ABOUT YOU AS A FUTURES THINKER / PRACTITIONER

You identify yourself as an African futures thinker or practitioner. How would you describe to the woman or man on the street what it is that you do in this regard?

I am a social activist trying to the maximum to bring change to my African community and taking a number of initiatives aiming at building the capacity of youth across Africa.

How many years have you worked as an African futures thinker / practitioner?

Seven years

In which countries or places have you had working experience as an African futures thinker / practitioner?

Morocco, America, Egypt, Tunisia, Turkey, Switzerland, France, Germany and Qatar

In what languages have you undertaken futures / foresight related work or research?

Arabic, English, French

What is it that motivates you to work or participate in the foresight / future studies / related field

Positive change and a better Africa is my motivation to contribute to foresight in Africa

What goal/s would you most like to reach with your work as an African futures thinker / practitioner?

Africa united for development

Who or what most influenced your thinking as a futures thinker / practitioner, and how?

Many leaders have influenced me to make a change, but what has influenced me most is the reality Africans lives in and the hope to bring positive change to Mama Africa.

What is your main disciplinary background? (i.e. your primary training / qualification)

International Relations - Conflict Resolution - Civil Society – Business - Communication - Culture - Environment

How do other people describe you and how do you describe yourself?

Others describe me as… charismatic

I describe myself as… a resilient person

YOUR PERSPECTIVE

What is one of your favourite quotes about the future?

“The only thing we know about the future is that it will be different.”
- Peter Drucker

How would you describe the state of African futures thinking right now?

It is not much better than the past, but immerging the youth as a strong advisory body within the civil community and involving them in implementing and evaluating public policies is really promising.

What is, in your opinion, the main barrier to uptake of futures knowledge by African institutions and organisations?

Strategic planning

If you were to give advice to someone who wants a career in African foresight / future studies, what would you say to him or her?

Go ahead Africa is proud of you.

What are your recommended readings for every African futures thinker / practitioner?

• African Studies
• Things Fall Apart

What are your recommendations for other favourite futures resources: websites, newsfeeds, mailing lists, associations, etc.?

• Institute for African Development: IAD
• Institute For African Alternatives (IFAA)