, after a decade of robust economic growth, Africa has been hit hard by the global economic downturn. As the global economy continues to shift, a still heavier emphasis will be placed on emerging economies and their role in Africa’s development.
Throughout the trip, we will be guided by African leaders and leading thinkers including Dr. Mo Ibrahim, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, KY Amoako, Youssou N’Dour, John Githongo and Donald Kaberuka. With their help, we will explore key questions on the trip, including:
- After a decade of rapidly increasing investment in social sector programs, what lessons have been learned about the most effective way to use these programs to advance development?
- Are there things ONE can do to support improved governance in Africa and promote a vibrant civil society and citizen-led accountability efforts?
- What can development programs do to promote private sector progress and increased investment in Africa? What, if anything, can ONE do to help?
We will seek especially to hear the perspectives of those outside the government: civil society, the private sector, students, and cultural and artistic communities. We approach this trip with genuinely open minds, eager to hear from Africans about what they seek and what they think our role should be.
We look forward to sharing observations, insights, and lessons learned along the way as we listen during these next ten days. We will use this blog to share observations, insights, and lessons learned along the way – both directly from the those we meet along the way and from those of us on the trip. Stay tuned.
- Previous Post What I saw in Sierra Leone
- Next Post Dana Perino writes about her trip to Africa with ONE
Blog Contributors
Hot Topics
-
Fight the Famine, Feed the Future
ONE is campaigning to ensure that the Congressional budget does not cut foreign assistance programs like Feed the Future that help people break the cycle of poverty and hunger. -
Crisis in the Horn of Africa
The Horn of Africa is experiencing its worst drought in 60 years. More than 11 million people, mostly nomadic pastoralists and farmers in south-central Somalia, north-eastern Kenya, and south-eastern Ethiopia, are severely lacking access to food. -
The Beginning of the End of AIDS
2011 marks 30 years since the first cases of AIDS were documented. Take a closer look at the specific, achievable goals we must hit by 2015 to make this year the beginning of the end of AIDS. -
Agriculture Accountability
As aid agencies warn more than 9 million people could be affected by a food crisis in East Africa, world leaders are failing to keep their 2009 promises to tackle the causes of chronic hunger and support farmers in the world's poorest countries.
From Our Members
-
Rep. Dicks is not the Norm… he’s a champion
Feb 3rd, 2012 | Posted by Field -
Moved by the war in Sierra Leone, an Ohio teenager finds a way to give back
Jan 26th, 2012 | Posted by Guest Blogger -
ONE Peoria links up with local Rotary group
Jan 23rd, 2012 | Posted by Field
From Our Partners
-
Use your trivia knowledge to curb world hunger
Feb 6th, 2012 | Posted by Paulena Papagiannis -
The investors’ case for more transparency in oil and mining deals
Feb 6th, 2012 | Posted by Guest Blogger -
ONE Act a Week: Nominate an idea that promotes equality for girls & women
Feb 3rd, 2012 | Posted by Malaka Gharib
March 9, 2010 at 4:42 am
Great that you have taken this approach! I am sure you have lots to learn and listen to from Africa. As I wrote on my blog http://www.mariemejamme.com, people needs to learn from Africa before engaging into it.
The only issue I have is that you will be doing this trip with Celebrities but not with the Grassroots. I have lots of respect for Youssou Ndour whom I share a Country with. Mo Ibrahim is my Hero too.
I personally think that you need to speak to other people beside Youssou and Mo. We have lots to say and can offer great insight for Africa. We are DOERS not TALKERS- We might know something they don’t know. When it come to listening and learning, ONE must not be selective.
Have a great learning in Africa- Always here to support you if needed.
Thanks for the blog!
Best Wishes
Marieme Jamme
March 11, 2010 at 9:20 am
I will agree with Marieme on this point: ONE must start moving away from engaging in celebrities’ & politicians’ endorsements and move closer to the People at the source of the solution – the People in Africa and your grassroots supporters in the USA and abroad.
While I understand the necessity of the celebrities & the politicians in our movement, the continual reliance on them to speak OUR TRUTH is regrettable. I hope that ONE renews its grassroots approach that was so successful at the start of our movement back in 2002 with DATA.
That ultimately will be the spark that spreads the movement across the Heartland as Bono & others envisioned when they began this organization.
Marieme Jamme, thanks for your willingness to engage in constructive dialogue with our movement. It is very welcomed.
Living Positively, debbie
http://www.mpwn-uganda.org
March 27, 2010 at 3:30 pm
ONE’s work in sponsoring global community is amazing and groundbreaking.
I strongly believe in the work of direct listening and witnessing. To act in solidarity with a person we have to listen deeply and intently to their concerns.
In this vein, I support the work of the giveyourvote.org group. This group allows UK citizens to not only listen to people in Afghanistan, Ghana, and Bangladesh, but also to enfranchise them in the UK political process which has profound effect on life in those countries.
Archbishop Desmond Tutu is a supporter of Give Your Vote – here is his statement:
“I have lived through apartheid in my country. In our struggle against injustice, we didn’t fight for hand-outs. We fought for an equal voice and for the power to make our own choices.
We are now facing a global apartheid, in which the richest dominate global decision-making, often to the detriment of the poorest.
Many of the problems we face in the world are interconnected. Pollution in one country becomes devastating floods in others, making millions homeless. A banking crisis in one corner of the world quickly engulfs us all. Conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan will impact cities far away, with repercussions that fracture our global community.
But who decides how we address these problems? Sidelined from the decisions are those who live on the frontlines of climate change, poverty and war.
We need to rethink our politics for today’s world. We must strive for a global democracy, in which not only the rich and the powerful have a say, but which treats everyone, everywhere with dignity and respect.
I support Give Your Vote because it is exciting, brave and emphasises our common humanity. It is a radical call for a world where all human beings have an equal say in the politics that affect them.”
April 19, 2010 at 6:26 pm
After listening and learning what next?
While I commend ONE for what they continue to do I totally subscribe to Marieme’s comments …move away from celebrities engage with the grassroots and there’s a database of people in Africa doing outstanding work and not limited to the names you have cited i.e Dr. Mo Ibrahim, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, KY Amoako, Youssou N’Dour, John Githongo and Donald Kaberuka! They are sons and daughters of Africa!
Let me add my own mother in the village, a local entrepreneur, leaders of groups of Youth, Women and the elders they have something to contribute too!
April 20, 2010 at 11:32 am
Hi One.org,
Thanks for your efforts on behalf of the millions of poor and neglected souls esp those in SSA and Asia. I have one specifi concern: that whilst the voices of the leeding African personalities in politics, government, sport or even in religious order may be heard, the ordinary person may be overllooked. Lets we forget, it is these millions and tens of millions of ordinary but extraordinary poor & unfortunate people we need to focus on and give a voice to their concerns so we know better how to help them to help themselves.
Focus also on schools and education. As an educator I believe the greatest freedom is an educated and productive mind–the basis for self-improvement and the means of collectively transforming our individual circumstances and society.
So please focus on this and less on what governments can do. Note that the histrory of development in coutries such as the UK, USA and many others was due to the extraordinary efforts of ordinary people over many decades and centuries dispite the opposition of government and political forces–not a socialist perspective but the lesson from history.
Improve the capacity of individuals to transform their circumstances and don’t investment too much in governments and endless buracicies as these are self-serving universally.
Kind regards
Leslie