Economic and Regional
Integration Programme
The function of MINDS is to act as an intellectual bulwark and stimulate Africans to think and act in a Pan-African way.
Francis Daniels
MINDS Advisory Board
For Africa to attain the levels of economic growth and development needed to uplift its populations, at a minimum two critical actions are required. Firstly, the need for greater integrated partnerships within countries between the private, public and civil sectors. Secondly, much higher levels of regional and continental integration are required to nurture, and drive increased intra-Africa business transactions, particularly in trade and investment. For both these things to happen, inclusive participatory platforms that fosters a deeper understanding and appreciation of roles that each sector plays in needed.
Through our Economic and Regional Integration Programme, MINDS has set about to establish workable platforms, such as high-level dialogues between public, private, civic and youth leaders with the aim of creating better acquaintance between participants, sharing of experiences, developing complementary perceptions of Africa within the global context and importantly rekindling the spirit of African solidarity on a post-colonial agenda.
Shared Vision – Shared Future to Foster inter-sectoral
Through our HIGH-LEVEL DIALOGUE SERIES, we believe that over time, these interactions will help create a shared vision within countries and across the continent. With a common vision of the future, the leaderships of the different sectors will be better able to work together on the basis of trust rather the currently prevailing predisposition of mistrust.
The MINDS HIGH LEVEL DIALOGUE SERIES platform is one of the tools that we have developed to foster relationship building between these different sector leaderships. These relationships in turn, lay the foundations for more trusting dispositions between the leaders.
Ensuring inclusive and robust dialogue, participants are drawn from the vast reaches of the continent, including former Heads of State, senior civil servants, heads of civic organisations, academics, former and current captains of industry, rising entrepreneurs and importantly the voices of Africa’s greatest dividend, our youth.
HIGH LEVEL DIALOGUE SERIES
Through our High Level Dialogue series, we aim to foster closer relationships through the sharing of experiences and developing complementary perceptions of Africa within the global context, whilst rekindling the spirit of African solidarity on a post-colonial agenda. We believe that over time these interactions will create a shared vision within countries across the continent.
Participants are drawn from the vast reaches of the continent, including former Heads of State, senior civil servants, heads of civic organisations, academics, former and current captains of industry, organised labour, rising entrepreneurs and importantly the voices of Africa’s greatest dividend, our youth. To date MINDS has developed and undertaken a number of High-Level Dialogues to tackle the continent’s most pressing issues, these include:
MINDS 2018 High Level Dialogue
7 – 8 February 2018 in Gaborone, Botswana
Theme: Improving agricultural productivity in Africa through mechanisation and the use of fertiliser
MINDS in partnership with the Sir Ketumile Masire Foundation recently hosted the 2018 edition of the MINDS High Level Dialogue series on Economic Integration. The theme of the 2018 High Level Dialogue was ‘Improving agricultural productivity in Africa through mechanisation and the use of fertiliser.’ In attendance were a select group of high-level African experts, policymakers and thought leaders who are strategically placed in the agriculture sector who helped us interrogate and explore the theme. The main objective of the MINDS High Level Dialogues is to engage multi-sectoral, multi-national stakeholders in exploring collaborative projects that can strengthen Africa’s competitive position in the global economy.
Discussions focused on: The possibilities of boosting productivity in the agriculture sector in Africa, through mechanisation and increased fertiliser usage; enabling policies for multi-national cooperation in agricultural value chains; the state of financing in African agricultural value chains, Actions that can be taken by key constituencies, including governments to ensure that African countries, collaboratively and have the capacity to meet their food requirements.
Dialogue ALBUM gallery
MINDS 2016 High Level Dialogue
27- 28 November 2016 in Rabat, Morocco
Theme: The MINDS Scholarship Programme
The High Level Dialogue was co-hosted with the Royal Academy of the Kingdom of Morocco, who are partners and country hosts of the Scholarship Programme and our scholars. Given the nature of this particular dialogue, a select group of university vice-chancellors, educators, education administrators, experts and thought leaders strategically placed within the education sphere were invited to help interrogate and refine the concept of the Scholarship Programme.
Topics discussed included the proof of concept for the Scholarship Programme, the post-colonial rationale for pan – Africanism, the current leadership space, producing conscious African citizenry and interrogating the legal instruments needed for continent wide partnerships. The success of this Dialogue is evident, with the first cohort of Scholars being awarded scholarships in August 2017 and who are currently completing post graduate studies at academic institutions across the continent, including in Morocco.
Dialogue PHOTOS
MINDS 2014 African Youth Dialogue
14 March 2014 – Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Theme: Inaugural High Level Dialogue
On the 14th of March 2014, MINDS hosted its inaugural High Level Dialogue in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. In attendance were five former heads of state; H.E Benjamin Mkapa, H.E Thabo Mbeki, H.E Olusegun Obasanjo, H.E Pedro Pires, H.E Festus Mogae, H.E Joaquim Chissano and the current President of the African Development Bank Dr Donald Kaberuka. Other participants in attendance were drawn from academia, the public, private and civic sectors.
Dialogue ALBUM gallery