Resourcing the Movements (Philanthropy & Reparations)

Описание: African struggles cannot wait for Northern donors or tainted elite philanthropy. That is the verdict from the “Resourcing the Movements” session at the Wakati Wetu Festival where speakers advocate for community-rooted funding built on reciprocity, not dependency. They warn that much of the existing philanthropy - often short-term and tied to exploitative wealth - preserves the status quo. But reparations are not a development project. Reparations require that movements seize power, build their own institutions and hold funders accountable to affected communities, not boardrooms. True repair begins when African people resource their own liberation.

Moderator:
• Noel Didla, Co-founder, Deep South Solidarity Fund
Speakers:
• Tássia Mendonca, Fellow - Black Feminist Fund
• Jasmine Mickens, Pan-African Reparations Strategist & Afro-futurist
• Hakima Abbas, Political scientist, Feminist Activist, Writer & Researcher, Black Feminist Fund
• Briggs Bomba, Programs Director. Trust Africa

This session examines the critical link between funding, power and reparations, and how Black liberation movements can sustainably resource the struggle for justice. Moderated by Noel Didla of the Deep South Solidarity Fund, the discussion calls for active, collective participation in shaping how reparations are understood, funded and implemented. Speakers use the terms Black and African interchangeably during this session, noting that the exercise of power and agency - not merely securing money - is what will ultimately decide who drives the reparations agenda.

African movements must stop relying on external donors. Instead, African philanthropy - rooted in community values of reciprocity and solidarity - should take centre stage. Philanthropy, they stress, is not only about the money; it is also the sharing of time, skills and collective responsibility. One speaker illustrates this with a Senegalese saying: When thanked, people reply “It’s my share of what I have,” embodying a deep ethic of mutual support. Sustainable funding must build power from within communities rather than perpetuate dependency.