Polarization? Distrust? Corruption? Concern that our democracy is too fragile? Sounds like today - right? What if I told you this same crisis hit 110 years ago? And here's some good news... the same movement that pulled us back from the brink is happening again! David Eisner’s new piece in Beyond Intractability reminds us how everyday citizens sparked a civic renaissance that gave us institutions like Rotary International, NAACP, YMCA of the USA, and League of Women Voters. Groups like Living Room Conversations and Braver Angels are rebuilding trust and bridging divides—not by erasing differences, but by helping Americans engage in healthier, more constructive ways. If you care about the future of our country (and I know you do), now is the time to get involved. Learn more and consider joining Braver Angels here: 👉 https://lnkd.in/evZwiH7z History shows civic renewal comes from ground up. We’ve done it before. We can do it again! Thanks much for sharing Piper Hendricks and Maury Giles. #CivicRenewal #BraverAngels #Democracy #CitizenAction #CivicEngagement #depolarization

At the Heart of African Democracy Lies Indigenous Socialism We copied the structures of democracy but left behind its spirit. Across Africa, the dominant discourse among public intellectuals is how to save democracy from collapse and make it truly serve its people. Yet democracy on the continent has remained fragile — reduced almost entirely to the ballot. This reduction is evident in the way elections are held, constitutions are written, and parliaments sit — while citizens, who should be the primary beneficiaries, continue to feel alienated from governance. This persistent alienation stems from one reality: African democracy has been built on borrowed foundations. Our experience has shown that true African democracy cannot survive on Western liberal models alone. It must return to the values that sustained African societies for centuries: collective responsibility, communal ownership, and decision-making by consensus. This is the essence of indigenous socialism. It is also why I write and teach democracy communication — to facilitate citizen-centred dialogue that strengthens governance and accountability beyond the narrow benchmark of ballot boxes. Unlike state-centred socialism imported from Europe, indigenous socialism is community-driven. It thrives on Ubuntu — “I am because we are.” Land was shared, leaders were accountable to their people, and the welfare of the weakest was seen as the true measure of strength. By contrast, the liberal democracy imported into Africa has revealed its unsuitability as a homegrown solution. It has reduced democracy to periodic voting while producing exclusion, elite capture, and hollow institutions. Citizens are left as spectators, not participants. Indigenous socialism, placed at the heart of African democracy, offers three urgent correctives: Participation: ensuring citizens are not just voters but daily decision-makers. Economic justice: sharing resources to prevent the inequality that corrodes governance. Accountability: grounding leaders in the community, not in donor boardrooms or elite circles. Yes, indigenous systems had flaws — patriarchy, hierarchy, exclusion. But reimagined for today, they provide the missing soul of African democracy. If democracy is to serve Africa’s people, it must be more than imported procedures. It must be rooted in African values of solidarity, community, and shared destiny. At the heart of African democracy lies indigenous socialism. And without it, democracy will remain hollow. Audu Liberty Oseni Director, Centre for Development Communication #AfricanDemocracy #IndigenousSocialism #DemocracyCommunication #UbuntuGovernance #OseniDevTalks

In May, at the invitation of Vice President of Colombia, Francia Elena Márquez Mina, we co-hosted a groundbreaking international forum in Cali, Colombia: “Advancing Economic Justice for Communities and People of African Descent.” This history-making convening brought together leaders from across the Americas to center economic justice as a global priority. A U.S. delegation of entrepreneurs, changemakers, and investors joined peers in Colombia for an international exchange focused on building pathways of opportunity, strengthening transnational collaboration, and amplifying the shared vision for equity across the African Diaspora. In partnership with Kim Haas and AfroLatino Travels on PBS, we also had the opportunity to document this milestone event. Take a look at this special preview of our forum.

Open Society Foundations has launched a new set of initiatives in Latin America focused on what truly matters for people’s well-being: access to services, care, a healthy environment, quality jobs, and security. A vision rooted in Buen Vivir. Find more here: https://lnkd.in/eqbz-Mu2 #BuenVivir #SocialJustice #EconomicJustice #LatinAmerica #Governance #TAIMembers #TAIWeekly

A new study by Inter Alia co-funded by Social Change Initiative explores how Greek society has split into five distinct "tribes" with very different takes on democracy, immigration and identity. Led by SCI Fellow Eleni Takou, the research discusses what this means for political participation and social cohesion. 🔗 Read it now 👉 https://lnkd.in/dVB9bjfA

We are pleased to share an excerpt from the contribution of Michael Castle-Miller — Partner at Albright Stonebridge Group, featured in The Africa Wealth Report 2025 by Henley & Partners - The Firm of Global Citizens®. 📘 Michael is the author of the chapter “Inclusive Development Zones: A Model for Supporting the Spontaneous Order of Informal Economies” in Free Global Cities: The Future Leaders in Migration and Public Governance (Bloomsbury Publishing, 2025). The essay introduces Inclusive Development Zones (IDZs) — innovative special economic zones designed to integrate migrants and low-income individuals into the formal economy. By fostering inclusion, economic opportunity, and sustainable growth, IDZs represent a practical model for equitable development in diverse communities. 🔗 Read the full excerpt here: https://lnkd.in/dg-aAV7f #AndanFoundation #TheAndanFoundation #HenleyPartners #AfricaWealthReport #FreeGlobalCities #InclusiveDevelopment #SpecialEconomicZones

