{"id":7525,"date":"2018-07-23T21:53:10","date_gmt":"2018-07-23T19:53:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bluenove.com\/?p=7525"},"modified":"2018-11-28T18:04:35","modified_gmt":"2018-11-28T16:04:35","slug":"collective-intelligence-the-african-paradigm","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bluenove.com\/en\/blog\/collective-intelligence-the-african-paradigm\/","title":{"rendered":"Collective Intelligence – The African Paradigm"},"content":{"rendered":"

Before diving into collective intelligence, let’s talk first about innovation. The last 10 years have plunged the world into a deep economic, political and social crisis. While creating a profound mistrust of established financial and economical models in Western countries, this crisis has brought to light alternative practices, philosophies and models that existed all the way in the parallel universe of emerging countries: <\/strong>Jugaad Innovation in India, Smart & LowTech in Kenya, Ghana or Senegal. Models that are user-centric, perfectly adapted to conditions of scarcity of resources and based on upcycling. Reverse innovation was born and success stories followed one another (M-Pesa<\/a>, Jumia<\/a>, etc.).<\/p>\n

While everyone is now convinced of the virtues of this two-way innovation road, few people would consider applying open democracy principles to the continent. In fact, launching a public consultation and more generally, a collective intelligence initiative may frighten some people because Prejudices die hard: “Africa and democracy do not rhyme”. <\/strong><\/p>\n

Well, maybe there is more to it than meets the eye!<\/p>\n

Beyond the hashtag<\/strong><\/h3>\n

“As Africans, we need to share the common recognition that all of us stand to lose if we fail to transform our continent.” Thabo Mbeki, President of South Africa, 1999-2008<\/em><\/p>\n

As a result of the Arab Spring, social media have become a powerful means for political protest and democratic expression. In recent months, Cameroon, Morocco and the DRC have witnessed social movements organized and massively relayed on social networks. Also, research on social media in Africa must acknowledge that its use \u2013 while growing \u2013 is predominantly situated in urban centres and more developed parts of the continent. But beyond their anti-establishment and oppositional power or the issue around their representativeness, it is interesting to zoom on the “collective” and “massive” dimensions of these movements based on local communities. Africa’s minds are waking up, the power shift has begun.<\/strong><\/p>\n

“Considering that local communities have a better understanding of their needs, that’s what \u201cshifting power “really means\u201d. Gerry Salole, Founder of TrustAfrica and Director of the European Foundation Center (EFC).<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Local communities understand their problems. They know for fact what will work and what will not. This may seem obvious but surprisingly for many years, NGOs, Foundations and Global corporations have operated according to a colonial model of “sovereignty extension” without any (or a very little) consideration for local resources. This way of thinking and acting through centuries makes it very difficult today to imagine new ways of governance and yet …. It\u2019s necessary; because, if the world leaders see in Africa the new Eldorado full of promises of growth, they can feel the rumble expression of a fierce desire among local communities to take charge of their destiny.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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The Force awakens<\/h3>\n

\u201cAfrica\u2019s story has been written by others; we need to own our problems and solutions and write our story\u201d. Paul Kagame<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Africa is beginning to show the world a deep desire for self-determination, democracy and development based on its own resources. North Africa has started the movement with the Arab Spring but a tidal wave is spreading across the continent.<\/p>\n

Today, from Hollywood and her record-breaking Black Panther<\/a>, to the first edition of AfricaTech in VivaTech Paris<\/a>, the continent\u2019s touch is everywhere and it\u2019s starting to influence the world.<\/p>\n

This influence can only be a win for its Western partners if they are able to grasp three principles, which in my opinion, are the founders of a new African paradigm:<\/p>\n