LéO Africa Institute’s 2021 Annual Leaders Gathering to Focus on “Imagined Communities”

Kampala, November 2, 2021 – The 2021 Annual Leaders Gathering will take place from 26- 28 November in Kampala, Uganda, and online through the LéO Africa Institute’s social media channels.

The theme for this year’s event, Building Resilient Lives and ‘Imagined Communities’, is “inspired by the need to re-imagine our sense of community in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic,” according to Awel Uwihanganye, the Institute’s founder.

Starting in 2020, the Annual Leaders Gathering takes place every November and has gained reputation as an essential platform for significant conversations on ideas and issues impacting society – making it the signature public convening for the LéO Africa Institute’s growing network.

“While countries, communities, and individuals continue to reset to the new reality birthed by the pandemic, the Institute gets to reflect on the ideas, passions, and experiences over the last ten years, and more importantly, recommit to another decade of championing African causes,” notes Mr. Uwihanganye.

Yet, as the Institute community convenes this year to imagine the future of society, it has become increasingly difficult for even the most experienced of public health experts and socio-economic commentators to predict with precision how we can adapt to new ways of doing things and communing beyond pandemic.

This, according to Young and Emerging Leaders Project fellowship Class of 2019 valedictorian Mohamed Okash, is why there is an urgency to reimagine the future of the post-pandemic world and to adopt smart strategies for rebuilding, especially after the failures of leadership witnessed at different stages of the response to unprecedented challenges humanity continues to face globally as a result of COVID-19.

Through the support of partners— CEED Concordia Canada, Konrad Adenauer Stiftung Uganda & South Sudan, and Stanbic Bank Uganda —this year’s Gathering will feature a mix of in-person and virtual conversations with key leaders in the LéO Africa Institute network and performances from leading artistes and poets.

YELP Alumni Meet

On the sidelines of the 2021 Gathering, the Institute’s YELP alumni will also meet to reiterate their commitment to the network and discuss the future of the Young and Emerging Leaders Project (YELP) Fellowship.

The fellowship, now in hiatus, will rebrand in 2022 and relaunch as a pan-African leadership development initiative under the stewardship of alumni of the program.

“We are looking forward to yet another exciting edition of the Annual Leaders Gathering, which builds on the LéO Africa Institute’s impressive track record of transformational and high-impact conversations,” said Judith Atim who is also a Program Officer at Konrad Adenauer Stiftung Uganda & South Sudan.