A programme for young people, by young people
In this special, we present highlights – productions, insights, developments – from the past 5 years of the Voice4Thought Academy Mali.
Having started with a pilot in 2020, over the past 5 years the Voice4Thought Academy (V4TA) Mali has grown into an institute to which more than 1,000 Malian young people are connected; in the form of a team at the headquarters in Bamako, trainers, coaches, and trainees, in 10 regions in Mali, and in addition all the young people we have reached with the artistic and scientific productions – who have listened to slam, watched films, read blogs, attended meetings and presentations, are connected through the social media channels, and have been touched and encouraged to think, resulting in their own initiative and action.
CARROUSEL FOTO’S
Artistic and scientific knowledge as a basis for dialogue
The Voice4Thought Academy is a programme that empowers young people in Mali by using art, research, knowledge and dialogue as tools for social change. The programme, which started in 2020, aims to contribute to a generation of young citizens who actively participate in peace processes and in shaping an inclusive and resilient society. In a country where almost 70 percent of the population is young, but where young people rarely have a place in decision-making or reconciliation processes, and where their talent is often underutilised, V4TA offers an alternative. Based on the principle of learning by doing, young people explore the reality of their own living environment, learn to critically analyse social issues and develop the skills to make their voices heard in public debate. Because critical thinking is more than an intellectual exercise: it is the beginning of a conversation, and therefore of change.
This commitment takes on additional significance in Mali, where young people often have little space within a patriarchal and gerontocratic society. At the same time, they are confronted with unemployment, rapid social changes and feelings of cultural uprooting – factors that can make them vulnerable to radicalisation and recruitment by armed groups. Precisely for this reason, it is important not only to look at the vulnerability of young people, but also at the knowledge, experiences and cultural richness they possess, which are essential for understanding Malian society.
The V4TA programme starts from that strength. Through dance, poetry, music and oral traditions, young people build on a rich cultural heritage that helps to give meaning to their experiences and to the world around them. By connecting artistic expression with research and dialogue, V4TA creates space for young people to explore, articulate and share their own perspectives with others. In this way, art and culture become not only means of expression, but also means of reflection, knowledge production and social engagement.
Over the course of the programme, young people have thus built their own ‘database’: a collection of experiences, insights and stories that emerges from research, debates and artistic expression, and that is connected to their position in society, the history of their environment and everyday current affairs. This knowledge enables them to make their ideas about the challenges they face visible and open to discussion. The results of the research, conversations and debates, and the creative productions in the form of slam, theatre and film are then brought back to the community. In this way, encounters emerge between young people, community members and local authorities, including municipal officials, governors and military governors, in which knowledge, experiences and visions for the future are shared.
