2017 Tutu Fellow Natalie Jabangwe was a panelist in a high-level panel discussion on Innovation and technology at the United Nations General Assembly on 18 September.  The discussion formed part of the UN's attention to a range of Sustainable Development Goals that it hopes to see implemented by 2030. The goals include inroads into poverty, hunger, health, education, gender equality, clean energy, responsible consumption and others. Innovation and technology are seen as mechanisms by which the goals can be reached.

Back in June of this year, we shared news of how two Fellows were selected to participate in the final one thousand at UNLEASH 2017.  One of them, Jon Kornik, led the team that won the water solutions' challenge.  UNLEASH sets up global innovation labs and gathers some of the top minds of a generation in a kind of open source solution based approach to subject themes such as water, food, sustainable consumption and others. 

Three Tutu Fellows were speakers at the Gulu Youth Conference in Northern Uganda, in which their voices were heard on social transformation in Africa.  The Fellows were Deo Arinaitwe Rugyendo (Class of 2012), Daniel Kidega (Class of 2007), and Nobel Peace Nominee Victor Ochen (Class of 2011).  The Gulu Youth Conference was organised as a way to begin a process of transformation in Northern Uganda. 

The University of KwaZulu Natal in South Africa has conferred a Doctorate in Business Administration on 2008 Tutu Fellow Siza Majola. Her thesis was titled: Developing a stakeholder management model based on an African traditionally governed community: Bafokeng case study.  Majola's PhD caps an MBA from Sheffield Business School in the UK, a B.Sc Honours in Geographic Information Systems from the University of Stellenbosch, and a B.Sc in Geology from the University of Fort Hare.

The Tutu Leadership Programme has two workshops, one in South Africa, and the second in the UK.  Between the speaker sessions, group projects, soul searching and other required work is time for bonding, networking, and fun.  The gallery below gives a sense of the camaraderie among the Class of 2017.

Candidates from the 2017 Tutu Leadership Fellowship Programme cohort were interviewed at Mont Fleur, outside Cape Town, about the first workshop in the programme. Rori Tshabalala says that an element of the programme is the self-reflection required to determine why we choose the paths we do.

Candidates from the 2017 Tutu Leadership Fellowship Programme cohort were interviewed at Mont Fleur, outside Cape Town, about the first workshop in the programme. Abayomi Awobokun mentioned that an area in which leaders often fail is in thinking sufficiently rigorously about the outcomes that a path of leadership might produce.

Candidates from the 2017 Tutu Leadership Fellowship Programme cohort were interviewed at Mont Fleur, outside Cape Town, about the first workshop in the programme.  Ahmed Zahran, who is from Egypt, spoke of how the group helped him gain a better understanding of sub-Saharan Africa, of which he had had limited exposure previously.

Candidates from the 2017 Tutu Leadership Fellowship Programme cohort were interviewed at Mont Fleur, outside Cape Town, about the first workshop in the programme. Hema Vallabh talks about how the Fellowship programme creates an environment in which speakers and fellow attendees provide insights that are discomfiting to taken-for-granted positions.

Candidates from the 2017 Tutu Leadership Fellowship Programme cohort were interviewed at Mont Fleur, outside Cape Town, about the first workshop in the programme.  Jude Abaga speaks of how the programme inspires authentic leadership. 

Candidates from the 2017 Tutu Leadership Fellowship Programme cohort were interviewed at Mont Fleur, outside Cape Town, about the first workshop in the programme.  Martino Noely came away inspired with ideas on how to be a better change agent when he returned to Madagascar.

Candidates from the 2017 Tutu Leadership Fellowship Programme cohort were interviewed at Mont Fleur, outside Cape Town, about the first workshop in the programme. Natalie Jabangwe says a key lesson of the programme is showing how unselfish leadership puts people first.

Candidates from the 2017 Tutu Leadership Fellowship Programme cohort were interviewed at Mont Fleur, outside Cape Town, about the first workshop in the programme. Ngisana Mngomezulu says creativity will be needed to effect change.

Candidates from the 2017 Tutu Leadership Fellowship Programme cohort were interviewed at Mont Fleur, outside Cape Town, about the first workshop in the programme. Onyinye Ibeneche shares how the programme helps leaders find and-and solutions rather than either-or solutions.

Candidates from the 2017 Tutu Leadership Fellowship Programme cohort were interviewed at Mont Fleur, outside Cape Town, about the first workshop in the programme.  Rosy Finn said that she was challenged in thought-provoking ways to rethink some of the things she'd been taking for granted.