By Henry Uche, Lagos
The best legacy anyone could leave for the next generation is to create a mindset of taking responsibility for the way and manner the future becomes in the lives of younger folks. This was the position of a not-for-profit organisation, Ashoka Africa.
At a media conference held in Lagos, the Director, Ashoka Anglophone West Africa, Josephine Nzerem, while addressing reporters, said, though everyone is a changemaker, the media is a critical player to effectively push for the desired change everyone wants to see through their respective medium.
With the #”Everyone A Changemaker” (EACH) vision, the director affirmed that Ashoka envisions a world where ‘Everyone Is a Changemaker’, saying: ‘We believe that the world will surely be a much better place when every Nigerian, every African, and everyone world-over realises and owns their power to contribute to the common good of all.
‘To realise this vision of “Everyone a Changemaker”, the media including blogs, social media influencers, content creators, etc, must play a frontline role as Champions of the EACH movement. The only way we will shift the mindset of 200 million Nigerians, 1.3 billion Africans, and 7.9 billion people globally and help them to step out as powerful creators in the new reality is when the media takes a lead in informing, educating, and inspiring everyone, by sharing EACH message, stories, interviews, documentaries, activities, and programmes with a diverse audience.’
Nzerem maintained that, to thrive in the new world, a new framework that enables people to understand the continuously evolving reality, engage communities, and co-create solutions for the common good of all would be needed, hence the world today is defined by change, complexity and uncertainties.
Nzerem, who is also the Director, Venture/Talents of the group, added that ‘changemaking is the new education and the superpower of the 21st century.’ The changemaking skills which set every child apart and will help them thrive in the new world are Empathy; New Leadership; and working in an Open, Fluid, Team-of-Teams; as such, every parent, guardian, teacher, publisher, school, media, policymaker, practitioner, public officer, youth leader, farmer, businessman or woman, and all adults owe a responsibility to the younger generation to help them along on their journey to master changemaking skills, and start creating solutions for their families, schools, communities and society.
‘It takes a village to raise a child, it takes an ecosystem to shift mindsets, while it takes a system-change approach to shift society into the new reality. This is why Ashoka partnering with the media and everyone across the board to co-design and co-lead the “Everyone a Changemaker” movement.’
She reiterated that young people will thrive only if their early exposure, orientation and education sufficiently prepare them to be adaptive and get comfortable with change, uncertainty and diversity, noting that every child needs to master empathy to enable him/her to connect deeply and live in tune with the world unfolding around them.
‘Every young person needs to practice a new form of leadership (everyone leading and contributing for the good of all), collaborative teamwork, sharing and learning in open and fluid networks of teams, and apply this new framework in creating solutions. By aligning with this movement and sharing the message and skills with millions of children in Africa, everyone becomes instrumental in shifting mindsets, changing attitudes and inspiring action for a better society and a better world. That’s the best gift that we can give to the younger generation,’ she said.
She added that the New Education is no longer about what students read in textbooks and get taught in school, but it is about tb8 messages and impressions young people are exposed to every day via multiple platforms: TV, radio, YouTube, WhatsApp, Tik Tok, Instagram, music, art, cartoons, comics, storybooks, etc.
‘The entire ecosystem around which children and young people grow up is, therefore, part of the “new education” The “Everyone A Changemaker” movement builds and deepens partnerships around the ecosystem of growing up, so that in a mindful and systemic way, we design and integrate changemaking into our education system and our culture. This is not theory, it’s already happening.
‘We are currently working together with our global office, Ashoka-U, teachers unions, colleges and universities, among other partners and our network of co-leaders in Africa to develop an “Everyone A Changemaker” course for educators and students in secondary schools and universities. We are also working with publisher partners to co-create relatable content for educational books, guides, storybooks, and other resources in user-friendly formats for the blind, deaf, and physically challenged.
‘Changemaking is foresight, innovation and adaptation. It means staying ahead of the game and shaping the future. In the new business environment, those who adapt better and faster excel; those who do not adapt struggle and often fizzle out. A culture of changemaking enables businesses to be better able to adapt to shocks, manage risks, navigate change, uncertainty and complexity, and create new opportunities and markets. Ultimately, businesses are sustained by the people (customers and clients). Changemaking empowers everyone—The mindset of “Everyone A Changemaker” triggers increased creativity and productivity, economic growth, and a competitive market. To make && this movement a reality, changemaking must be a skill learned and practised early in life and encouraged throughout society,’ she added.
On his part, the Vice President, of the group, Okey Uzoechina, asserted that Africa was ripe to imbibe the mindset of seeing themselves as CHANGEMAKERS. According to him, changemaking is about taking responsibility for our lives and our shared destiny, birthing a new reality where everyone on earth plays a responsible role to see that desired society.
‘Imagine a real-world “Metaverse”—an open and healthy space where people across the world come together with ideas, perspectives and solutions to real-world problems, and work towards a shared vision: empower everyone to take part in creating a just, harmonious and prosperous world. Young people should not wait until they become president or prime minister or hold a prominent position to start leading. Some are already stepping up to lead, shaping their own reality, and redefine what success means in the new world.’
Uzoechina charged every African to be a changemaker, saying that Africa has the potential to generate solutions that will outrun her problems. Noting that changemakers are already leading the way and showing that the Africa we want is possible. We now live in a new reality, a new world radically different from the world of the 1960s, 70s and 80s. The old reality was defined by routine, predictability, and efficiency in repetition.
‘Somehow Africa is still playing catchup in the outdated reality and could get stuck in it for decades unless we see our situation today as a historic moment and a unique opportunity to shift the continent into the new game of Changemaking. For the same reason, Africa’s growth trajectory carries far greater potential for change than every other region of the world. More so, there is a lot we can learn from what is already working successfully in other parts of the world.
‘Society thrives when we unleash the potential of individuals and communities to shape the environment they live in by taking creative action to solve social problems. “Everyone A Changemaker” movement is about unleashing that potential. At Ashoka, we believe that if everyone practices changemaking for the good of all, we can solve Africa’s most pressing challenges and create sustainable solutions. Strategic national and pan-African partnerships are critical to building and sustaining the momentum. Working together, everyone owning their power as changemakers, we all have a better chance of empowering over 200 million Nigerians and 1.3 billion Africans to take part in creating a just, harmonious and prosperous world,’ he stated.