Shaping Futures Academy - Reflections

I spent two weeks in Ghana. A great privilege as well as an inner contradiction at times.

The Shaping Futures Academy 2024 organized by @IDOS is coming to an end. I had the pleasure of facilitating two leadership modules and accompanying coaching sessions together with my deeply appreciated colleague Thandi Dyani .

I am glad that I was able to accompany this series of seminars - even though I struggled for quite some time as to whether or not I wanted to take on this project at all: 25 participants, who most of whom were socialised in different African countries, and me - as a white cis male, who was supposed to tell them something about leadership? In addition to these already complex baseline conditions, the climate impact of my flights to and from Ghana for a one-week seminar contradicted my understanding of how transformative learning should take place on a variety of levels. Ultimately, one of the decisive reasons I came to terms with this seminar set-up was that as our facilitation team combined European and African as well as female and male perspectives and identities. As the seminar progressed, it became even clearer that identity, representation and how we are perceived as a team of facilitators are key aspects in how participants engaged in such learning environments receive and engage with our content. 

Below are some of my further key learnings as well as insights from my time in Accra, Ghana generally and my experience with the facilitation of the programme together with Thandi.

Facilitation learnings

• Methodology-wise, we worked a lot with Simon Sinek's ‘Golden Circle’ to develop personal leadership journeys. Finding answers to the ‘Why’ (Why do we do the things we do? What drives us?) in particular made the seminar one of the most personal experiences that I have had the pleasure to accompany thus far in my professional career. Although it is tough and at times challenging to dive deeply and honestly into the question of “Why”, it proved worthwhile the journey.

Colonial heritage learnings

• We visited Cape Coast Castle and the slave prison camps. Colonialism and its persisting effects became very emotionally tangible on site. Although I have studied the topic, I needed this on-site visit to add a tangible feeling to my previous theoretical knowledge of the topic. Even though it were my ancestors who committed these crimes, I still felt myself deeply affected by feelings of guilt, shame, and sadness. The question of how intergenerational trauma caused by historic events such as the European slave trade of the 17th, 18th and 19th century and its lasting impact on our current societies kept me busy far beyond the seminar. One participant shared with me that in her eyes, both European and African societies still suffer trauma. Neither the cruelties exercised by the colonizers (my ancestors) nor the cruelties experienced by African societies under colonial rule have been processed accordingly in the respective societies. Acknowledging the present-day impacts of colonial violence and striving – collectively – for pathways to heal this trauma must thus be the cornerstone of any contemporary European-African development cooperation.

Privilege learnings

• The seminar made me realise once more that I have enjoyed privileges all my life, both as a private person but also with regard to my work at NELA. Our political work (still) takes place far away from political restrictions or fears of legal prosecution. We enjoy both state and private sector funding and live in a system of well-developed social security systems. In stark contrast, some of the participants reported that they increasingly experience political prosecution due to their political and educational work. Speaking from the position of someone with the afore-metioned privileges, I oftentimes asked myself which individual as well as collective responsibility comes along with holding these privileges. My current insights on this issue are that the first step to a more just and sustainable future is to acknowledge the prevailing disbalance of privilege and access which is not based on merit but merely on the circumstances of ones birthplace. Secondly, we need to learn how to share privileges effectively with those who have less access to them. My current struggle is how this can be achieved in a non-condescending manner. Personally, I want to use my position as a partner at NELA to intentionally create space for repressed and less privileged voices.

Finally, I want to express my deepest gratitude and say a special thanks to all the participants of the programme, my co-host Thandi, the programme head Elizabeth Chepkemboi Koetter and the entire IDOS team as well as Will Senyo who provided us with inspiring input on the work of the impact hub Accra! You were an inspiration throughout the past year.

For those of you working in development cooperation projects – how do you deal with the complexities of colonial impact on contemporary politics and the question of responsibility linked to personal privilege? I’m deeply interested in your personal insights and experiences, which you should feel free to share in the comments.

Bela Emile KOUAKOU ; Konan Bobou ; Yonas Gebremichael Difer ; Sandra Amankrah 🇬🇭 ; Diana Omondi ; David Owuor ; Fatima Zohra LAMRANI ; Mouna Fahr ; Yacine N. ; Marième CISSE ; Yao Marius KPANI ; Hombalotouna ATTEGOUA ; Farah Kanbi ; Mohamed Omar Kardous ; Natasha Mwansa ; Charles Moyo ; Isaac Kodjo Atchikiti ; Selina Bischler ; Eden Yohannes Y. ; João Canossa Dias ; German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS) ; Jennifer Wagner ; Isabelle Eberz ; Ditebogo Modiegi Morare