African Consciousness Institute (ACI) was formed out of this realization that the continental transformational agenda has to begin with personal transformation of Africans. The Institute is an educational-cultural institution dedicated to true empowerment of Africans by instilling self-knowledge, self worth, self-esteem and self-confidence to co-create the Africa they desire.
ACI programmes pursue two main objectives:
Dr Shadrick Mazaza is a physician, philosopher and academic. His main academic focus is personal transformation, authenticity and authentic leadership, and he is an adjunct faculty member of the Graduate School of Business, the University of Cape Town.
Personal transformation is about self-knowledge and its centrality to the development of personal effectiveness and maximization of human potential. It is about raising of one’s level of “being” which, together with raising level of knowledge leads to a raised level of understanding and wisdom.
For the past five years, Dr Mazaza has reflected on the state of the African continent and its development. Africa is attracting global attention because of its high economic growth and the resulting attraction to investment. It is clear that the industrial growth taking place in several countries on the continent would be maximized tremendously from economic integration of the continent. The geographical and economic integration spearheaded by the African Union however, is bound to fail unless it is accompanied by a radical shift in the mindset of African towards their common African identity. This can only come about by a process of introspection and inward journey to discover our true nature as Africans.
In 2012, Dr Mazaza conceptualized the idea of a dedicated institution to develop African mindsets and prepare them for the task of co-creating the Africa that is emerging. His vision was boosted by the African Union’s “Agenda 2063” document in 2013, outlining the vision for Africa for the next 50 years. Dr Mazaza was convinced that the challenges of racism, tribalism, nationalism, xenophobia and religious differences would need to be addressed alongside the geographical integration. The African Consciousness Institute is the answer to addressing the inner divisions of Africans by providing a platform for conversations on our common identity and training to enable us to engage effectively in co-creating the Africa the AU envisages.
Watch Dr Mazaza give a talk about Personal Transformation & the African agenda at TED x Table Mountain
Visit TED x Table Mountain website to watch the video