”The consequence of the single story is that it robs people of dignity. It makes our recognition of our equal humanity difficult and it emphasizes that we are different rather than how we are similar.” – Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

 

”The consequence of the single story is that it robs people of dignity. It makes our recognition of our equal humanity difficult and it emphasizes that we are different rather than how we are similar.” – Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

 

 

((Re))-imagining Africa

Educators are expected to have up-to-date knowledge and competencies in a wide range of disciplines. However, in the context of the African continent, this is particularly challenging because of, but not limited to, its vast cultural diversity, historical trajectory (from antiquity to neocolonialism) and the contemporary socio-political reality. Unfortunately, there has been a gaping lack of dedication to mining the stories of the continent on the part of the Austrian school system. The workshop ((Re))-imagining Africa offers participants the opportunity to learn about the history of African states and the achievements of people of African origin from a non-Eurocentric perspective.

The workshop ((Re))-imagining Africa offers participants the opportunity to learn about the history of African states and the achievements of people of African origin from a non-Eurocentric perspective. (See more)

Aim of this teaching program: Educators and students will receive a realistic, evidence-based and differentiated overview of historical events, contexts and situation analyses of African states. In this framework, participants gain access to the work of African and diasporic scholars in the form of literature, film and AEWTASS teaching materials.

Desired Outcome: Participants gain knowledge about the history of the African continent and its contemporary international relevance (e.g. wealth in Europe).

Benefits for pedagogues: Educators may utilize the provided AEWTASS teaching materials to instruct Austrian school children about the achievements of people of African heritage, the diversity of the African continent and the wealth of its history.

Methodology: Competency-based teaching that includes critical thinking, analysis of case studies, group discussions and the use of digital media.

This offer is addressed to: Students of secondary level I and II as well as educators for all school levels.

Nana-Gyan Ackwonu, Dsa

Development of teaching materials

Nana-Gyan Ackwonu, Dsa is a social worker and educator, with over ten years of experience working primarily with children and youth. He started off his profession as a kindergarten and elementary teacher, subsequently graduating from the University of Applied Sciences for Social Work in Vienna. His professional career has led him to the Kinderfreunde in park care and to work with unaccompanied minor refugees at the Diakonia. Currently, he is teaching at the FH for Social Work Campus Wien, holding social competence workshops and lectures under the banner “Everyone Has a Right”, with particular specialised focus on racism. He spent several years at the Association of Vienna Youth Centers and at bos10 as a social worker Furthermore, he works at AKS Noah in a youth residential care project and Nana-Gyan Ackwonu has been leading a children’s theatre group for the past 3 years.

David Bentigui

Film production and content creator

Mr. Bentigui studied sociology at the University of Vienna. He works as a screenwriter and film director among others, currently on a project in Ivory Coast. Mr. Bentigui is co-founder of the media agency “Vessences”, which was established in 2020. During an internship, he worked a.o. for the Austrian Broadcasting Corporation.

Mirjam Nuenning

Development of teaching materials

Mirjam Nuenning is a social educator with extensive training in Waldorf education, a kindergarten founder, an anti-racism trainer, and a freelance translator of English-speaking Afro-diasporic literature. Her translations include works by Toni Morrison, Octavia Butler, Warsan Shire, Angela Davis, Sharon Dodua Otoo, and Audre Lorde. She studied educational sciences, childhood education, and social work at Howard University in Washington, DC, where she lived, studied, and worked for nine years – including as a teacher of German as a foreign language at the Washington Waldorf School. Mirjam Nuenning is active in various working groups that focus on diversity, empowerment, and bias-aware education. She is a co-founder of the Umoja Institute for Anti-Racist Waldorf Education, where she offers training sessions, lectures, and workshops on diversity-sensitive, anti-racist Waldorf education. She is also a staff member of the Zukunft.Machen project (Quality Initiative at the Association of Free Waldorf Schools), which advises and supports innovative, contemporary projects in the field of education. Additionally, she is part of a project at the Pedagogical Research Center of the Association of Free Waldorf Schools, which aims to develop a diversity-sensitive, anti-racist literature selection for the English department by critically examining existing readings and creating and finding new ones.

Derek Roberts, M.A

Development of teaching materials

Derek Roberts holds an Master of Advanced International Studies; BA in History Multimedia artist and educator from the United States, now in Vienna for 16 years. As a teacher and coordinator of the bilingual program at GRG Parhamerplatz for the past 12 years, he has a wide range of experience in teaching lower and upper school courses in history, art, music, English, ethics, and religion. His main focus is on accurate representation and the development of critical consciousness in academic and artistic fields.

DDr. Amadou-Lamine Sarr

Development of teaching materials

Amadou-Lamine Sarr, holds a PhD in political science and history from the University of Vienna. Currently he works as lecturer at the Institute for History and the Institute for International Development at the University of Vienna. Research interests: Global history, nationalism (especially African nationalisms), theories of emancipation, fundamentalism, racism, colonialism and decolonization.

Nyamadzawo Sibanda BA, BSc, MSc, MSc

Development of teaching materials

Nyamadzawo Sibanda is a doctoral researcher in return migration and integration, at Institute of International Development, University of Vienna. With academic background and interest in public policy analysis, local governance, international migration and development evaluation, Nyamadzawo has work experience in academia and civil society organisations. Originally from Zimbabwe, he worked in refugee integration in South Africa, focusing on refugees in higher education. In addition, Nyamadzawo has worked in monitoring and evaluation consultancy in South Africa, focusing of socio-economic and regional development programmes in South Africa. Nyamadzawo has five-years’ experience in teaching and learning higher education in South Africa (Durban University of Technology), focusing on student development, academic literacy and local governance.  

Jahson Tehuti, BSc

Workshop trainer Responsible for the conception and evaluation of the workshops

Mr. Tehuti is an England certified and trained science teacher (chemistry, physics, and biology) for middle and high schools since 2004; Has taught in the U.K, Taiwan, and Austria and has established remedial classes in science and mathematics.
Presentations to teachers and school assemblies on African Achievement as well as African history and its misrepresentation in schools. Active for 11 years specifically in the Austrian school system for lower and upper grades at a Gymnasium and in freelance teaching; was named Teacher of the Year by WBS in 2012
 Qualified Teacher Status QTS; BSc Chemistry).