The FW de Klerk Foundation has compiled a compendium of all the insights shared at the Foundation's recent Constitutional Rights Conference on "Achieving an Inclusive Economy". The FW de Klerk Foundation’s mission is to make the Constitution a reality for all South Africans. We believe that South Africa belongs to all who live in it, united in our diversity. South Africans are acutely aware that our country is dire economic straits: unemployment and crime are high. And even university graduates struggle to find jobs. Last year, food insecurity reached its highest level in a decade. Economic growth barely outstripped population growth - far too little to meaningfully address the pressing challenges of unemployment, poverty and income inequality. As the economic situation deteriorates, fewer and fewer rights are being realised.   It is against this backdrop that the FW de Klerk Foundation’s annual Constitutional Rights Conference focused on the theme: “Achieving an Inclusive Economy”. Clearly, South Africa’s current approach is not working: The economy is stagnating and job opportunities, allowing meaningful participation in the economy, are shrinking. The goal of this conference was to explore innovative policy approaches to build the inclusive economy we all want: One that improves the quality of life of every citizen and frees their potential, allowing every South African can participate with dignity, equality and freedom.   Speakers were given free rein to propose bold, fresh ideas. Ideas that go beyond existing legislative frameworks and conventional thinking.   The Foundation hopes that these ideas will find their way into our national discourse, influence our policies and help shape a more inclusive future. Download the compendium: bit.ly/3Vh7eld

 I’m going home—not just for me, but to build a bridge that connects the diaspora and lifts our people... In the months ahead, I’ll be spending more time in Kenya—focused on two priorities that are central to my mission and calling: building and reconnecting. #Building. We’re expanding the work of the Nyamwange Technical College with new opportunities which include introducing AI into ICT, modernizing agriculture, and strengthening our Birthright Afrika program so more Black youth from America can experience the power of walking the land of their ancestors. These are not just programs; they are pathways to ownership, innovation, and wealth creation for the next generation. #Reconnecting. I’ll also be rooted again in my family’s soil. Because true wealth is not only measured in money—it’s measured in culture, in faith, and in the stories we pass from one generation to the next. This season is not only about leading; it’s about listening, learning, and reconnecting. My commitment is simple: to be a bridge between African Americans and the diaspora. A bridge of culture, resources, and purpose—so the future we pass on is greater than the one we inherited.  Link in the comments to learn more and stay connected...

𝗢𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 - 𝗖𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗢𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗷𝗼𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗷𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝗖𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗮𝗹𝘀 (𝗥𝗖𝗳𝗣𝘀) Partos is inviting its members and network to join this unique opportunity to shift power! Our longstanding partner, Re-imagining the INGO (RINGO), offers a 6-month peer learning journey to better support Reverse Call for Proposals, as examples of locally driven efforts.    This funding model flips the script; local organisations issue a ‘call for proposals’ to international actors (INGOs and funders) to provide support for locally-determined endeavours. While this sounds great in theory, in reality, international actors face internal hurdles in effectively responding to such reverse calls and local demands.     💡 Learn more 👇

The African continent is as big as the world's largest and most powerful nations, but current representations say otherwise. These two African advocacy organisations are currently trying to change that.💪🏾🌍 All of us learned geography on a map that presents Africa as smaller than it truly is, dwarfed by Europe, almost the same size as Greenland, and somehow less central than it should have been. What we didn’t know back then is that those maps, based on the 16th-century Mercator projection, were never designed to reflect reality. They were built for navigation, and in the process they distorted entire continents. Today, African voices are calling for that distortion to end. Two advocacy groups, Africa No Filter and Speak Up Africa, launched the Correct The Map campaign earlier this year, pushing schools, international organisations, and media outlets to replace Mercator with the Equal Earth projection, a map that reflects Africa’s true scale. As Seune Fara Ndiaye of Speak Up Africa put it: “Correcting the map is not only an African issue. It is a matter of truth and accuracy that concerns the entire world. When whole generations, in Africa and elsewhere, learn from a distorted map, they develop a biased view of Africa’s role in the world.” The African Union has now endorsed this movement, calling it part of its mission to reclaim Africa’s rightful place on the global stage. The move is the symbol of a wider push to challenge long-standing narratives of marginalisation, the same narratives tied to colonial history, education systems, and global power dynamics. If the Equal Earth projection can start to shift how the next generation sees Africa, then a simple change in perspective could be one of the most transformative acts of representation for the continent. *** 💌 Register to Savannah Creative Digest: the newsletter that empowers African creative entrepreneurs. 💡 Business tips + 👀 Industry news + 🌶️ Hot opportunities. Every month. (Link in the first comment)