Resilience by design

As Saki Mafundikwa aptly stated, "Africa is not poor, it just doesn't have a lot of money!" The principal question that perspectives from the continent at the Change the Change conference need to address is: "If Africa does not have a lot of money, what then does it have?" Additionally, and more specifically, "How can design help accelerate and perpetuate enabling conditions that will help secure a truly sustainable future for all its denizens?"...

Africa has a predominantly youthful demographic with a population that is expected to rise to a billion within the next eight years. Failing infrastructure, material deprivation, epidemics, civil war, and pervasive political dysfunctionalism have failed to dampen the continent's sense of optimism. This historic and diverse continent is incredibly wealthy in natural resources, and richer still in human capital- if one looks beyond popular projections coloured by cynicism and skepticism, a picture begins to emerge- one of a vibrant, engaging and resilient people making the most of their common lot. The robust anthropocentric philosophy of ubuntu (whereby an individual's humanity is reaffirmed by their community) is increasingly being invoked. Ubuntuzeitgeist of the African Renaissance to rally the people of Africa in proactive response to the challenges facing the continent, as well as through the agency of the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD).

Across the continent, examplars of home-grown/grassroots sustainability are emerging. In eastern Africa, for example, the Jua Kali informal manufacturing sector offers gainful employment opportunities that far supersede those of the formal economic sector. Indeed this phenomenon is integral in Kenya's vision of becoming an industrialized country by the year 2020! Entrepreneurship via small and micro-enterprises is constantly growing covering a vast number of business sectors with promising potential role for self-sustaining distributed economies. Similarly, a highly empowering sustainable rural transportation project was facilitated by the SABS Design Institute in South Africa. Other initiatives include an eco-village project by the Sustainability Institute in South Africa. Proactive engagement with international partners has created practical models for local designers to emulate. These include the innovative communication design project in Uganda by Designers Without Borders, as well as cost-effective eco-design projects in Kenya and Namibia by the Design for Development Society.

Africa needs to tell the rest of the world its own success stories- and this forum could well be the catalyst for Africa to respond to Ezio Manzini's challenge to "leap-frog" into an advanced multi-local society wherein the continent's spirit of resilience informs humanity's collective vision of sustainability...

(this is a blog article for conference, Changing the change
www.changingthechange.org)