In 2025, we are building on the last 3 conferences and focusing on Language and culture in our 4th Conference.

 

It is often said that culture holds Africa back, but does it really? What if we challenged that notion by focusing on aspects of our culture that serve us well? 

There is a distinction between tradition and culture. It feels thin as the two words are sometimes used interchangeably. These definitions my help.

 

Tradition, which celebrates our heritage, is the transmission of customs or beliefs from generation to generation, or the fact of being passed on in this way.

 

Tradition is embedded in our culture. So many of our traditional norms are beautiful and convey a sense of national and tribal pride.

 

Culture is the ideas, customs, and social behaviour of a particular people or society. 

So clearly, some of our behaviours are traditional. If you focus on ideas, then culture is also the expression of our ideas such as through art, music and most importantly, language. 

 

Culture is encoded in the language we speak as a reflection of our socialisation, so what if in focusing on what is great about our culture we draw on our everyday language? 

 

Language is a powerful tool. It does more than carry our culture. It shapes our mindset and expectations. It informs our beliefs. Language is one of the most powerful tools available to create change. The transformation we seek is only possible by the right language and communication. It is our time to shape our story – not only in the grand but in the seemingly every day; mundane!

 

Culture and language!

 

Our pledge for this conference is to each create an action plan and start taking action in order to create our own prosperity. 

 

Here are highlights of the last conference: Recapping The Bold New Normal Conference 2024! Highlights