Launch of the Fairer Futures for Africa Programme
The Society for International Development (SID) and the School of International Futures (SOIF) have partnered with a shared vision for a regenerative and intergenerationally fair future for Africa. We aim to equip a generation of leaders over five years to shape a continent that addresses complex crises, prioritizes fairness and equity, and adopts regenerative approaches to development.
The launch for this collaborative initiative was held on February 27, in a networking and co-share gathering through which a brief of the vision and the objectives behind the programme was shared. The participants also had the opportunity to share thoughts on the need to shape an inter-generational awareness of actions and inspire fellow participants to work with the possibilities of creating a better Africa future. Also present at the launch was an entourage from Next Generation Foresight Practitioners (NGFP), whose network of practitioners use futures and foresight to create positive impact and systemic transformation globally.
To pursue the first phase of our vision, we are launching a series of collective activities starting in April 2024 across three foundational areas:
- Building a cross-continental coalition of next-generation leaders with the skills to design and communicate fairer systems,
- Working with current civil service and parliamentarians to raise awareness and practices of intergenerational fairness, and collectively co-create new positive narratives for Africa that anchor local leaders around futures of collaboration, property, and equity.
- We also consider the forthcoming UN Summit for the Future as an opportunity to engage and expand our action plan.
Today, Africa struggles to adapt to evolving trends, technologies, and the demands of a young and growing population. Growing inequalities, uneven economic growth, pressure on social services, and the impact of climate change are challenging institutions, values, and trust within society. Despite these challenges, the SID-SOIF partnership aims to cultivate hope by working across generations and divides. The partnership seeks to foster intergenerational learning and seize opportunities to respond positively to societal changes by creating spaces for reflection, regeneration, and action, using futures and foresight methodologies as the basis for our interventions.
SID and SOIF are committed to leveraging regional and sub-regional cooperation as an institutional framework for addressing challenges in Africa. We will focus on embedding foresight methodologies to shift perspectives and language and ensure future generations are considered in planning through the following activities:
- A series of Africa Futures Dialogues
- Anticipatory Governance
- An Africa Futures & Foresight Summer School
- Collaborative Futures Projects
- Dissemination of Impact Stories
Our goals for this programme include establishing an intergenerational network, engaging Africans in envisioning their futures, and creating innovation hubs for foresight tools. Our ultimate commitment is strengthening leadership responses to the continent's challenges and fostering meaningful collaboration between current and future leaders.
In case you missed it, watch the highlights from the launch of the Fairer Futures for Africa programme on our YouTube channel: Fairer Futures for Africa programme gathering 1.
To get more information and involved contact Passy Amayo, Fairer Futures for Africa Programme Lead via pamayo@sidint.org.