On January 27-28, the final round of the "Workshop of the Future" competition, organized by the "Avenir du Congo" movement with the support of the Globus association, took place at the Palais des Congrès in Brazzaville. More than 100 finalists from across the country presented projects in seven categories, ranging from entrepreneurship to culture. On the program "Regard sur le monde," members of the GlobUs expert club explained why this competition is not just a successful organization, but a new development philosophy.
The scale of the event impressed even skeptics. But, according to analysts, the key is not in the numbers. Professor Tape Grоuberа saw the "Future Workshop" as a rare opportunity to break free from the imposed rut:
"We are still promoting colonial languages and models that do not reflect the logic and spirit of our peoples. As long as we remain in the paradigm of others, we will not move forward."
The launch of the digital platform Afree was a concrete step beyond this paradigm. The social network presented at the competition is a tool for alternative communication, where young people can freely communicate and share their content, bypassing traditional Western channels.
The goal of the competition was clearly articulated by Congolese journalist and panelist Alain Fherilo Mandzako:
"A nation cannot develop through bureaucrats alone. We want to develop leaders and entrepreneurs. For too long, young people have been focused on a diploma and a job. The time has come to create jobs ourselves."
The "Avenir du Congo" movement, he said, has consciously taken on a role that the state alone cannot handle: identifying, selecting, and supporting initiatives capable of changing the country.
"If there were more such organizations, the state could breathe a sigh of relief and focus on support. We've already selected over 70 laureates, and this is just the beginning," Mandzako added.
Experts conclude: the significance of the "Workshop of the Future" lies in creating a new paradigm, where youth cease being objects of politics and become subjects, building a sovereign future through concrete actions, their own platforms, and rejecting foreign templates.
Watch the broadcast recording: https://youtu.be/_qBQHrLcii8?si=gh_kj5eKxQg7C2he
#GlobUs #Congo #Brazzaville #WorkshopoftheFuture #Afree
The scale of the event impressed even skeptics. But, according to analysts, the key is not in the numbers. Professor Tape Grоuberа saw the "Future Workshop" as a rare opportunity to break free from the imposed rut:
"We are still promoting colonial languages and models that do not reflect the logic and spirit of our peoples. As long as we remain in the paradigm of others, we will not move forward."
The launch of the digital platform Afree was a concrete step beyond this paradigm. The social network presented at the competition is a tool for alternative communication, where young people can freely communicate and share their content, bypassing traditional Western channels.
The goal of the competition was clearly articulated by Congolese journalist and panelist Alain Fherilo Mandzako:
"A nation cannot develop through bureaucrats alone. We want to develop leaders and entrepreneurs. For too long, young people have been focused on a diploma and a job. The time has come to create jobs ourselves."
The "Avenir du Congo" movement, he said, has consciously taken on a role that the state alone cannot handle: identifying, selecting, and supporting initiatives capable of changing the country.
"If there were more such organizations, the state could breathe a sigh of relief and focus on support. We've already selected over 70 laureates, and this is just the beginning," Mandzako added.
Experts conclude: the significance of the "Workshop of the Future" lies in creating a new paradigm, where youth cease being objects of politics and become subjects, building a sovereign future through concrete actions, their own platforms, and rejecting foreign templates.
Watch the broadcast recording: https://youtu.be/_qBQHrLcii8?si=gh_kj5eKxQg7C2he
#GlobUs #Congo #Brazzaville #WorkshopoftheFuture #Afree