Crafting Positive Futures for Africa with Charlotte Kemp

11 Sept 2024 · 3 min

Watch on YouTube

2:35

In this introductory video, futurist Charlotte Kemp presents the inaugural edition of the journal Crafting Positive Futures for Africa. She explains her four‑stage futures‑thinking compass—gather intelligence, manage change, describe the future, and test strategy—highlighting that the journal covers the first three stages. The journal compiles essays and blueprints from futurists who have lived, studied, or worked in Africa, offering a broad view of the continent’s history, languages, countries, and populations. Specific contributions include an essay on Nigeria’s religious perspectives, several blueprints outlining opportunities and levers for managing change, and a visionary scenario by Michael Haupt titled “Chapter 999: The Abundance Project in 2035,” which imagines eco‑regional renewal in the Cape Overberg. Kemp invites viewers to download the journal at futuresforafrica.online, watch related videos, subscribe for updates, and contact the team to contribute future essays, emphasizing collaborative effort in crafting positive futures for Africa.

Chapters

Hi, I'm Charlotte Kemp, and I'm very excited to introduce the first edition of the journal Crafting Positive Futures for Africa. In this particular journal, we have contributions from futurists who have lived in, studied in, or worked in Africa about the future of Africa. My job as a futurist is to facilitate thinking fit for the future. And I often use a model of a compass that shows the 4 stages of any futures thinking project. Stage 1 is to gather intelligence. Stage 2 is to manage change. Stage 3 is to describe the future. And stage 4 is to test our strategy. And this particular edition of the journal covers the first 3 of those stages. We are gathering intelligence about the history of Africa, the breadth of the continent, the different languages, the different countries, the different populations. We have one essay that's all about different religious perspectives of people in Nigeria and how that influences how they affect the future. We also have a number of different blueprints and ideas about how we could manage change. What are the, the things that we need to lean into? What are the opportunities that are available in Africa that could point towards a positive future for the continent? And then the third stage, being describing the future, is brilliantly demonstrated by one particular essay. It's by Michael Haupt. It's titled Chapter 999: The Abundance Project in 2035, and about the eco-regional renewal in the Cape Overberg. What Michael has done is written a story based in 2035 about what happens if all the work that is being done now actually comes to fruition. So it's an example of visioning and scenario planning that inspires people to lean in towards to deal with the tough times going towards the future that they want for that part of the world. So if you'd like to get a copy of this journal, please go to the website futuresforafrica.online. You can download the journal, read about the different authors, you can watch the videos of our conversations and subscribe for updates for future essays. If you would like a chance to contribute to this journal in the future, please be in touch and let us see how we can continue this conversation as we craft more positive futures for Africa.