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An Invitation to Lock into Revolutionary Hope

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I recently read a poem that described hope as a feather that perches on the soul, sings a tune and never stops. Hope is a global phenomenon that enjoys many definitions and iterations, but what does it mean to lock into the radical, action-oriented, love-directed concept of revolutionary hope? To hope is to have agency, to be willing to live even though everything around us screams death. Hope is the ability to bravely build individual and collective futures on love, community, sacrifice and critical awareness.  Hope is the desire to ask critical questions of normative assumptions and refuse to merely adapt. It shows up as the intentional exploration and intellectual rigour outside knowledge systems that have robbed us of legitimacy. Hope is the rejection of knowledge hegemonies that require us to filter our lived experience through a white supremacist prism. Hope is the refusal to adapt to distorted notions of our identities and the radical action to build new embodied present and pluriversal worlds.  We’re in the middle of a vortex of pain with colonial violence and its resulting poly-crisis, the reinforcement of oligarchs through the bro-ligarchy and fascism’s loss of its very transparent veil. For people on the margins, keeping our eyes on what we know and our hearts on our dreams of liberation seems herculean. Critical consciousness requires us to see the world as an occurrence that can be read, re-read, built, and rebuilt. This task is worthy of our rigour, fervency, transparency, humility and curiosity. We must lock into the revolutionary hope that allows us to engage in non-reactionary world-building—bringing to life the imaginations of a new world that is critically aware of oppression and the need for liberation.  We must become familiar with but unafraid of dominant narratives sustained by the hegemonies of power, which create a distorted worldview and cause a separation between our minds and hearts. This separation is both cognitive and embodied and renders colonised peoples as pawns in global politics and power struggles — this misalignment is a gold mine, and we must deprive them of gold. So, how do we realign with our dreams of liberation in private and public spaces? How do we confront a world that requires docility from us? How do we survive in a world that harvests our despair to fuel the thirst for power? The simple answer is the practice of Revolutionary hope. Revolutionary hope calls us to acknowledge who and where we are in this world and how we fit into the collective. It requires a profound recognition that we cannot live as though our role is simply to adapt. Revolutionary hope is not the blind desire for what was; we must not be caught in the romanticisation of pre-colonial realities. We are invited to alchemise, to know what was, and to build a world that is. We must reject oppression Olympics and identity politics and recognise them for what they are: a wrench in our ability to express and receive solidarity. What is our political awareness and struggle worth if we cannot link arms?   This is a call to critical reflection, recognition and acknowledgement of what this world is, an invitation to meaning-seeking and sense-making, the cultivation and nurturing of care, community, the desire and labour for collective healing and the nourishment of our spirits as we sing our songs and perfect our dance.  Revolutionary hope is knowing that when our oppressors become versed in the songs of our movement, we must pivot and make new songs.  Written by Omolara Oriye, Co-dreamer, Liberation Alliance Africa

Weaving Liberatory Actions: Reflections from the #ShiftThePower Global Summit

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The GFCF #ShiftThePower global summit took place at the Agora Center in Bogota in December 2023. The global summit served as a platform for creating “good collisions” and establishing connections among individuals shaping people-centred practices. These practices are driven from the grassroots, and the summit also brought together those leading experiments and efforts to shift power within the existing system. This summit marked the culmination of various global activities. Conversations leading to the summit explored questions about how power can and should be transferred to communities, the practical implications of this shift, and the role of current philanthropic practices. What was also useful to these conversations was the #ShiftThePower manifesto as a guide and declaration of what we mean when we imagine communities in charge of their own development and producing a flourishing and safe life.  Check out our latest knowledge product: Library of Perspectives For us at Liberation Alliance Africa, we focused our energies on exploring decolonial feminist philanthropy in West Africa. As part of the #ShiftThePower movement, we delved into the role of power in the institutionalisation of philanthropic practices in West Africa, investigating those who benefit from the current structures and those who do not and proposing ways to reshape the philanthropic system to be more locally-owned and locally-led. The summit hosted 700 participants from around the world and was organised with care. Through the Buckets, Lightning talks, moments to rest, connect, and find some joy in the sweetness of the locally produced chocolates and coffee; the experience was thoughtfully curated and is reflected upon in this piece. Reimagining Governance and Structures: Where did you first learn about governance and structures?  In a Bucket session on reimagining systems, organisational structures, and governance using arts and storytelling as a way to learn about governance. We reflected on our early encounters with governance. The session prompted a shift in thinking about governance practices, bringing to light negative practices internalised over time. I realised many of us learned about governance and structures from our private and family lives, sometimes resulting in disempowerment – raising a crucial question: what governance practices might inadvertently make them feel powerless or angry in building power with communities? Power to the Ones with the Stories Stories are everywhere; sometimes, we are storytellers or storyweavers. When we decide to share stories from our communities, we must examine that our process inspires courage and the power of togetherness. If your storytelling advocacy does not centre the storytellers, step back or step down to reshape your organising. When we share stories from our communities, how do we honour their voices, experiences, emotions and names?  Are philanthropic organisations dismantling power structures or are they sustaining the power imbalance with their current donor practices? – Ambika Satkunanathan  During the Lightning talks on Day Two, Ambika’s bold question challenged the audience, including representatives from bilateral/multilateral donor organisations, foundations, corporations and private philanthropic individuals. I found the session interesting and audacious to discuss the negative impact of the current philanthropic practices in building and sustaining a funding system that is locally-owned and locally-led. We discussed power and privilege and who benefits the most from donor-grantee relationships. The session further validates the questions we asked ourselves at Liberation Alliance Africa when we spoke with feminist organisers in West Africa about the current philanthropic practices in the region. Our discussion with them produced the report we titled Reclaiming Agency: Dreaming of a Decolonial Feminist Philanthropy in West Africa. The Lightning talks propelled us, and I hope especially those on the grantmaking side, to commit to reshaping the current funding practices and be consciously aware of the power imbalances and take actions which sometimes means listening to the communities their money is going to.  Hope is a strategy, and we must embrace Hope as much as we embrace power. – Marie-Rose Romain Mu  When Marie-Rose started talking about Hope, I was like, whatttt ma’am!!! I tell you, it was a sermon and a critical delivery to raise our consciousness and demand that we remember Hope as our ancestral identity. Her submission resounds our audacity to dream and reminds us that the process to #ShiftThePower starts from recognising the power within us. In an impassioned closing, Marie-Rose called us to lean into the warmth, strength and sustenance that Hope brings.  In conclusion, this reflection piece extends intellectual solidarity and love to friends I dined with, danced with, laughed with, and exchanged liberatory thoughts and dreams. As the movement progresses, the collective journey continues with audacity, Hope, and a commitment to reshaping power dynamics for a more just and equitable world. Onwards we go! By Oluwatobiloba Ayodele, Co-dreamer, Liberation Alliance Africa

