Mo Ibrahim Foundation Prize Ceremony

So this weekend I was going to just relax and try to recuperate after a hectic week at work (more on that later...). Haha, like a weekend like that exists in crazy Dakar. Saturday a friend who is very engaged in development work here in Senegal called me to ask if I wanted to come with him to the annually award show and following day's panel discussion arranged by the Mo Ibrahim Foundation. YES!!!

Mo Ibrahim is a very successful African business man, who has decided to use some of his wealth on promoting and rewarding good governance and leadership in Africa. Each year a week long workshop is held in an African country which is concluded by a prize ceremony and a day of panel discussion on a chosen topic of relevance to the development of good governance.

This year the event took place in the big theatre of Dakar:

It was a surprisingly big and glamorous ceremony, almost like the award shows that we know from TV with famous people speaking on the podium and superstars entertaining between the speeches and awardings. I had the pleasure to see lovely Senegalese musicians such as Baaba Maal and Youssou Ndour (who is now the minister of tourism?!?!).

When the founder, Mo Ibrahim, went on stage to welcome us, I understood why. What a charismatic, but also very eccentric man! He truly loves talking about his success, his struggles and him setting a good example, undoubtebly with good reason. He is honest and blunt, and apparently not so easy to impress. Last year the award was actually cancelled, since he did not find any suitable candidates for the prize on the African continent! Luckily, this year someone had deserved to be honoured, and it was a very special person; Archbishop Desmond Tutu. The Nobel Prize winning (1984) Tutu fought alongside with Nelson Mandela against apartheid in Southern Africa, and has passed several years in prison, before becoming the first black Archbishop of Cape Town (meaning being the head of the Anglican church in South Africa). If you have ever met, or even just seen a picture of him, you will not be able to forget this man. He is one of the funniest and wisest persons I have ever encountered. When he entered the stage his lovable, charismatic and somehow manic personality immediately filled the room with a sense of trust and hope. He spoke in clear and concise sentences, but the message that came across reached far beyond the simple phrases. At the same time he made room for a much needed liberating laughter on an elsewise serious and heavy topic through crazy anecdotes from his incredible life experience.

As with most Senegalese events, the ceremony turned into a big party. The artists returning to the stage, and the audience quickly crowded the floor dancing Mbalax like maniacs. Safe to say that when we met up this morning at 9am to start the panel, people were slightly more quiet than usual. However, this changed after a few cups of coffee. This year's panel was on African youth and its ability to fulfil the potential spurring development. The participants engaged in the discussion with passion and commitment, and there were some quite fiery discussion during the day. Many different stakeholders were included in the four panel-teams formed beforehand, and each panel was led by a former African president. Below you see a picture of one of the panels where Tutu (on the left) was the chair and Mo Ibrahim (on the right) himself participated as a panellist. It is Tutu you see on the big screen too. And now you might be thinking; "couldn't she have chosen a more flattering picture of Tutu?". The answer is no, that is how he looks... all the time... Yes, manic.

The general conclusion of the long day's panel discussions was "less talk, more action". People are tired of having the same conversations on the big unexplored potential that the African continent, and above all the rapidly growing African youth holds. They want a revolution! But as Tutu so wisely rounded off the day by stating: "There is only one way to eat an elephant; piece by piece".