Grieve Chelwa, Chair of the Department of Social Sciences and Associate Professor of Political Economy at The Africa Institute, Global Studies University (GSU), recently led the inaugural convening of the Blueprints for a New Economy Fellowship Program in Lusaka, Zambia. The gathering brought together ten emerging scholars from across the Global South to explore what it means to be a public intellectual in a time of heightened inequality and geopolitical disruption.
The convening focused on equipping scholars with essential skills for impactful public intellectualism, including media engagement, institution building, effective fundraising, research design, grassroots collaboration, and the role of organic intellectuals. Prof Chelwa opened the event with a keynote highlighting transformative public intellectuals such as Angela Davis, Edward Said, Walter Rodney, Arundhati Roy, Audre Lorde, Ali Mazrui, and James Baldwin as examples of public intellectuals that transcend traditional academic boundaries.
Participants engaged directly with community organizers from the Fight Inequality Alliance (FIA) in Zambia and local activists, examining how intellectuals can meaningfully contribute to grassroots movements while avoiding extractive practices. Scholars explored the perspectives of elder veterans of social struggles and young activists challenging austerity and neoliberal policies, emphasizing the evolving nature of these movements.
Specialized training sessions enriched the convening. Danni Taaffe (Trinity College Dublin) guided scholars on effective media engagement, including simulations of interviews and press conferences. Amani Mustafa Mhinda provided strategies for institution building and fundraising, emphasizing ethical research practices and community benefit. Dr. Mashekwa Maboshe presented research on poverty and inequality trends in Zambia, highlighting the role of data and methodology in shaping compelling narratives. Nabil Ahmed and Maaza Seyoum (Oxfam) shared insights on coalition-building, advocacy, and combating disinformation, drawing on lessons from the People’s Vaccine Alliance.
The first cohort of Blueprints scholars includes 11 emerging leaders from Africa, the Caribbean, Latin America, and Asia, representing a diverse array of disciplines and experiences. Scholars include Aida Namukose (Uganda), Rangarirai Chikova (Zimbabwe), Inès Zaghdoudi (Tunisia), Esther Aryee (Ghana), Leigh-Ann Worrell and Alicia Nicholls (Barbados), Daphnae Picoli (Brazil), Noelia Méndez Santolaria (Argentina), Isabel Díaz (Ecuador), Kosal Nith (Cambodia), and Ramindu Perera (Sri Lanka).
The convening concluded with a shared commitment to solidarity, South–South cooperation, and knowledge exchange, empowering scholars to translate insights into scholarship, leadership, and action. The Blueprints program aims to strengthen the capacity of public intellectuals from the Global South to advance justice, equity, and human rights in their communities and beyond.
Click here to read the full Oxfam report.
Grieve Chelwa, Chair of the Department of Social Sciences and Associate Professor of Political Economy at The Africa Institute, Global Studies University (GSU), recently led the inaugural convening of the Blueprints for a New Economy Fellowship Program in Lusaka, Zambia. The gathering brought together ten emerging scholars from across the Global South to explore what it means to be a public intellectual in a time of heightened inequality and geopolitical disruption.
Grieve Chelwa, Chair of the Department of Social Sciences and Associate Professor of Political Economy at The Africa Institute, Global Studies University (GSU), recently led the inaugural convening of the Blueprints for a New Economy Fellowship Program in Lusaka, Zambia. The gathering brought together ten emerging scholars from across the Global South to explore what it means to be a public intellectual in a time of heightened inequality and geopolitical disruption.
The convening focused on equipping scholars with essential skills for impactful public intellectualism, including media engagement, institution building, effective fundraising, research design, grassroots collaboration, and the role of organic intellectuals. Prof Chelwa opened the event with a keynote highlighting transformative public intellectuals such as Angela Davis, Edward Said, Walter Rodney, Arundhati Roy, Audre Lorde, Ali Mazrui, and James Baldwin as examples of public intellectuals that transcend traditional academic boundaries.
Participants engaged directly with community organizers from the Fight Inequality Alliance (FIA) in Zambia and local activists, examining how intellectuals can meaningfully contribute to grassroots movements while avoiding extractive practices. Scholars explored the perspectives of elder veterans of social struggles and young activists challenging austerity and neoliberal policies, emphasizing the evolving nature of these movements.
Specialized training sessions enriched the convening. Danni Taaffe (Trinity College Dublin) guided scholars on effective media engagement, including simulations of interviews and press conferences. Amani Mustafa Mhinda provided strategies for institution building and fundraising, emphasizing ethical research practices and community benefit. Dr. Mashekwa Maboshe presented research on poverty and inequality trends in Zambia, highlighting the role of data and methodology in shaping compelling narratives. Nabil Ahmed and Maaza Seyoum (Oxfam) shared insights on coalition-building, advocacy, and combating disinformation, drawing on lessons from the People’s Vaccine Alliance.
The first cohort of Blueprints scholars includes 11 emerging leaders from Africa, the Caribbean, Latin America, and Asia, representing a diverse array of disciplines and experiences. Scholars include Aida Namukose (Uganda), Rangarirai Chikova (Zimbabwe), Inès Zaghdoudi (Tunisia), Esther Aryee (Ghana), Leigh-Ann Worrell and Alicia Nicholls (Barbados), Daphnae Picoli (Brazil), Noelia Méndez Santolaria (Argentina), Isabel Díaz (Ecuador), Kosal Nith (Cambodia), and Ramindu Perera (Sri Lanka).
The convening concluded with a shared commitment to solidarity, South–South cooperation, and knowledge exchange, empowering scholars to translate insights into scholarship, leadership, and action. The Blueprints program aims to strengthen the capacity of public intellectuals from the Global South to advance justice, equity, and human rights in their communities and beyond.
Click here to read the full Oxfam report.
Subscribe to our mailing list and get the latest news from The Africa Institute
