In order to combat climate change, it is important to think differently and consider Africa’s past, present and future.
This is according to Prof Guy Midgley, acting director of the School for Climate Studies at Stellenbosch University, at this year’s Umoja African Student Leaders Network Summit.
Pictured above is Nina Hugo, chairperson of the United Nations Association of South Africa’s Stellenbosch University chapter. Hugo was involved in planning the recent Umoja African Student Leaders Network Summit of 2022, where the issues of climate change and ethical leadership were discussed. PHOTO: Bianke Neethling
A day of discussion
Midgley was one of 26 speakers who participated in the event, which was held on 29 July at the Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Study (STIAS). This is according to Nina Hugo, chairperson of the United Nations Association of South Africa’s (UNASA) SU chapter.
Student leaders from across the continent gathered for this day-long summit to discuss climate change, ethical leadership and how these apply in an African context, stated Hugo via WhatsApp correspondence with MatieMedia.
SU was the host of this year’s summit, stated Hugo, who added that the speakers at the event included included student leaders from universities across Africa, climate change scientists and climate activists, according to Hugo.
Pictured above, from left to right, are Matthew Wingfield, an advocate and PhD candidate at Stellenbosch University (SU); Emile Engelbrecht, a PhD student at SU and member of the Umoja African Student Leaders Network Steering Committee; Eda Ekinci, an attendee at the Umoja African Student Leaders Network Summit of 2022; Muhammed Lokhat, an MPhil candidate and researcher in the center for sustainability transitions at SU; Anele Mdeba, manager of student governance at SU; and Karuna Singh, the senior programme advisor of Wits Citizenship and Community Outreach of the University of the Witwatersrand. PHOTO: Bianke Neethling
A transcontinental network
The Umoja African Student Leaders Network is “a network of universities across Africa who have decided to band their student leaderships together to address some pressing questions in Africa and in the world”, explained Hugo.
Other universities in the network include; Bahir Dar University from Ethiopia, the University of Cape Town, the University of Lagos, and the University of Namibia, amongst others, according to Prof Deresh Ramjugernath, deputy vice-chancellor of learning and teaching at SU, at the event.
This year’s summit was a hybrid event, where people were able to attend both online or in-person, stated Hugo.
Around 80 people attended the event in-person at STIAS, according to Anele Mdepa, manager of student governance at SU.
All SU students were able to attend the summit, where attendees were given opportunities to ask questions and engage with the speakers at the event, said Hugo.
Nina Hugo, chairperson of the United Nations Association of South Africa’s Stellenbosch University chapter, reads an excerpt from the speech she gave at this year’s Umoja African Student Leaders Network Summit. AUDIO: Bianke Neethling
Thinking differently
Midgley is “one of the most eminent scientists in the area of climate change”, stated Ramjugernath at the event.
In his speech, Midgley spoke about “Climate change: yesterday, today, tomorrow”.
“It’s extremely important, I think, to understand where we’re going by looking at where we’ve come from, particularly in Africa, because that is where our species derives from,” Midgley stated at the event.
“We’ve got to think differently. We have to think differently. We cannot let those old legacies hold us back. And to the people who want to hold onto those things, we’ve got to move forward,” he stated.