Lasting social change happens first and foremost outside the realm of electoral politics, and within the prevailing intellectual climate of civil society, so it’s important to foster the ideas of liberty in younger generations before they become society’s decision-makers. The Uhuru Initiative for Policy & Education (UIPE), an Atlas Network partner in Tanzania, celebrated its first-year anniversary by hosting events geared toward the brightest pro-liberty undergraduate students, recent graduates, young professionals, and leaders of libertarian organizations from across Africa.
UIPE’s liberty training event provides education, resources, a network, and other tools with which students — and those who have already entered the workforce — can effectively organize and make an impact in their universities, cities, and regions. Among other undertakings, they organize events, help start and grow student groups, and seek out other potential leaders for liberty with resources that UIPE provide. The first time UIPE hosted this event, it brought 32 trainees from Tanzania, Kenya, and Nigeria, with remote participants joining the event online. This second training event attracted 35 trainees just from Tanzania, a clear sign of growth.
UIPE recently concluded its second Uhuru Leadership Academy, celebrating with more than 30 graduates at the Uhuru Leadership Forum & Dinner anniversary celebration. All attendees had the opportunity to pitch their mission statements in front of a panel of judges who were all alumni of the Students and Young Professionals African Liberty Academy (SYPALA) held in 2010 by AfricanLiberty.org and IMANI Ghana at the University of Dodoma in Tanzania.
”My journey began at the Students and Young Professionals African Liberty Academy (SYPALA) in 2010 at the University of Dodoma in Tanzania,” said UIPE Executive Director Isack Danford. “After SYPALA, I was inspired and together with my colleagues initiated a pro-liberty campus group called African Liberty Students Organization-University of Dodoma Chapter (ALSO-UDOM) where I served as Executive President for a period of one year.”
Leaders from other free-market groups throughout Africa who attended the anniversary celebration included Alex Ndungu, research and programs development manager at the Eastern Africa Policy Centre in Kenya; Peter Yakobe, executive director at Center for Free Market Enterprise in Malawi; Allen Kimbelwa, founder and chairman of Tanzania Young Leaders-Empowering Vijana; and Belinder Odek, local coordinator for African Students for Liberty from Kenya.