Building a Community of Practice that Translates Concerns into Action

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In the face of massive pushback by anti-rights agents who are well funded and united in opposing the freedom of women and gender-diverse persons, it has never been more necessary to work in harmony and consolidate efforts amongst activists, CSOs, funding and development partners, researchers, leading experts, support institutions, strategic government and political allies, judicial officers, and academia. 

Decolonising Efforts in Philanthropy: Experience Weaving

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Philanthropy continues to face several challenges in its effort to collaborate with activists in the pursuit of Africa’s transformation and liberation agenda because of its colonial origins and continued legacies.  Evidence shows that the current philanthropic landscape is inherently unable to create sufficient space for participation and/or co-creation in the process of conceiving its interventions or in providing feedback on its work from the intended implementing partners.  When we examine the current philanthropic landscape in West Africa, we see a web of donor-grantee relationships threaded together by power dynamics and relations that perpetuate the power imbalance which usurp agency. What we also see is a growing body of work disrupting spaces, raising critical consciousness, and uncovering invisibilized and normalised patterns of power that have real consequences on activists and the communities they work in. To bring to the fore emerging changes in philanthropic practices in other parts of the resistance, raise critical consciousness on key issues around power and agency in philanthropic practices in West Africa, Liberation Alliance Africa as part of #RoadtoBogota for the #ShiftThePower summit will hold a space for transnational experience sharing and weaving of feminist, resistance and liberation efforts to decolonise philanthropy. ?️ 22 November 2023? 2:00 PM WAT/4 PM EAT/8 PM WIB/9 AM ESTRegister here Language: English, French and Spanish translation will be provided

Disrupting Colonial Legacies of Philanthropy in Africa

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One of the legacies of colonialism is the narrative that African states are incapable of effecting inclusive and transformative impact without foreign aid, either in the form of multilateral and bilateral funding or from private foundations. Indeed, philanthropy has made important contributions to supporting efforts aimed at ensuring Africa’s political, economic and social transformation. Philanthropy’s role in the fight for equitable and democratic transformation in Africa cannot be overlooked. However, there is a growing body of evidence of donors funding programmes with little or zero input from the community most impacted by the problem. This form of donor relation with implementing partners often manifests as NGOs working in the Global South being led by leadership in the Global North. The consequence hence, is a dependency culture on global North aid, invisibilisation of realities of implementing partners and loss of autonomy and decision-making processes. In the rise of fundamentalism and shrinking of civic space in Africa, there is an urgent need to rethink philanthropy in a way that will truly sustain feminists, decolonial and liberation movements and collectives in Africa. It is upon these reflections that Liberation Alliance Africa will host the Disrupting Colonial Legacies of Philanthropy in Africa. We are called to interrogate the historical and colonial legacies of Philanthropy. With the webinar, we aim to respond to the following questions: What are the key representations of colonial legacies of philanthropy and how do they shape the development landscape? In what ways has the deprivation of agency affected the idea and practice of philanthropy in West Africa? In what ways does philanthropy as practised affect epistemic agency? What are the different initiatives, solutions and changes that will support the reimagination of a people-centred philanthropic landscape? Date: Friday 27th October, 2023Time: 2 PM WAT | 4 PM EAT | 9 AM ESTRegister hereLanguage: English

Theory as a Liberatory Practice: How Do We Humanise Theory?

