Week 4: July 7-July 13, 2024
Looking Ahead
We are beginning the week on high note. We have Ignite Talks where each Institute will have a Fellow who will give a three- to five-minute Ignite Talk about the work they have been doing or intend to do when they get back home; speak on a topic that is important to them, or share something they have learnt at the Institute that has affected their work.
One of us will be chosen to represent the Michigan State University Cohort in Washington DC on the summit that will be held from July 29 through to July 31, 2024. Every Fellow is expected to attend the Summit in Washington, D.C., after the last week of the Institutes. Through invitation-only events and workshops, we will have the opportunity to network with visitors from various U.S. Government agencies as well as representatives of companies and organisations from Africa.
It is nerve-wrecking and we are all feeling it, but it is one of the IREX requirements that each fellow present an Ignite Talk. I am looking forward sharing my story on how Ubuntu has allowed me to flourish and grow to be who I am today.
I have also been chosen as one of the panelists for the MSU Inaugural Inclusive Impact Conference on July 11th. To continue fostering more varied, equitable, and inclusive environments, this conference will serve as an essential forum for DEI practitioners, change agents, and marginalised voices to engage.
In addition to addressing divisive myths and reclaiming spaces, the conference will examine how to reframe DEI to place allyship, solidarity, and community empowerment at its core. Tim Wise will be the opening speaker. Tim is one of the country’s leading anti-racist authors and educators.
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