African Voices Loud and Clear at the Skoll World Forum

The current red-hot debate over the effectiveness of international aid, especially to Africa, was on full display at the Skoll World Forum. The Zambian economist, Dambisa Moyo, passionately argued in a panel discussion that foreign government AID empowers corrupt regimes and makes African government leaders accountable only to foreign donors, not to their own people.

I also enjoyed breaking bread –a breakfast and a two dinners– with three African innovators during the Forum. Patrick Awuah, who founded Ashesi University in Ghana based on a non-traditional liberal arts model with a strong dose of community service required of all students. In South Africa, Kristine Pearson founded Lifeline Energy which provides windup and solar radios and lanterns to millions of Africans, and Francois Bonnici founded the Bertha Centre at the University of Cape Town to promote social innovation and entrepreneurship across all segments of South African society.

In addition to these inspiring voices, I also experienced incredible musical performances. “Imgoma Nshya”, Rwanda’s women drummers belonging to family members of both genocide victims and perpetrators beat a powerful message of reconciliation. And Mali’s “Festival in Exile”, fleeing fundamentalist repression back home, rocked the house with hybrid Malian traditional and blues music.