MASHAV Thinking Couch sees great potential in home grown solutions for development in Africa

El Harari, a ‘Thinking Couch’ who is part of the Gold Meir Mount Carmel International Training Centre (MCTC) at Israel’s Agency for International Development Cooperation Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MASHAV) sees lots of ‘conditional’ potential for unlimited growth to the envisioned Agenda 2063 for Africa. Delivering a lecture on Empowering Emotional Thinking and Innovation to thirty participants at the MASHAV – UN Women ESARO’s training workshop on women’s economic empowerment which entered day three today, Harari noted that, “Africa has so much potential to grow as long as it does not try to be like the West.”

According to Harari, Africa still retains the humanity, lucidity and gratefulness that the West has lost, and except for the fear of Ebola, each time he travels to Africa he comes back to Israel a positive man. His admiration of Africa also stems from the fact that African leaders choose to remain principled and unwavering in terms of guarding their identities and positive sovereignty principles despite the pressures from the West. Harari also believes that gender equality should never be an issue but a natural concern, and that while men and women may differ is social and other characteristics, they remain equal and can work together to move Africa and the world in new directions for sustainable peace and security on all fronts, and that everyone is a partner for developmental change.

Harari’s lecture focused on the power of positive thinking, inclusivity and shared power in transforming spaces, and also on thought and focused leadership as the basis for grooming effective followers.

The women’s economic empowerment training at MCTC continues until the 7th of May 2015, and combines a lot of interesting and effective in-class learning methodologies as well as learning and religious excursions around Israel. Participants will get a chance to visit the Centre for International Agricultural Development Cooperation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (CINADCO) to learn and share. Agriculture is one of the pillars for economic transformation in Africa. Participants will also benefit from enriching skills development on Branding and Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Marketing for Microenterprises, Gender and Agriculture and Rural Development an Agribusiness in Agriculture Policies and Implementation. During the course of the 3 week training, participants will also cumulatively receive guidance on designing business plans and proposals for presentation to the MASHAV panel. Revai Makanje-Aalbaek, UN Women Deputy Country Representative, Zimbabwe is Guest of Honour at this training.