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I learnt about Theory when I read Bell Hooks’ essay on Theory as a Liberatory Practice. In the essay, bell hooks summoned Black and African feminist scholars and activists to cultivate the art of theorising. She described Theory as a healing practice. I was intrigued to know that the process of thinking, dreaming and conceptualising different ways of doing things can be theorised. Through this essay, I recognised the importance of Theory as a liberatory tool. Hence, my interest in theorising and humanising Theory — is to liberate my mind from colonial capitalist ways of thinking and disrupt hegemonic structures. The question, then, is, how can we humanise the art of theorising? What is the role of Theory in understanding the colonial capitalist and patriarchal systems we live in? While I do not have complete answers to these questions, I believe that the art of theorising is woven into the fabric of our daily lives. And indeed, we must humanise Theory that reflects our lived experiences as Africans. Theorising does not become a liberatory tool if our theories do not concretize lived experiences of African women, girls and gender-expansive persons. And we need to see it that way. I learnt about Theory when I read bell hooks’ essay on Theory as a Liberatory Practice. In the essay, bell hooks summoned Black and African feminist scholars and activists to cultivate the art of theorising. She described Theory as a healing practice. I was intrigued to know that the process of thinking, dreaming and conceptualising different ways of doing things can be theorised. Through this essay, I recognised the importance of Theory as a liberatory tool. Hence, my interest in theorising and humanising Theory — is to liberate my mind from colonial capitalist ways of thinking and disrupt hegemonic structures. The question, then, is, how can we humanise the art of theorising? What is the role of Theory in understanding the colonial capitalist and patriarchal systems we live in? While I do not have complete answers to these questions, I believe that the art of theorising is woven into the fabric of our daily lives. And indeed, we must humanise Theory that reflects our lived experiences as Africans. Theorising does not become a liberatory tool if our theories do not concretize lived experiences of African women, girls and gender-expansive persons. And we need to see it that way. I learnt about Theory when I read bell hooks’ essay on Theory as a Liberatory Practice. In the essay, bell hooks summoned Black and African feminist scholars and activists to cultivate the art of theorising. She described Theory as a healing practice. I was intrigued to know that the process of thinking, dreaming and conceptualising different ways of doing things can be theorised. Through this essay, I recognised the importance of Theory as a liberatory tool. Hence, my interest in theorising and humanising Theory — is to liberate my mind from colonial capitalist ways of thinking and disrupt hegemonic structures. The question, then, is, how can we humanise the art of theorising? What is the role of Theory in understanding the colonial capitalist and patriarchal systems we live in? While I do not have complete answers to these questions, I believe that the art of theorising is woven into the fabric of our daily lives. And indeed, we must humanise Theory that reflects our lived experiences as Africans. Theorising does not become a liberatory tool if our theories do not concretize lived experiences of African women, girls and gender-expansive persons. And we need to see it that way. I have developed three habits to humanise Theory. And I share these habits as my learnings in becoming the feminist scholar I want to be. My childhood was filled with unquestioned rules and structures. While my childhood environment expected nothing from me but obedience to the elders and seniors, It was difficult not to ask questions. Even now, living in a system that forces subservience, it has become daring to ask questions. But, as a child, I will ask my questions anyways. In his book The Significance of Theory, Terry Eagleton said, ‘Children make the best theorists since they have not yet been educated into accepting our routine social practices as natural. Since they do not yet grasp our social practices as inevitable, they do not see why we might not do things differently’ To theorise as young African feminists is to remember childlikeness. As children, we questioned patriarchal structures at home, school, religious institutions, and social gatherings. Even though we did not describe the process of questioning and critiquing as ‘theorising’. We need more of us even now. Our liberation lies in the awakening of our dreams. The audacity to disrupt cannot come from a place of fear and shame. In this world, shame is the consequence of being born female. From birth, a daily dose of shame is provided that reminds us of our subservient place in the world. To stifle our voice, to bleak our dreams, to force us to accept what is known and to stop us from dreaming about what is unknown but possible. In Nigeria, we have a famous phrase, ‘You cannot shame the shameless’. How can we be shameless? Unlearning shame is like flipping the switch. So pause, imagine the shame switch and turn it off! Every day, when you wake up, let that be the first thing you do. Unlearning shame will liberate our minds and awaken our inner child. Because without shame, we can breathe in new air, a new reality. The audacity to disrupt cannot come from a place of fear and shame. Storytelling is the only way we can contribute to immortalising feminist epistemology. In the concluding section of her essay, bell hooks inquired where the scholarship of feminist Theory and practice can be found. Knowing that the personal is political and the political is personal, we must cultivate the art of theorising through storytelling. In her book Decolonization and Afro-Feminism, Sylvia Tamale stressed

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