Social Innovation and Empowerment

WELCOME TO EMPOWER AFRICA RESOURCE NETWORK

 EMPOWER AFRICA RESOURCE NETWORK serves as a vessel to project my passions, and clue in my loyal readers as to what my inspirations are. 

Let me start with a personal story. When I was younger, I

grew up in a neighbourhood that shared many social norms. Very similar in its views on

life and had a number of truths or perspectives, which served the community well but

was quite close in its sense. I wasn't aware of its closeness until I needed to engage

others outside of that community in order to grow as a person but also engage In

businesses of difference.

For me to do that, I had to engage other people outside of the community. For one, for

me to engage difference, I have to be open to a democracy of emotions. What that

means is, do I have the maturity, the maturity to engage others in a vulnerable space

allowing myself to be open to your other perspectives, other viewpoints that doesn't

cause me to feel threatened, fearful, and feeling under attack. Initially, I ran into issues

with my truth being challenged. My inability to unlearn those very norms which I learned

growing up in my community.

And so, I had to take on a sort of personal transformation, in which I was open to other

people's stories. There was a willingness to unlearn, and I had to learn to dialogue.

Dialogue in the sense that I had to both share my meaning, and be open to other

people's meanings, and not try and force my meaning on to other people as I was so

accustomed to do in my closed community. So, on a practical level, am I open to your

other stories in a way that I'm willing to let go of my own truths, my own realities, my

own perspectives. Am I willing to unlearn some of the stuff that has served me well up

to this point, but may not serve me will going forward? And that does talk to my ability

to dialogue and to have conversations in which meaning could flow between myself and

someone or something that is different to me.

Then in order to grow both socially and economically through business growth, I then

had to engage in what is known as political acumen or negotiating using power. This

was new to me, I had to learn how to work within and through networks. I had to learn

how to negotiate, compromise, influence the compromise, and constantly keep at top of

mind my ability to rise above my history. So those three core concepts, a democracy of

emotions, where I'm open in a mature way to other people. Personal transformation, a

willingness to let go and learn dialogue, being open to other stories. And then power

negotiation, the ability to use political acumen to build networks and work through

networks while I try to serve a common good.

Odoji, April