Mandela and a New Generation of African Voices
By Michelle Geis Wallace, December 10, 2013
“We have lost him, and must recognize the need for a next generation of selfless and driven leaders. For me, Mandela’s example will always stand as a reminder of what is possible when conviction faces injustice, of the work that still remains unfinished, and of the long road ahead.”
These words come from Kennedy Odede, an incredible person and friend, and someone who—like so many other leaders—was inspired by Nelson Mandela. In his beautifully written piece on CNN.com, Kennedy—born into poverty in Nairobi’s slums—recounts how reading Mandela’s biography and his speeches gave him hope and inspired him to help his community. He now runs an organization that serves more than 50,000 people in the urban slums with health and education services. And while his organization continues to grow, he knows that the fight against urban poverty and inequality is far from over. There is so much left to do.
Kennedy is right. There is a long, unfinished road ahead. But it’s people like him and the other Aspen Institute New Voices Fellows who give us hope for the next generation of global leaders. These fellows are 11 young African men and women from 10 different countries across the continent. They are trailblazers in their fields—entrepreneurs, doctors, community leaders, academics, and educators passionate about a range of issues: medicine, HIV/AIDS, gender equality, public health, civil unrest, climate change, and poverty.
Last week, when we heard about Nelson Mandela’s passing, I was with most of the Fellows; they had gathered in DC for a series of events before the end of their program. I felt so honored to be among them at this moment—saying goodbye to Mandela but also feeling a sense of comfort knowing that there are so many wonderfully talented, courageous and driven young leaders ready to confront the world’s most pressing challenges.
The New Voices Fellowship (a Burness client) is an initiative designed to bring more experts from the developing world into the global development discussion . It offers development experts from Africa and other parts of the developing world a year-long program of media support, training, research and writing under the guidance of experienced mentors and trainers. You can read some of the media articles and opinion pieces featuring the fellows here, which include stories in Al Jazeera, the New York Times, CNN, Huffington Post, and many more.
