Week 4: July 7-July 13, 2024
The Ignite Talks went very well. All the Fellows meant business and showed up in style. It was such a beautiful display of young leaders from Africa advocating for their causes. A fellow from Malawi was the selected speaker to represent MICHIGAN State University. Whoop Whoop!
We went to see the American justice system play out. The justice system in America is fair and equitable. Mostly based on the concept of restorative justice and ensuring that the law is interpreted fairly. There are online courts for petty crimes like landlord and tenant disputes. It would not make sense to make the tenants drive to the courts because already there are financial issues. I found that very empathetic.
I looked at the state of Africa and how this could be implemented. This works here because there is public Wi-Fi. The concept wouldn’t be effective in Africa due to the exorbitant costs we already incur for internet and technology access.
There are also treatment courts where they deal with military veterans, addictions, and mental health issues. Addiction is viewed as a disease. This is such a wonderful display of empathy and Ubuntu. To meet people where they are and find solutions that speak to their lived experiences. I will talk a lot about Ubuntu because I feel like it has moulded me into who I am.
Mr. Upewu Majee, Director of the Institute of Ubuntu, Thought and Practice, showed us a practical exercise of Ubuntu where we had cards on our backs that we could not see. We relied on others to read and interpret the cards, and we had to find groups that we belonged to. He explained to us that Ubuntu represents an alternative, a decision we make by manifesting in a manner that reveals our interconnectedness and the connection between our humanity and others.
We need to go through life with a positive measure of humility and curiosity. People’s experiences are just as valuable as academic knowledge. He made an example of the Zulu word “Sawubona“, – “I see you” which loosely translates to” Before you saw me, I didn’t know I existed”.
We also had a session on how to use AI from Asim Ali, Executive Director, Biggio Centre, Auburn University. In a forthcoming session, Ali will join us on Zoom for a discussion of how community organizers in the global south can use AI to enhance their advocacy work, community-based projects, and development initiatives.
Wrapping up the week, Mellisa Staub , one of the facilitators, shared with us the power of strength-based leadership, instead of focusing on one’s weakness, we need to start looking at what they can do best and capitalize on that.
We close this week with a quote Mellisa shared with us when we began the training: “Everyone is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.”
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