STRATEGIES

Why are we important?

Join us in unlocking the vast potential of African culture to shape the minds and identities of the next generation!

In a world where homogenous global narratives threaten to erase cultural diversity, our think tank is on a mission to harness the rich cultural heritage and indigenous knowledge systems of Africa to drive innovation, creativity, and resilience among Zambian children and youth.

Through “Operation Cultural Engineering,” we aim to redefine African identity in a way that celebrates diversity, promotes intellectual curiosity, and instills a spirit of enterprise. By developing personalized mental software and mindware, we will empower the next generation of African leaders to think critically, act creatively, and embrace their cultural heritage with pride.

By supporting our think tank, you will be contributing to:

– Developing innovative solutions that promote cultural diversity and creativity

– Conducting research that informs policy recommendations for a vibrant cultural economy in Africa

– Empowering the next generation of African leaders to shape a brighter future for the continent

Together, let’s create a lasting legacy that celebrates the richness and diversity of African culture!

Strategy

Archaeology

This process is aimed at uncovering and understanding the knowledge held by indigenous peoples that was hidden within functionalist and systematizing theories. Such theories often suppressed or erased the indigenous knowledge systems during the colonial era. The colonial project operated under the assumption that the territory being colonized had not been previously inscribed. For instance, the narrative that David Livingstone discovered Victoria Falls continued to be part of our school curriculum way into the 21^st Century.

As a result, a simplistic and one-sided view of the indigenous knowledge systems was formed. This canon was devalued, dominated, and reduced to a deliberate and unexamined gap in knowledge. However, this knowledge is crucial in inspiring resistance against the dominant power of the global corporate and libidinal cultural economy.

Archaeology, therefore, aims to reveal fresh ways of signifying the silenced and underprivileged. It involves working against and outside dominant grammars and prevailing registers to uncover the hidden treasures of indigenous knowledge systems. This helps to cultivate ways of thinking and practices that are external to, in opposition to, and unconventional to the colonially sanctioned knowledge. OCE will systematically engage the 224 chiefs in Zambia to provide controlled access to what is sacred and secret in their trust, to unearth its treasures and how these could be harnessed to catalyse hard work and enterprise.

Scripting

For far too long, the rich cultural heritage and folklore of Africa have been marginalized and obscured by the lingering effects of colonialism.

The deliberate erasure of indigenous knowledge sources has silenced the voices of our ancestors, leaving our youth without a clear understanding of their roots and identity. But it’s time to reclaim our narrative and redefine the script of knowledge.

We must make African culture and folklore desirable and accessible to our youth, providing them with a range of subject positions to cultivate their identities and self-worth.

Through the powerful mediums of film, radio, digital arts, and animation, we can deliver cultural-centric scripts that engineer a mindset change process built on respect, hard work, and enterprise.

By celebrating cultural hybridity and acknowledging our differences without hierarchy, we can rewrite the corporate identity paradigms that have long suppressed our true potential. It’s time to make the unseen visible, to amplify the voices of our ancestors, and to proudly showcase the beauty and richness of African culture.

Let us join forces to create a cultural infrastructure that honours our past, inspires our present, and shapes our future.

Together, we can script a new narrative that empowers our youth to embrace their heritage and forge a brighter tomorrow.

The time for change is now. Let us rise and reclaim our cultural identity! We propose among other interventions, the use of film to decolonize the mindset.

This involves promoting diverse perspectives, challenging dominant narratives, and encouraging critical thinking.

1. Showcase diverse stories and voices: Screen films that highlight the experiences of marginalized communities, told from their own perspectives.

2. Challenge stereotypes and biases: Use films that subvert common stereotypes and biases, promoting nuanced understanding and empathy.

3. Explore colonialism and its legacy: Screen films that address the historical and ongoing impacts of colonialism, sparking critical discussions.

4. Foster empathy and understanding: Use film to humanize marginalized groups, encouraging viewers to connect with their struggles and triumphs.

5. Encourage critical thinking: Facilitate discussions and reflections that prompt viewers to question dominant narratives and think critically about the films.

6. Provide context and resources: Offer additional materials and context to enhance understanding and encourage further exploration.

7. Create inclusive spaces: Foster safe and inclusive environments for discussions, ensuring diverse voices are heard and valued.

8. Collaborate with diverse filmmakers: Support and showcase work from filmmakers from diverse backgrounds, amplifying their voices and perspectives.

9. Address power dynamics: Acknowledge and address the power imbalances in the film industry, promoting equity and representation.

10. Encourage action and engagement: Inspire viewers to take action, engaging with social justice issues and promoting positive change.

By using film in this way, we can work towards decolonizing the mindset, promoting a more inclusive and equitable understanding of the world.

Packaging

Catalysing youth’s love for culture and expressions of folklore, ultimately leading to a more productive, more vibrant, and tightly knit community with a positive work orientation. Generating and systematically disseminating shareable content for social media platforms, utilising visually appealing graphics, videos, and infographics to increase the aesthetic appeal of indigenous knowledge systems. We shall have run a dedicated community radio station promoting enterprise and cultural appropriation among the youth.

Increasing the aesthetic appeal of indigenous knowledge by mobilising and populating positive messaging around them in a manner that makes such knowledge consumable by the youth. This will mimic the media messaging of the libidinal cultural economy. Delivering culture-centric messages through creative and memorable performances that ignite and embed the virtues of hard work and enterprise in the youth. Indigenising, reassociating, and reconnecting places and ideas with local knowledge and disconnecting them from their colonialist narratives.

Developing digital animations that vividly illustrate the richness of African folklore while unearthing pre-colonial African knowledge systems, preserving and sharing insights into Africa’s historical contributions to civilization. Incorporating subtle work ethic and anti-consumerism messages within popular television series to catalyze and embed the virtues and positive imaginaries of African culture and expressions of folklore seamlessly into entertainment content, reinforcing awareness.

Curating diverse activities, including interactive art installations, workshops, and exhibitions, that cultivate contemplative engagement and interpretation of the messaging and content emanating from the libidinal cultural economy.

Conducting workshops that orient the youth and in-school children away from consumerism to a more critical engagement with artefacts and messages of the corporate cultural economy to cultivate and reinforce investment-like behaviors alongside a strong work ethic.